One person. The program lives or dies with this role.
The hub. Sees everything, responds to urgent moments, assigns volunteers, sends the monthly digest. Needs maturity and consistency. Ideally a staff member or deeply committed adult volunteer.
Recent graduates and young adults who went through this themselves.
Current students or recent graduates (within 5 years) who serve 1-3 students each. The app sends the weekly check-in automatically -- they only engage when a student responds or the app flags something.
Trusted adults for students who need more than a near-peer.
For students who need more life experience behind their support. Certified lay counselors, social workers, nurses, and teachers work well. Same tools as near-peers, matched to more complex situations.
This is the part that makes the program sustainable. Most of what happens each week is automated. Volunteers only step in when there's something real to respond to.
A warm, pre-written message goes to every student automatically on behalf of their Cascade team. "Hey -- just checking in this week. How are you feeling?" The volunteer doesn't write this. It goes out without them.
If the student responds, the volunteer gets a notification immediately and jumps in. If the student doesn't respond within 24 hours, the volunteer gets a nudge: "Marcus hasn't responded yet -- a personal message might help."
The volunteer reads the student's message, picks an AI-suggested response or writes their own, and sends it. This takes 5-10 minutes. If the student didn't respond, the volunteer sends a short personal message. This takes 2 minutes.
Scores that rise significantly, love requests that go unacknowledged, or SOS events all surface automatically to the coordinator. Volunteers don't have to decide what to escalate -- the system tells them when to flag.
One tap in the app sends a concern to the coordinator. The coordinator handles it from there and closes the loop with the volunteer. The volunteer never navigates a hard moment alone.
Four to six hours, done together as a group. Not a lecture -- a working session. By the end, every volunteer has used the app, practiced a hard conversation, and knows exactly what to do and when to ask for help.
The data on college student mental health. What it feels like to be 19 and far from home. Why the church is uniquely positioned -- not to replace therapy, but to provide the consistent human presence that prevents crises from forming.
The difference between listening to respond and listening to understand. Reflective listening practice in pairs. What not to say and why -- with the research behind each banned phrase. Role play: student says "I just feel like nothing is working out." What do you say? What do you never say?
Walk through the app together. What they see, what the check-in themes mean, how AI suggestions work, how to flag, when to flag. Their job is presence and connection. The coordinator handles anything clinical or urgent.
The full escalation path. What to do if a student says something alarming. How to flag without feeling like they're betraying the student. Mandatory reporting basics in Georgia. Self-care -- this work can affect you too. Who to call when it does.
Run through a simulated week using the actual app. Coordinator walks the group through a student who is struggling, a student who didn't respond, and a student who sent a concerning message. Every volunteer practices flagging before they ever need to do it for real.
Every volunteer signs (or verbally commits to) the anonymity agreement and the semester commitment. One semester at a time. No guilt for stepping back at the end of a term. The program is designed to absorb turnover gracefully.
| Role | Weekly hours | Annual hours | Paid? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coordinator | 1-2 hours | ~80 hours | Ideally stipend or staff time |
| Near-peer (each) | 30-60 min | ~40 hours | Volunteer, unpaid |
| Adult mentor (each) | 30-60 min | ~40 hours | Volunteer, unpaid |
| Training (one-time) | -- | 4-6 hours once | Volunteer time |