Support Wall Transition

The Support Wall will be closing to the general public on January 2025 to become a volunteer-based platform.

Find here a recap of all the information you need and questions that this transition might bring up.

Last updated Oct, 10 2024

Video Announcement

Next Steps

  • We value your voice and would love to hear from you. During this transition, you can connect with our staff primarily in two ways:

    1) By joining community meetings that will take place on Zoom.

    2) By scheduling a time one-on-one with our Executive Director, Nate Hilpert.

    To proceed, fill out this short form and select the option(s) that suit you most (group or individual meetings).

    You are also always welcome to message us by email at [email protected]. We will receive your message with all the consideration and care it requires.

  • There are different ways to keep receiving peer support at Heartsupport:

    1) Receive group replies by sharing about your struggles on our social content - we are especially active on Youtube. When you comment on a video about your current struggles and or/how you relate to the music discussed, a support topic will be created for you on the Forum. Our volunteers will reply to you and you'll be notified about it on the social platform where you initially posted.

    2) One-on-one peer support for 18+ yrs old: Share your interest for our 1-year peer support program by joining our contact list here. Applications for this program are currently closed, but will be re-opened during the first quarter of 2025. You'll be contacted at that time to apply for the program and be matched with a peer supporter.

  • Thank you for your willingness to offer support and volunteer with us!

    You can apply to volunteer in our Support Wall teams and get more information about the program here: https://www.heartsupport.com/swat

HeartSupport Future

  • You matter, regardless of your background or music preferences. Like many nonprofits, we have chosen to focus our resources on serving a specific community—in this case, the music scene—not to exclude others, but to ensure we can offer the most effective support to those we serve. You can still connect with us by:

    - Applying to our one-on-one peer support program (which reopens in the first quarter of January), where you'll be connected to a peer supporter for a year.

    - Volunteer in our Support Wall teams, where you can contribute meaningfully by giving back to others in need.

  • We understand how this change might make you feel disconnected. While the forum is shifting, we encourage you to consider signing up for the 1-on-1 peer support program once it reopens. This program will give you the opportunity to connect with a peer supporter and meet with them every week for a full year. Find the sign up form < here >.

  • We cannot keep the forum open to everyone moving forward as we need to focus our resources in the direction of our mission. Having a general mental health platform such as the Support Wall the way it is right now would end up making those who reach out to us while not being from the music scene feel more and more alienated and lost in Heartsupport’s ecosystem.

    While we will keep on moving in the direction of offering tailored support to the music scene, more forum users will not find the support or sense of community they were initially looking for. To avoid this, the services we offer need to fully reflect the organization’s identity, including the Support Wall.

    While the forum may not remain open to everyone, we encourage you to explore our other services where you can continue to receive the help and connection you’ve experienced here, or to volunteer and support others in need.

  • No, Heartsupport has always been focused on serving people from the music scene since its creation. Although our staff has been actively working for a year now on clarifying the way our mission is communicated and presented both online and during outreach events.

    The founder of Heartsupport, Jake Luhrs, is himself a metal band frontman who created this organization based off his personal experience with fans sharing their struggles. Heartsupport has also developped its presence in music festivals over the years - which was paused during covid lockdowns - and has partnered with numerous bands/artists.

    You can find more information about the organization and the way it works here: https://www.heartsupport.com/about

  • This change will allow us to offer more focused, personalized support to those who reach out to us through social media and music festivals. By concentrating our efforts on the music scene, we can ensure that everyone who connects with us gets the dedicated attention and care they need. As a nonprofit, we aim to make the biggest impact we can with our resources and according to our mission.

  • Yes! Even if you lose access to the forum, you can still engage with us through our social media channels and by signing up to volunteer or joining our peer support program when it reopens. Your involvement and feedback are always welcome!

Support Wall Future

  • The Support Wall will be closed to the general public on January 2025.

  • You will not be able to connect on the forum anymore or create support topics from there.

    After the change, only Support Wall volunteers will have access to the forum as they will continue to offer support from this platform.

  • While we understand the desire to keep the Support Wall open to everyone, there are several reasons for this shift.

    First, our mission as a nonprofit is to provide targeted support tailored to a specific community. By focusing on the music scene, we can better understand the needs of this group and adapt our resources accordingly.

    Secondly, limiting access will allow us to improve the quality of peer support provided. Research shows that peer support can be more effective when it’s centered around shared interests and backgrounds - in our case, music. It allows for deeper connections and understanding​ between those who seek support and the ones who offer it.

    While we want to support as many people as possible, focusing our efforts in this way helps maintain the integrity and quality of our peer support services.

  • The Support Wall will still exist, but it will only be accessible to volunteers active in Support Wall Teams. The platform will still be used to receive support requests, although exclusively from our social content and partnerships.

  • There is no plan or project in this direction at the moment. If new platforms or services were to be created in the future at Heartsupport, it will also not be a general mental health service like the Support Wall has been so far, but tailored according to our mission of serving the music scene.

  • Yes. You can join monthly community meetings that will take place on Zoom. You can find the schedule of these sessions and sign up for it through this form.

  • Both your role and forum accounts will remain the same. This transition will not affect your activity. You will also still have the possibility to ask for support from other volunteers through the Support Wall.

  • No, your previous posts will remain in the forum, but they will only be accessible to those with the new level of access (volunteers). The topics you’ve created and the replies you’ve received will not be accessible publicly anymore.