hEARt Listens

hEARt Listens is a nonprofit that is promoting positive mental health on college campuses by offering a platform to connect students who want to talk with students who want to listen. We are a socially engaged nonprofit that offers two complementary products: a training program that instructs students in emotional support skills and qualifies them as “hEARt Supporters”, and a peer support chat platform upon which these Supporters can anonymously connect with students seeking an empathetic ear. We launched our pilot platform, the hEARt Line, at the University of Michigan in February 2020. UM-Ann Arbor students text in to the hEARt Line at 734-292-8006 and within 24 hours, hEARt Listens connects them with a hEARt Supporter. Supporters are students who have been trained in skills like active listening, smart referral, and crisis management. Use of the hEARt Line is free, anonymous, and available to all UM-Ann Arbor students. hEARt Listens hope to expand this service to other universities in 2021.