Moderation and Guidelines

Yeah, I get that. In Hobart last year, I joined the GS, which was good. I just mean that it's time-limited for a couple of months with KHL; you can use it until you're 25, so I'm using it for five years, let's say. I can't use the GS for five years. Yes, I can use the forums for five years and call if I want (which I don't). I prefer the web chat, but it doesn't seem like it will return.

I understand you mean it's helping many people using it, but there is still a lack of support for the others.

I understand the forums are peer-to-peer. @Zoe7

Yeah I do hope it can come back @Zoe7 it worked so well. I was so disappointed when I went.

Right now I'm at home with my parents. I can't call KHL, etc. There wait times on the webchat is so long it could be an hour or more. Every time I went onto the webchat through SANE is was maybe a few minutes. So I could sit near my parents while there watching tv and talk to someone in real time.

In that way of thinking @Birdofparadise8 there is an end date for KHL too. ...and you certainly cannot use it if you are over 25. The GS is in it's infancy re: reach and development but I am sure those 1300+ participants are grateful for it being available (even if it is restricting timewise). On the timeframe - no service is meant to be lifelong - even the forums. Whilst many of us have been on the forums for years, there are also many who have joined, received support and moved on - because their needs were met. SANE supports and advocates for the Recovery model and the GS has been developed to facilitate that. What that means is that it is not meant to be a long term program but one where the individual works with a PSW/counsellor towards their own recovery.

Yeah okay I guess so @Zoe7

@Jupiter @Birdofparadise8 @Zoe7 @tyme

@RachSANECEO

hey everyone

I just wanted to value add to this conversation, specially around the chat function as noticed there is a lot of talk of it, mods and stuff you are welcome to move this to the right thread I am just adding to the existing conversation. I understand people are unsure or have there reservations so I really not trying to sway people a certain way. But I do think experience and hearing it direct from someone can help

To be really really honest, I have a been “tester” of this new chat space for a little bit. I wasnt sure if I was going to say something but feel cant keep this to myself.
tThis came about because this year in particular I have had some pretty significant challenges staying within the rules on the forums even though me and others could see the potential benefit it could have on me if adjustments could be made for me to engage. I have needed adjustments for things in my life but never recieved them, I not supported to meet my goals and be successful.
This was an agreement between me and my support network that we could try this so I could be successful.
part of this I set some goals, I had structured guided service sessions which ended, and I now post on the chat now when I’m finding it hard to look towards my goals or things are getting a bit shakey, and I need that 1-1 cheerleader. There is always the options of the forums and I post on them too but the private space has meant I can test out things, get things off my chest and vent, practice following the rules in a space away from the forums so if I make a mistake, I am too angry or I write something without thinking, I’m in a space where it’s ok and I havent exposed other forum members.
I’m still learning and I’m not perfect.

Kind of like a room, you are in a room full of people, it’s getting overwhelming, you want to get angry and tell everyone to shut up, you want to get angry and start breaking stuff because that’s what you have always done and it’s never ended well, but instead now you can go to a little breakout room, get it all out, and someone will come and check on you when they can, you might have to sit there in some discomfort and practice some things on your own, but someone will come to check on you when they can.

Forthose who know me on the forums you might notice I have less “stormy” reactions to things or responses like I did a little while ago, that’s because i have been given an opportunity to work on this.

I response, I am able to get some peer support, some tips, get things out, learn and grow, then translate that all back into how I engage in the forums (or as per my example, the big room) - end goal being to to longer need the private chat , to engage in the forums issue free. Because in the end, as with all health services mental health services included the end goal is to not need them.

I have heard your concerns above and I want to clarify those concerns and potentially other ones that could come up::

⁃ It isn’t always monitored, there isn’t an expectation anyone replies to me at all hours.
⁃
- i don’t present as high risk of self harm or suicide.

⁃ It will end one day, it’s not forever.

⁃ If my expectations or risk was any different, it mightn’t be suitable. This isn’t exclusionary, it’s just putting parameters in place so it isn’t misused as I get the idea people atr concerned about that?
⁃ People may be more suited to something else if they wanted more structured support or needed intensive support.
⁃ This hasn’t been put in place as ‘special treatement’ it’s been put in a place because I needed it, and what everyone needs to be successful is different, through use of this private space it has became apparent that it could be useful for more people not just me. Fairness isn’t giving everybody the same it’s giving everybody what they need.
⁃ I am using the space to link in With other supports, it is not my onlysince using it I have gone back to my gp after many years, and now have better knowledge of services such as Mindspot. The staff on the chat have supported me to engage in those programs, to supplement the chat support.
- It hasn’t been rolled out to anyone else yet and is still being developed

I can look back at how I coped with things and when times were tough how I managed. It also means I can look back and see patterns which I find really interesting too.
I know the space I am in is not long term, and as I said im a Guinea pig, and it will probably look a lot different when it’s been implemented officially.
But hear it from me, as someone who has been using this kind of chat space for a while, it’s been immensely helpful to me. The benefits are becoming noticeable in my life offline.

How often would you say you use the chat @ArraDreaming

Is it like how you would text a friend but on the forums?

When you say your support are you referring to the support here or external?

Did you come up with goals by using the chat?

How would you compare it to the old chat we had before on the SANE website? Where anyone can use it.

Oh, so your trial version is not what the real version will be like @ArraDreaming

Sorry, I have so many questions. I'm just interested in how the chat works.

Hey @ArraDreaming Thank you for sharing 😁 I know one of the aims is to have a safe space for members just like you that need that support but often cannot ask for it in a safe way when your emotions are heightened. From my understandoing, the 'break out' space is planned to be two-fold: 1. where private threads can be created for one or more members to take some of those tricky situations/discussions off the public forum - and these would be monitored and responded to just as the public threads. This does mean it will not always be an instant reply. The second is more of a private DM situation. This is where a mod/PSW could enable a pop-up to directly message a member and they in turn can reply back. This is more like the old CHAT system where you could connect with a counsellor and have a discussion of the forums. This private DM pop-up would be short term ie. a couple of days, 2 weeks? (the timeframe is something that needs to be decided and part of why these discussions here are so important).