At CARA, we continually strive to enhance our approach to supporting students. Since 2021, a dedicated team has been working to update our peer leader counseling framework to create a more inclusive, culturally responsive, and effective support system for the students we serve.

The updated framework includes new guiding principles designed to foster environments where students feel personalized care, respect, and support while navigating the complexities of higher education. These principles aim to build student confidence and empower them to take control of their own lives, offer holistic support for informed decision-making and self-advocacy, cultivate trusting relationships between peer leaders and students, and utilize an anti-deficit approach that highlights student strengths and successful strategies for overcoming complex institutional challenges.

Driven by our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), we recognized the need to refine our language to ensure our approach meets the diverse needs and identities of our students. This involved interviewing partners, external organizations, and students, auditing our existing curriculum, and researching other counseling frameworks. This thorough process has allowed us to refine our approach, update our guiding principles, and create a draft scenario checklist for practical application.

Looking ahead, we plan to develop a comprehensive counseling toolkit to be implemented in the coming year’s peer leader training based on the updated framework. We’re excited to share these updates with you and look forward to continuing our journey toward more effective, equitable student support.