Everything you need to know!
Heartsupport, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in 2011 reflecting the vision of its founder, Jake Luhrs, frontman of the world-famous metal band, August Burns Red.
On tour, fans would share raw stories about addiction, suicide, self-harm, fear, war, hopelessness, and more. As a result, Jake created an online community with its own forum, groups, and events where people could open up about their struggles and get support in improving their mental health.
In 2015, another non-profit, Beneath The Skin (BTS) was created by Brittany Mullins. She developed an organization that provided genuine human connection, initially to young women who feel alone, through a unique peer-mentoring program.
In 2023, Heartsupport and BTS had the opportunity to start collaborating together to keep on going with brilliant work that was initiated by Brittany. After a time to transition and update the program, BTS x Heartsupport was born!
How it started
We know feeling alone in face of our mental health struggles can make life infinitely harder. The BTS mentorship program aims to support you when you need a little extra support in life, by connecting you with a peer mentor who will:
Our Mission:
Deeply listen to you
Understand how you feel and what you are going through
Unconditionally accept and believes in you
Help you see the positive in yourself and your inner resources
BTS is:
1) A place to receive regular, individual support
Life challenges can make us feel particularly alone, isolated and hopeless. Having a friend by your side, someone safe and reliable that you know you can reach out to, makes a huge difference while trying to figure out your next steps.
2) An opportunity to exchange and grow with an ally
The developpement of the relationship with your Mentor is at the core of the program. People involved at BTS learn to know each other, feel comfortable sharing things that are difficult, and express how much these interactions positively impact them in the long run. As a Mentee, being part of the program will be transformative and help you move forward on your personal journey.
3) A resource to help you feel more confident and hopeful
You will be matched with a Mentor who has been trained in research backed practices. Their goal is to help you get to a point where you feel confident saying “I got it from here”.
BTS is not:
1) A crisis line
If you are feeling actively suicidal, decompensating or in immediate danger, you will be encouraged to stay safe and use crisis resources. Mentors will always refer and defer to crisis helplines and professional services in order to prioritize your emotional and physical safety.
2) A replacement of therapy
Peer support is a type of intervention that offers a lot of benefits and can be a complement to therapy, but not a substitute for it. Mentors are volunteers who offer their time and care to Mentees. They represent a safe and friendly presence while navigating life’s challenges. They are not professional experts of the situations you may face and they will not diagnose what you are going through.
3) A place to be told what to do with you life or to be “coached”
Mentors are not there to "fix" people nor to provide life coaching. No belief or advice will ever be forced on someone at BTS. Our Mentors are trained to respect your personal agency, your ability to make decisions for yourself and to develop your personal resources.
How it works
Matches (1 Mentor + 1 Mentee) meet once a week during an entire year. Each meeting and each interaction becomes an opportunity for the relationship between your Mentor and you to be co-developped and grow. You will learn to know each other better and to create together a space that feels safe for you, at your own pace.
Each Match is also assigned to a Match Experience Ambassador (MEA) who will regularly reach out individually to both your Mentor and you. They will check in with you to see how your overall experience is going. The goal of MEAs is to support your relationship with your Mentor and ensure its positive growth throughout the year.