Being there for someone sounds simple. Until someone actually needs you.
I’ve been in that position more than once. A friend, coworker, or loved one opens up about a struggle, and suddenly you’re wondering what to say next. Do I offer advice? Ask questions? Try to cheer them up? Am I helping, or just making things worse?
I always wanted to help, but I often wasn’t sure how.
That’s why completing the Be There Certificate was so meaningful to me. It helped close the gap between wanting to support people in my life and actually knowing how to do it.
Created by Jack.org in partnership with Born This Way Foundation (co-founded by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta), the Be There Certificate is a free online course that helps people learn how to support someone who may be struggling with their mental health. It takes less than two hours to complete and centers on five simple ideas: say what you see, show you care, hear them out, know your role, and connect to help.
What I appreciated most was how practical it felt. The training doesn’t expect us to become therapists. It simply reminds us that being there for someone is a skill that can be learned.
That lesson feels especially important when we think about young people.
Through Hopeful Empowered Youth (HEY!), young people in our community have been clear about what they need: adults who know how to listen without judgment, respond with care, and take their concerns seriously.
As one HEY! youth put it, adults often say, “You can talk to me,” but then don’t come across as people who are actually safe to talk to.
One thing we’ve heard consistently from young people is that they don’t need fixing. They need adults, schools, organizations, and communities that help them feel heard, valued, and connected.
That’s particularly true for many Black, brown, and LGBTQ youth, who often navigate systems and environments that make it harder to feel seen, understood, and supported. As we celebrate Pride Month, it’s worth remembering that LGBTQ youth continue to face higher rates of bullying, isolation, and mental health challenges. Every young person deserves to know there is at least one affirming adult in their life who will listen, care, and help when they need it.
That’s why 35 organizations across our region joined the #GenerationBeThere campaign to encourage people to earn their Be There Certificate.
The goal isn’t simply to complete an online course. It’s to create a community where more people feel prepared to show up for one another and where more young people have safe and trusted adults in their lives.
The momentum has been encouraging. More than 500 people across our region have already earned their certificate, and we’re now working toward a goal of 1,000 completions by the end of June. For every certificate earned, $25 will be invested back into local youth mental health organizations.
Creating that kind of community doesn’t require special credentials. It requires people who are willing to learn, pay attention, and show up.
The good news is that those are skills all of us can build.
Because being there for someone sounds simple. Sometimes, we just need a little help learning how.
If you’re ready to join us, visit interactforhealth.org/bethere to learn how to earn your Be There Certificate.
Ross Meyer is vice president of strategy at Interact for Health, a health foundation serving the Greater Cincinnati Region.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Being there is a skill we can all learn | Opinion
Reporting by Ross Meyer, Opinion contributor / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ross Meyer, Opinion contributor | USA TODAY Network
