Hello

@Shaz51 , @Faith-and-Hope , @utopia , @Kurra , @Sahara , @Teej , @Janna , @PeppiPatty , @Mazarita , @Appleblossom , @Jacques , @lisajane @chookmojo @Louise @WombatBoots

-- are all the Community Guides , and have helped me sooo much when I found this wondrerful forum

I am one of the newer GCs,

Hi everyone,

Here is an overview of the current CG role. We will be recruiting for a new round of CGs mid year, however, the role might look at little different. I hope this helps for now though!

Background

The Community Guide role was developed in 2015, after moderators and community managers noticed a group of community ‘super users’ who embodied the culture and values of the Forums. They were not just frequent users of the Forums, but were already going above and beyond to improve the community and help other members.

With an anticipated increase of Forum promotion in October 2015, SANE decided to acknowledge these ‘super users’ for the hard work they had already put into the Forums, and encouragement to keep displaying the same qualities and commitment they were already showing.

What it takes to be a Community Guide

Community Guides are members of the SANE Forums community who live and breathe the forum values. Community Guides are:

• Warm and Welcoming
• Empathetic
• Open and non-judgmental
• Listeners
• Helpful
• Insightful

They do this by:

• Giving helpful advice, whether it be through their own experience or through sharing referrals
• Drawing people into conversations who may have something to contribute
• Welcoming new members
• Responding thoughtfully and in an authentic way
• Opening themselves up and sharing their own experience
• Starting new and engaging discussions
• Following the Community Guidelines
• Flagging concerning content through the ‘Report Inappropriate Content’ function
• Practicing self care
• Getting involved with Special Events, such as Topic Tuesday.

You may see Community Guides hanging around in:

• Introduce yourself Welcoming the newest members to the community
• Topic Tuesday: Sharing experiences and encouraging discussion
• Ask Anything Monday: Helping new people feel welcome through responding to their question
• Ceelleebbraattion: Celebrating and acknowledging other members
• Friday Feast: sharing a virtual meal and having a chat

Hi everyone,

I'm @NikNik 's pet wombat named Matt, she even dressed me in the lovely shirt that you see in my picture.

No not true at all, I could never be petted by a *cough m&*^y supporter, being a wombat I'd rather bite her ankles. In a loving way of course. 😉

I stumbled across the forums during a google search. It was during an unwell time in my life, I was a married dad with 2 kids, searching for my identity again after I had been laid off my contract IT job because the contract had been outsourced to India.

The forums and ALL of the people who contribute gave me a lot of strength. To be able to contribute and converse amongst peers was awesome. A part of my lived experience was a visit to hospital. It's 7 years back now, but the best therapy I recieved in hospital was listening to and sharing with others.

I became, I guess more than a regular contributor, especially in "the friday feast", @NikNik contacted me and asked if I would be interested in being a part of a new part of the forums ... community guide ... my first thought was why me!!! After an email or two and some self doubt from me I said yes.

At around the same time (remember I am unemployed), and you can call it fate, destiny, angels, god, spirits, stars aligning, a cow, or just plain luck, I came along an online job ad for a mental health peer worker. I applied, I was succesful, I shared it amongst this beautiful online community here and you all know who you are.

A full time job, plus 2 young kids, plus I also jumped straight into my cert 4 peer work course has meant I have been very time poor over the last .. wow nearly 2 years.

(For those of you who know me, my wife and I seperated)

I do have the CG on my name and I do feel guilty that I'm not as visible as i should be, but trust me I read the posts, and if anyone would like me to listen please add @WombatBoots .

I feel like I am a living piece of the power of this community.

Matt

hello all CGs @Former-Member @Kurra@Faith-and-Hope@WombatBoots@Shaz51 @Mazarita

ive recently found myself getting way to enthusiastic about being on here and have gotten the idea to make a plan to help with this. i was talking to @NikNik last night and was getting help.

would it be ok if i put the plan up on here for you guys to have a look at and see if theres anything else you could suggest or change?