About
Created by Jack.org in partnership with Born This Way Foundation.
The conversation around mental health is growing. Young people are finding the courage to share their struggles and ask for support, but often their friends and families don’t know how to respond. Jack.org and Born This Way Foundation are working to change that. We envision a world where every young person is comfortable talking about their mental health, and those who need support get the help they deserve.
The Be There Certificate is a free, digital, self-paced learning experience designed to increase mental health literacy and provide youth with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to safely support anyone who may be struggling with their mental health. It will provide a deep understanding of Be There’s 5 Golden Rules — a simple but actionable framework teaching people how to recognize when someone might be struggling with their mental health, their role in supporting that person, and how to connect them to the help they need. The Be There Certificate is available in English, French and Spanish, offering universal best practices while diving deeper into the intersections of culture, identity, and social determinants of mental wellness.
When it comes to mental health, we all have good days and bad days. And on our bad days we just need some extra support. We need someone to be there. Now, being there isn’t about fixing someone, although I think it’s natural, it is for me, to want to fix the things that our loved ones are going through. That’s really not what’s helpful. What is helpful is just being there, showing you support them, listening to them. Now you’ll know if someone you love is struggling if you see changes in their thoughts, feelings and behaviours that are intense, long-lasting, and having a negative impact. And if someone you love is struggling, there are 5 Be There Golden Rules that you can follow and they are Say what you see, Show you care, Hear them out, Know your role, and then Connect to help. Now you can use one or more of these rules in whatever way makes sense. Be There is going to teach you how to use them in everyday situations.
Just to clarify...
This is not an instruction manual
Being there for someone is an art, not a science. There’s no magic formula or step by step instruction manual, because every situation is different. If you’re concerned someone’s mental distress is more than the regular ups and downs of life, use Be There’s 5 Golden Rules to check in with them and talk about what’s going on. You can think of the 5 Golden Rules as a guide to understanding how to best support someone, no matter what the circumstances are.
This is not Peer Support Certification
Be There is for everyone. While Peer Support programs train folks to support someone experiencing a struggle or mental illness similar to their own experience, Be There’s 5 Golden Rules can help you support anyone.
This is not Crisis Intervention Training
We all struggle with our mental health from time to time – and that’s where Be There’s 5 Golden Rules can help! – but if someone is at risk of harming themselves or others that is a crisis and is beyond the scope of Be There. If someone is in crisis please call a helpline, 9-1-1 or emergency services or go to your nearest emergency department for assistance.
About Jack.org
Countless young people in Canada live with feelings of anxiety, depression, stress, or loneliness every day. It’s a crisis that’s hard to see, and harder to address. Jack.org works with youth in communities across the country to teach mental health fundamentals, reduce stigma, and create peer-to-peer connections for young people to own their mental health journeys.
We do this through globally recognized programs like Jack Talks, Jack Chapters, and Be There, so that every young person has the resources to look out for themselves and their peers.
About Born This Way Foundation
Born This Way Foundation, co-founded and led by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, supports the mental health of young people and works with them to build a kinder and braver world. Through high-impact programming, youth-led conversations, and strategic, cross-sectoral partnerships, the Foundation aims to make kindness cool, validate the emotions of young people, and eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health. Learn how the Foundation encourages people to practice kindness towards themselves and their communities at bornthisway.foundation and learn more about its storytelling platform Channel Kindness at channelkindness.org.