Here4U
Live a Life, Reduce Stigma
Join Us!
This Project Trains Teams of Peer Educators to Develop a Year-long Campaign That Aims To:
- Increase awareness around social connectedness and coping strategies to support well-being.
- Increase awareness of the signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety.
- Diminish stigma around depression, anxiety, and help seeking behaviors.
- Connect peers with trusted adults and mental health supports in their community.
Peer Educator (Students)
Peer Educator (students)
What is a Peer Educator?
Becoming a Here4U peer educator provides the chance to influence and lead in your school building. Under the guidance of your school’s Here4U mentor, you will positively impact the culture in your school as part of a team of peers that encourage awareness, diminish stigma, and connect peers to help. Becoming a peer educator is not about providing counseling or diagnosing yourself or your peers.
Official Oakland County Here4U teams use a customized approach would allows Oakland Schools staff to:
- Embed existing Oakland County Mental Health Resources and Providers in the program to highlight our local system reducing barriers to supports and treatment.
- Build consistency in well-being, stigma reduction, and help-seeking efforts throughout the county
- Leverage existing Oakland County resources to minimize costs and maximize impact
What do our Peer Educators want others to know about their experience as an Official Here4U Team?
“I would want other high schools students to know that Here4U is a great program and that one shouldn't be ashamed to use or reach out to some of the methods provided by it.”
"Its [sic] a great program that helps you jump start spreading mental health awareness at your school."
Are you interested in bringing Here4U to your school? Think you have what it takes to be a Peer Educator?
Send Here4U an email to learn more or show your school principal or counselor the great things happening in our participating schools.
If you’re experiencing a mental health crisis, help is available 24/7.
Call or text 988.
Start and Run a Team
Start and Run a Team
Official Here4U Teams have ranged in size from 4 students to 15 members representing a range of grade levels from the building. For sustainability, we recommend students from all grade levels and a range of student experiences (cultures, student activities, etc.). These students have influence in each of the different social groups within your building. This helps to get the broadest message impact with your student body.
All the resources linked on these pages are available for any high school to use. Official Here4U High Schools receive peer educator training and coaching support at no additional cost. Applications typically open in the spring for the following school year and incentives are based on available grant funding. Email us for more information on the application process.
Student Recruitment Flyer:
- Join our Team (Preview; Canva Template)
- Parent Letter: School-wide Template
- Parent Letter: Peer Educator Template
- Meeting Agenda Template
- Team Working Agreements Template
Quote from one of our Peer Educators on Why they joined the Here4U Team:
"I chose to join this project as our generation is suffering with this issue of metal [sic] well being and I know if we are able to spread awareness than many of my peers can improve there [sic] mental well being therefore having a tremendous benefit to their lives."
Here4U Activities
Here4U Activities
All the resources linked on these pages are available for any high school to use. Official Here4U High Schools receive peer educator training and coaching support at no additional cost, with the chance for your students’ work to be featured as a template. Applications typically open in the spring for the following school year and incentives are based on available grant funding. Email us for more information on the application process or to see if pre-printed materials may be available for local use.
Have you used the OCHere4U Materials? Share your work with us at ochere4U@oakland.k12.mi.us and using #OCHere4U
Safe and Effective Messaging with Sample Campaign Activities
Building Materials
- Door Signs: Our Staff are Here4U Activity (Preview)
- Bulletin Board Activity (Preview)
- Take one, Leave one Activity: Promoting Positive Self-Talk (Preview)
Materials to Handout
- Thank you note delivery for staff: (Preview)
- Bookmark: Gratitude Boosts Happiness (Preview; Canva Template)
- Bookmark: How can I handle it? Part 1 (Preview; Canva Template)
- Bookmark: How can I handle it? Part 2 (Preview; Canva Template)
- Bookmark: Positive Self-Talk (Preview; Canva Template)
- Bookmark: Positive Self-talk Superpower (Preview; Canva Template)
- Postcard: Trusted Adult V. 1 (Preview; Canva Template)
- Postcard: Trusted Adult V. 2 (Preview; Canva Template)
Social Media
- IG: Gratitude Boosts Happiness (Preview; Canva Template)
- IG: Positive Self-Talk (Preview; Canva Template)
- IG: Positive Self-Talk Superpower (Preview; Canva Template)
- IG: Trusted Adult version 1 (Preview; Canva Template)
- IG: Trusted Adult version 2 (Preview; Canva Template)
Our Partners and Background
Our Partners and Background Information
Background
The Oakland County Here4U Project is designed to support district-wide consistent, universal messaging around social connectedness and mental well-being for districts utilizing the Michigan Model for HealthTM Curriculum. More information available at michiganmodelforhealth.org.
Implementation strategies and research from other peer leadership projects, such as Adolescent Health Initiative, Erika’s Lighthouse Empowerment Clubs, the University of Michigan Depression Center Peer-to-Peer Depression Awareness Program, and Sources of Strength are sources that Here4U continues to learn with and inform our evolving work tailored to the context of Oakland County High Schools.
Since starting in 2018, project partners have included:
- MDHHS Adolescent & School Health Program through MPCA
- SAMHSA: Project AWARE Grant
- Jewish Family Services
- Oakland County Health Division
- Oakland County Suicide Prevention Task Force
- Oakland Family Services
- OK2SAY
- Common Ground
- Oakland Schools
- Easter Seals
- Oakland Community Health Network
- Avondale High School
- Pontiac High School
- Holly High School
- Troy High School
- Troy Athens High School
- Clarkston High School
- Seaholm High School
- Hazel Park High School
- Rochester High School
- Adams High School
- Stoney Creek High School
- South Lyon East High School
- Walled Lake Western High School
The Here4U Project is based on the University of Michigan Depression Center (UMDC) Peer-to-Peer Depression Awareness Program and our Peer Educator Training Sessions are adapted from the Michigan Model for HealthTM: Skills for Health and Life, Social and Emotional Health Unit. More information available at michiganmodelforhealth.org