Hope Squad members are not trained to act as counselors. Hope squad reinforces training that students are never to act as a counselor to someone who is exhibiting suicide warning signs. Hope Squad Members support struggling peers while knowing that they are only one part of the peer’s support system. If a peer begins having suicidal thoughts, students are trained to widen that support system by referring the peer to a trusted adult (school counselor, Hope Squad Advisor, school administrator, peer's parent, etc.)