Welcome to CASLV Cadence Counseling Corner

Middle School Hope Squad is a school-based, peer-to-peer suicide prevention program designed to build a safe, supportive culture for 6th through 7th graders. Rather than placing the burden of mental health support on teenagers, Hope Squad operates on a simple, evidence-backed premise: students know who among their peers is struggling long before adults do.

Members are not chosen by staff; instead, the entire student body nominates peers whom they trust, view as empathetic, and feel comfortable turning to during difficult times.

Empowering students to support one another is at the heart of a safe, inclusive school culture. As students mature into young adults, their peer support networks must evolve to meet their changing world—which is why High School Hope Squad builds on the Middle School foundations.

At the high school level, peer dynamics shift from basic friendship networks to complex social ecosystems. High school Hope Squad members take on an expanded role as culture changers while maintaining strict boundaries as non-clinical helpers.

Rainbows for All Children is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to helping youth navigate grief, trauma, and major life transitions. Through structured, age-appropriate peer support groups, the organization provides a safe space for children and adolescents to process life-altering losses—including the death of a family member, divorce or separation, parental incarceration, military deployment, deportation, or significant community trauma.