About Us

The Peer Helpers improve the climate at our school with three main focuses: Peer Helping, Positive Youth Development, and Suicide Prevention.  We produce small monthly Outreach Projects, as well as two larger community projects per year (one in the Fall and one in the Spring). The APS Peer Helpers Program, which is adapted from the NM Youth Peer to Peer Helper program (NM YP2PH), and the Natural Helper program, is based on the premise that when young people have problems, they most often turn to friends for help, and within every school, an informal “helping network” exists. As Peer Helpers, we receive training focused on suicide-prevention, positive youth development, and peer-helping skills. Ultimately, the Peer Helpers' training serves to enhance the helping skills that we already use with our friends. Peer Helpers also learn to recognize our limits as helpers, and thus we can be the link that is needed between young people and professional help.