Welcome to Notes4Recovery! Our mission is to partner with like-minded peers on developing unique programs for those coping with difficult life experiences. In order to have the most impact, our vision would be greatly enhanced by other community members equally passionate about these issues coming on board. Therefore, within our emerging organization, we’ve established several opportunities to join our efforts: co-hosting awareness initiatives, posting mental health resources on social media platforms, participation in fundraising activities and assisting with our signature event - Notes4Recovery concert. (Students interested in learning more can reach out to us directly and request our Volunteer Application).
Co-Founders
Co-Founders
Will and Kaitlin Hynes, Co-Founders of Notes4Recovery, are siblings passionate about music - each have performed alongside mentors from the highly regarded Berklee College of Music. As adolescents entering their teenage years, they have become increasingly aware of the mental health concerns facing their peers. Their vision is to combine their love of music with supporting peers dealing with various life stressors. Along with a background of supporting other community events, Will and Kaitlin can also reflect on the knowledge and experience gained as a graduate of Youth in Philanthropy (YIP), a leadership development program designed to empower and educate youth to become part of the next generation of philanthropists.
"We are thrilled to launch this important program on behalf of those struggling with an overwhelming amount of stress, anxiety, and depression, significant concerns prevalent in the student population. It is our hope that through campus awareness initiatives and educational programming, we will be able to provide much needed guidance to students in crisis within our Cape & Islands community."
photo by Courtney Leigh Photography
It is well-documented that there is a powerful link between the use of music and one's healing journey. According to the American Music Therapy Association website, "Music therapy interventions can be designed to: promote wellness, manage stress, alleviate pain, express feelings, improve communication, and facilitate physical rehabilitation." Though we won't be directly offering Music Therapy services, incorporating music within our programming can still provide wonderful benefits to the students that we aim to support through Notes4Recovery.
As we've highlighted above, Notes4Recovery is an initiative that focuses on the intersection between music and mental health. Each May, during Mental Health Awareness Month, our team will partner with a local campus and plan an awareness event for both students and faculty. After much research, the one "educational entity" that stood out as a partner in these efforts was Indieflix Education — an organization whose documentaries have received numerous accolades from students, parents, and educators.
Indieflix Education makes and distributes social impact films that address common individual
and societal issues, from anxiety to social media addiction, cyber-bullying and sexual harassment.
These films cover difficult topics, but always include empowering strategies and practical tips on how to move forward. Screenings are shown in actual and virtual community environments, with moderated discussion and Q&A, so that reflection and learning can be grounded after each screening. (One such documentary is Angst. Through candid interviews, the power of film is used to tell the stories of teens who discuss their anxiety and its impact on their lives and relationships, as well as how they identify solutions and hope. This powerful documentary also provides discussions with mental health experts about the causes of anxiety and its sociological effects, along with useful tools available for the student community).
During the programming mentioned above — or anytime students are feeling overwhelmed — it is important to have resources available to share when requested. Please see below for our recommendations.
For our peers that aren't yet ready to speak with a friend, loved one, or professional - there are two wonderful non-profit organizations to share which are leading crisis intervention entities with services available 24/7. Or, one can reach out to the Cape & Islands Family Support Network and receive a one-hour consultation at no cost. Prior to the end of the call, community members will receive a list of vetted treatment options based on their own (or a loved one’s) medical and psychological concerns.
Crisis Intervention & Counseling Services
Their mission is to guide students with mental health issues through all stages of the recovery process. Another focus is to provide networking and training opportunities for those supporting this clinical population throughout the Cape and Islands region - an area with almost twice the suicide rate as other parts of Massachusetts. This program will take the time to listen to a student’s concerns and recommend providers who can offer guidance in prioritizing next steps in this process. They can also help identify evidence-based treatment resources, and if needed, provide referrals for family therapy services. Through ongoing newsletters, this network will offer subscribers an overview of recent programming initiatives, upcoming events, and a highlight of local organizations providing services on behalf of students in crisis.
Notes4Recovery will be co-sponsoring a “Recovery Concert” each summer. There will be musical performances, preceded by a brief presentation about the prevalence of mental health concerns within the student population. Programming will also include a recovery presentation, guidance on how to support a friend, and tips on how one can reach out for support themselves if personally facing a crisis. Any funds raised will go towards facilitating educational presentations on local campuses. For educational institutions interested in hosting a similar concert, our team will send on-campus staff “Event Planning Kits”, as well as provide the opportunity for these schools to receive guidance with regards to the planning of this type of awareness initiative. If interested in joining our Planning Committee and/or sponsoring an upcoming concert, please contact Will and Kaitlin Hynes at: Notes4Recovery@gmail.com.
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For those wanting to learn more about our music initiatives,
please reach out to us by emailing us at the address below:
"Music speaks what cannot be expressed,
soothes the mind and gives it rest,
heals the heart and makes it whole,
flows from the heaven to the soul."
– Author unknown
© Notes 4 Recovery