The Natural Helpers program is based on a simple premise:
Within every school, an informal “helping network” exists.
Students with problems naturally seek out other students—and occasionally teachers or other school staff—whom they trust. They seek them out for advice, for assistance, or just for a sympathetic ear. The Natural Helpers program uses this existing helping network; it provides training to students and adults who are already identified as “natural” helpers. It gives them skills they need to provide help more effectively to young people who seek them out.
Natural helpers are a cross section of students and school adults identified through an anonymous school-wide survey. They learn how to improve their helping skills, how to contact helping resources when problems exceed their limits, and how to better care for themselves.
Natural Helpers are not professionally trained therapists or counselors. Prior to being eligible to attend retreat training, you must commit to participating in Natural Helpers projects this year including attending weekly meetings, the Lock-in, and other activities. Natural Helpers report significant benefits from being involved in the program, whether their involvement is helping one to one, assisting with program coordination, volunteering for community projects, or fulfilling some other role. Natural Helpers find that the skills they learn and practice in working with others are beneficial with friends, teachers, family, and co-workers. They make new friends in the program and break down some of the barriers that exist in any community.
Natural Helpers also experience the special feeling that comes from helping someone else and knowing that they have made a difference.
Goals of Natural Helpers Program
The Natural Helpers program is designed to meet four basic goals:
• To help young people develop the capability to prevent some of the problems of adolescence
• To help young people develop the capability to intervene effectively with troubled friends
• To help young people develop the capability to choose positive ways of taking care of themselves
To help young people develop the capability to improve their school and community Roles of Natural Helpers Beyond participating in Retreat Training and Ongoing Training, students play a variety of roles as Natural Helpers.
Among them:
• Continuing to help their friends with their concerns
• Recognizing when people have serious problems—like depression, chemical dependency, and abuse—and referring them to trained helping resources
• Working with members of their helping team to discuss issues and specific problems
• Providing accurate information
• Becoming more involved with their school and community
• Lending a sympathetic ear to loners and new students
• Teaching skills to younger children
