Krystle Heller is currently serving as a Minnesota YMHC member at Metro State University in St. Paul, MN with the Recovery Corps. She was inspired to join the YMHC to re-engage with a supportive and understanding work environment, while also pursuing her deep passion for helping individuals struggling with addiction—something that hits close to home, as she herself has been supported through similar challenges.

Through her involvement with the Youth Mental Health Corps (YMHC), Krystle has come to recognize the profound impact this program has on individuals in recovery. The experience has provided her with invaluable skills that she plans to carry into her future career in addiction counseling. She is currently working toward becoming a Certified Recovery Peer (CRP) and is preparing to take the state test to become licensed in Alcohol and Drug Counseling.

Krystle shares that this journey has not only been professionally enriching but also personally healing. Living with co-occurring disorders, including anorexia, has made recent times particularly difficult for her. However, the unwavering support she has received from her Program Coach and peers in the YMHC has made a tremendous difference. In moments when she felt unheard and unseen, the YMHC community stood by her, offering compassion, encouragement, and a genuine willingness to listen.

What stands out most to Krystle is the feeling of truly being seen—something that can often be overlooked when working within an organization while also facing personal struggles. Throughout her term, her Program Coach consistently met her where she was, reinforcing that her well-being mattered just as much as her role in supporting others. This deep sense of care is something she intends to carry forward in her future work and personal growth.

Krystle hopes others know that at YMHC, openness and honesty are always met with empathy. Creating a space where even those who feel overlooked can find support—and, in turn, become that support for someone else.

A quote that deeply resonates with Krystle is by Demi Lovato:

“One of the hardest things was learning that I was worth recovery.” She believes that everyone deserves recovery, even though the hardest person to convince of that truth is often oneself.