Lehi man’s ‘I Love You Bro’ project expands mental health support for men

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A relatively new nonprofit focused on men’s mental health is gaining traction.

The I Love You Bro project was started by Joe Tui’iana, a Lehi man who felt called to help other men in need after saving a young man from jumping off an overpass.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, men commit suicide almost four times more often than women.

In 2022, there were 1.6 million suicide attempts.

A Utah man is fighting to end the stigma – especially against men.

These are frightening statistics that support group leader Clint Trujillo is familiar with, which is partly why he now leads a support group for the “I Love You Bro” project.

The group meets every Tuesday evening and is an important lifeline for men who often feel isolated.

“I guess my mission now is to help people as much as I can, even if it’s just one person here or there. I don’t care about complete strangers, that’s very important to me,” Trujillo said.

Eight years ago, Trujillo lost a brother to suicide and had no “I love you, brother” project to fall back on.

“A lot of the people that come here don’t have anyone, they don’t have friends, they don’t have anyone to go to,” he said. “To be honest, sometimes it’s really good for these people to hear what other people are going through and it makes them realize that what they’re struggling with really isn’t that big of a deal.”

All of Project I Love You Bro’s offerings are free, including sessions with a board clinician funded by donations. To qualify for these sessions, men must attend at least six group meetings.

“This is an opportunity for these guys to come together, to network, to vent their anger and really find a place without prejudice that society doesn’t offer us as men,” Tui’iana said.

The meetings have been taking place every week for nine months.

There are currently support groups in West Jordan and Provo, and Tui’iana plans to expand to two more locations.

As part of the project, men from all walks of life, some even with suicidal thoughts, have sought help.

“We have to go into the next room and call 988. It doesn’t happen very often, but it does happen, and it’s happening more and more,” Tui’iana said.

Tui’iana’s message is clear: men do not have to fight the battle alone.

“I say, okay, brother, there is no prejudice because this is a place without prejudice. You will not be judged for coming here or what you talk about,” he said.

Despite some negative reactions to the creation of a men-only space, Tui’iana is committed to the project’s mission.

“People will say, ‘What kind of He-Man misogynist club is this from The Little Rascals?’ We don’t do that here,” he said.

Tui’iana, a single father of three, said there are limited resources specifically for men, but the support network model works.

“If it wasn’t going to work, I wouldn’t do it. I don’t have the time, I don’t have the energy mentally or emotionally. I’m a full-time single father of three girls. I don’t have the time or the emotions to invest in something that’s not going to work,” he said.

For more information about the “I Love You, Bro” project, visit: https://www.iloveyoubroproject.org/

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