Peer advocacy program shines in El Dorado County

Advocates help others while growing their own social-emotional skills

The El Dorado County Youth Commission — comprising students throughout the county that advise the county Board of Supervisors and the El Dorado County Office of Education — has been the driving force behind launching peer advocacy programs in El Dorado County schools, sparking an initiative that empowers students to lead efforts addressing mental health, relationships, stress and substance use prevention. By listening directly to student concerns and ideas, these programs have evolved into a vital support network across middle and high school campuses.

A recent webinar hosted by California Safe and Supportive Schools, “Peer Advocacy in El Dorado County: Elevating Student Voice to Drive Change,” explored the initiative and how it has been implemented. While a pilot program has been running for 15 years, it was only in 2023 that El Dorado COE secured a Student Behavioral Health Incentive Program (SBHIP) grant from the state. The needs they wanted the program to address were reducing chronic absenteeism, alternatives to suspension and increasing positive school climate and culture.

The COE partnered with Hilary Roberts, founder and CEO of Peer Advocates Training and Consulting, to provide a curriculum and training to districts in the county, and first focused on bringing the program to high schools. This year, they are incorporating middle schools. They worked with district representatives to create common themes and criteria for programs at each school site. Criteria include that peer advocates should be representative of the student body, and they should share a common language through training, but be context-specific in practice.

“Taking a representation of the student body and bringing it into this program, we really see the value of peer advocacy, partly because we’re enabling and equipping students who don’t always get those opportunities,” said Tim Hooey, El Dorado COE mental health and wellness coordinator. “We think peer advocacy is a way to really create equity in our schools by inviting people into these programs.”

The curriculum offers a range of topics including orientation and transition assistance for incoming freshmen, conflict mediation and restorative practices, peer education, support groups, tutoring and facilitating connections to resources.

Peer advocacy in action

Golden Sierra High School in Black Oak Mine Unified School District has developed its peer advocacy program over the past 15 years. The training consists of a dedicated course taught by a certificated teacher. Students in the class come both voluntarily and by invitation from peer advocacy teacher Larry Bryant. In order to attract highly academic students to the program, Golden Sierra worked with the California university systems to certify the course as an A-G requirement.

Larry Bryant, peer advocacy teacher

Bryant emphasized the level of training that peer advocates receive, as parents and administrators early on expressed concern with how teens could handle this type of responsibility.

“I don’t turn my peer advocates loose without a whole lot of training and preparation and discussion. About half the curriculum is understanding what is going on in yourself while you are helping other people,” Bryant explained. “I’d like to think that my students get as much out of the program as they are giving to the community. They grow as people and they gain these life skills — communication, presentation, listening non-judgmentally, being able to support people — and we have to support our advocates too. Supporting others has a real cost and takes energy, so we support our advocates as well.”

Bryant also spoke about the importance of tailoring programs to local communities and needs. “You absolutely need to shape your program around the needs of your community and your school,” he said. “Focus on the greatest need in your community and start there. Start small. Also being able to adjust and shift what your program is focusing on in response to local needs is a strength and is also at the heart of building the program.”

Funding peer advocacy

To operate a program of this nature, “Search anywhere and everywhere for funding,” Hooey advised. El Dorado COE was able to begin expanding the program with a SBHIP grant and working with managed care partners through Mental Health Services Act and Mental Health Student Services Act state funding streams. They also include vaping and tobacco prevention education in the program and are able to use funding from the state’s Tobacco-Use Prevention Education Program. Community schools funding grants can be used for schools that qualify.

Hooey said they consider full funding for the program equal to a full-time teacher’s salary, since a certificated teacher is needed to provide instruction.

The newest avenue the county office is implementing is creating a countywide career technical education pathway in mental health careers. Beginning this school year, the COE is partnering with Folsom Lake College for the pathway, and the entry point is the peer advocacy class. Students enrolled will have the opportunity to take two dual enrollment classes — Intro to Social Work and a Social Work Practicum class — that will allow students to count their peer advocacy hours toward an associate of arts degree in social work, which requires 108 hours of practice.

The webinar featured Golden Sierra High peer advocates talking about the work they do providing peer-to-peer support, connecting students with resources and providing peer education, like when they do an anti-bullying assembly at a local elementary school.

“The reason I joined peer advocates was because I want to be there for somebody if they need support or someone they can talk to, as well as someone who will listen,” said one peer advocate. “I want to make a positive impact on my school community by offering the support and care that they might need.”