7 Cups Huddles: Volunteer as a Facilitator for a Closed Group!

Hi everyone,

I am very excited to test a new type of group support which we have called Huddles. This new type of group is inspired by research indicating that recurring group meet-ups - where the same participants meet up regularly to chat about common issues/interests for 8 weeks - can be helpful for mental health.

What are Huddles?

A Huddle is a closed group where the same participants meet up to provide continuous support and social connection to each other over multiple weeks.

Goals for a Huddle

• Feel less alone and more supported
• Explore issues in more depth
• Learn from other participants
• Receive consistently high-quality listening support

Structure of a Huddle

A huddle will have 10 members and a facilitator as well as a co-facilitator. Different huddles will meet at different times and days for 8 weeks. Each huddle will focus on one topic and last for either 60 or 90 minutes. Our initial huddle groups include the following topics: Relationship Support, Anxiety Support, and Mindfulness Support.

The Role of a Facilitator

An effective facilitator promotes group discussions, interaction, sharing, and exploration. Discussions are powerful and helpful mechanisms for active learning, recognizing patterns, various challenges, and ways to tackle them. Group chats facilitate the exploration of new ideas while getting comfortable acknowledging, valuing, and embracing everyone’s thoughts and contributions.

Facilitators are not expected to be experts in the chosen topic or to be behavior coaches. The primary role of a facilitator is to ensure a safe and open environment for participants to interact and explore a shared topic.

The Role of a Co-Facilitator

Co-Facilitators share the role of a facilitator and can be viewed as an additional support leader in the group. When 2 leaders lead a closed group, they can support one another as well as provide efficient support to the group.

Who Can Be a Facilitator/Co-Facilitator

Are you interested in leading a huddle and fostering powerful discussions and interactions? The facilitator role might interest you if you:

• Are able to fully commit to being responsible for leading the group for 8 weeks - this is important because the group flow will depend on your presence as the facilitator.
  
• Have experience with the above-mentioned topics and are interested in supporting others with their experiences regarding the topics.
• Are interested in being part of members’ journey of self-exploration and growth.
• Are dedicated to ensuring a safe, therapeutic space by ensuring an inclusive environment for all participants (Training/Guidelines will be provided).

How to Sign Up as a Facilitator

For this trial of Huddles, we encourage you to apply for this key role if you:

• Are a Verified Listener, OR
  
• Have already been a Group Support Leader at 7 Cups - including group moderators, room supporters, and Sharing Circle hosts, OR
• Academy Graduate, OR
• Peer Supporter

Please note that being able to commit to being present as a leader for 8 weeks and having some experience or passion for the support topic are important factors to keep in mind too!

To ensure you are able to commit to a certain group, here are some proposed time slots in which we will be running these prospective Huddles:

We are looking for facilitators/co-facilitators for the Open slots in the above table.

Benefits of Being a Facilitator

As mentioned above, facilitators can be a guiding force towards fostering positive, therapeutic discussions. The structure of a huddle makes it easy to amplify your efforts - you can reach many members at the same time. And you will be supported by your fellow facilitator and the group’s members too.

Other benefits:

• Get a Certificate to acknowledge your efforts which you can attach to your resume as a unique volunteering effort.
• Get a personalized recommendation on LinkedIn detailing your participation and contribution as a facilitator.
• Get to work closely with 7 Cups community admins and develop your leadership skills.

Interested? Fill out the sign-up form here.

Please note that we will be onboarding facilitators by the 20th of June and our Huddles launch is expected to be on the 27th of June.

Note: We will be launching several other closed groups soon! Feel free to suggest topics that you would like to lead a group for (or that you think we should cater for)!