What is your idea of ideal group support chat room?

@Xiang819 we need free chatrooms like before

@Xiang819

Thank you for your valuable thoughts. We are not strict but friendly, open-minded and welcome all to speak their mind. But we need to step in to moderate at certain times to ensure we have a safe and inclusive space for all.

@ASilentObserver

Honestly, when I look at the support room situation, I can honestly say, great work has been done in managing the room and ensuring that there is respect. There are however ways to improve them and make it better.

For instance, in the real world, group support rooms can be equated to group support meetings such as grief support and so much more.

What happens during these gatherings?

One, they will always be a facilitator who can be equated to a group mod or a listener. They always ensure coordination and that every member is helped.

Two, as it happens in listener support rooms when a member comes with an issue, all the other chats should stop and the members should try and help the person. The facilitator should always be there to ensure no unhealthy advice is given and that the respondents remain respectful to each other.

The problem that we are facing is two members coming up with two different problems for example; (These examples are hypothetical)

M1: Then I cannot really concentrate because my depression gets the better of me when I am in class.

M2: I am also faced with the same situation but I tend to motivate myself.

M3: Yes, I agree with M2, just think about the reasons you need to learn and succeed.

(M4 has just entered the chatroom)

M4: I am depressed because I lost my parents two years ago.

The conversations taking place are all about depression but in one case,,. it is the effect of depression, M4 case is totally unexplored. Do the members shift to M4 or should they continue helping M1 or should they split or should they ignore M4? This is a problem that I have seen happening in the rooms and I don't know if anyone has a solution on how to tackle it.

Another problem is lack of members and listeners in support room. The member posts there problem but is not supported or listened to. Solution for this second problem however is having Noni, send this small messages that remind members to browse listeners if their is no one in the group to support them.

A room where you can talk about both support and non support stuff where you can joke and have fun as well as help others.

I think we need a group support chat for people who have been attacked in one form or another by inexperienced listeners, the horror stories ive heard are disgusting.

@Shaun92 about what u heared?

@ListnerSoul sorry?

@Shaun92 we need to be more kind to each other.

@ASilentObserver

i wish there were groups that combined multiple things (ie. anxiety and depression, LGBT+ and parental issues, etc.)

my ideal group support chat room is that which doesn't have limited time.

I think a good group support chatroom is categorized based on common issues/emotional difficulties. It should be welcoming, non-judgemental, and positive.

I just wanted to say I think this is amazing teamwork! I

A room that has consistent activity, but isn't too busy. Members have similar enough experiences to help out one another. Listeners are present that are capable of both providing support as a group and can take a 1-1 if someone prefers to do that.

What is your idea of ideal group support chat room?

My idea of an ideal group support chat room is one where. . .

1) The moderator runs the chat room
using Best Practices
from research studies
that show evidence-based results.

2) Participants are expected to set goals and monitor their improvment and explain their current status.

3) Peer presure is used to help motivate the participants to improve.

4) Adequate Planning and Preparation, including identifying needs of the target population and aligning program goals to meet those needs.[1]

5) Clearly Articulated Policies to Avoid Confusion, especially around role boundaries.[1]

6) Systematic Screening with Defined Selection Criteria for Peer Supporters, such as communication skills, leadership ability, character, previous experience or training, and individuals who can serve as positive role models.[1]

7) Leverage Benefits from Peer Status, such as experiential learning, social support, leadership, and improved self-confidence.[1]

8) Enable Continued Learning through Structured Training, by providing an atmosphere for peer supporters to support each other and improve peer support skills.[1]

References:

[1] Best Practices Identified for Peer Support Programs, January 2011. Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (has great bibliography in Appendix G with many pdf linked resources which covers all kinds of peer-to-peer support studies findings) link