Hamilton High School Peer Leaders

Photo submitted by Hamilton Peer Leaders

Leyten Flood

Peer Leadership is a group of 20 students at Hamilton. They are a student support group who aim to bring awareness of mental health issues and to erase the stigma surrounding mental health. Stigma is defined as “a negative attitude or idea about mental, physical, or social feature of a person or group that involves social disapproval.”  In regards to mental health, stigma is when someone views an individual in a negative way because of their mental illness or struggles with mental health. Stigma is what prevents many people from seeking help with their mental health. 

The American Psychiatric Association shared, “More than half of people with mental illness don't receive help for their disorders.” Many individuals struggling with mental illness might delay or avoid seeking help because of the fear of being perceived differently because of their mental illness. Peer leaders work towards educating others on mental health and raising awareness of mental illness in hopes of removing the stigma surrounding mental health. Jack Fischer, Sophomore, explains why Peer Leaders are an important resource for Hamilton High School. “I think that my role is important because mental health can affect a lot more people than you think. Some people don’t think that their mental health will affect them, but being a Peer Leader can help them realize that dealing with your mental health is important and normal.” Peer Leaders not only serve to spread awareness and educate their peers on mental health, but also support those around them who are struggling. 

Another big responsibility of Peer leaders is to give presentations about mental health. They present to all sophomore gym classes at Hamilton High School each semester as a part of their mental health curriculum. The sophomore presentations cover the topics of stigma, anxiety, and depression. With each of these topics, Peer Leaders speak to students about each, explaining what they are and give students information to be better informed on possible behaviors of people struggling with their mental health and giving them strategies to check in on individuals who exhibit these behaviors. Current Senior Jackson Poelzer explained what he believes the most important part of the sophomore presentation is: “The suicide awareness part is the most important because we’re seeing it happen more and more closer to home, and we are able to inform the students about how people give signs and different hints that it might be happening, so they can prevent it.” Presentations given by Peer Leaders are used to inform students on mental illness and show students behaviors individuals struggling may exhibit. Peer Leaders also give presentations to the seventh grade students at Templeton Middle School and the sixth grade students at Silver Spring Intermediate school. 

A commonality amongst all the presentations the Peer Leaders give is the acronym A.C.T. This is the acronym students are encouraged to use if they see a friend or peer exhibiting signs of mental health struggles. The first step of A.C.T is ask and acknowledge. The first step in helping a person in distress is to let them know that you know something is wrong. There are many ways to do this. Find a way that fits with you and make it your “go to” line when a person needs help. The second step is care and concern. After acknowledging the issue, being empathetic is essential. When you show someone you care, you are aligning with them, and they are more likely to go along with what you suggest next. The last step is talk and tell. Safety is essential. Connecting them with the appropriate resource is a necessary action to ensure their safety. Haley Menesses (Senior) shared, “I obviously think that all aspects of the 10th grade presentation are important, but if I had to choose one area I would say ACT. It incorporates a lot of important things that students can take with them, such as learning that it's okay to talk to someone when they’re struggling, how to talk to others when they’re struggling, and overall being empathetic and observant.”

You can get into contact with a peer leader through Student Services by asking for an individual by name, or asking for anyone available to help support you. 

Peer Leaders from each grade:

Freshmen: Sarah Pretroff, James Konkol, Ashlynn Beasley, Trey Altuve, and Cody Berlin

Sophomores: Tristan Haigh, Abby McCauley, Evie Forrer, Jack Fischer, Keilan Schardt

Juniors: Charles Morris, Brooke Baldwin, Leyten Flood, Luis Ordaz

Seniors: Maya Turner, Brady Tetting, Seth Hahn, Elise Damato, Jackson Poelzer, Haley Meneses

Sources:

Stigma, discrimination and mental illness - Better Health Channel

Psychiatry.org - Stigma, Prejudice and Discrimination Against People with Mental Illness