Moderators not part of a sub community asked Kindly not to take over Support Sessions of individual communities

@dancingRainbow45 Most to pitty this is becomming more and more an issue. Having been trained and served in forward intelligence in the military, as well as being the one Trauma Support Team Member that is present at every Discussion and Open Chat hosted by Trauma Support, I see much. On one hand we have alot of new Listeners whom wish to help. They come in and just start responding to every post they see as if in a regular chat. I look and see that many of these new Listeners havn't done their Listener Training. They got the go ahead to take chats and run with it without knowing how the site works or what they're getting themselves into. These Listeners come in and just start answering members, talking over those Hosting, rudely inserting themselves into a situation they are not informed of nor part of.The others whom come in should very well know better. Moderators and Peer Support members whom are not part of the Trauma Support Team also have been coming into our groups and operating as if they are part of the team and hosting the Discussion/Chat. This is a more serious issue, it confusses our members of whom they are supposed to be working with and listening to. I am aware there are some Ego based subversive things going on here and I will not tolerate it in any groups I am Co-Hosting or Moderating. The third issue would be Listeners comming in for support and not switching over to their member account. I'm happy to support them, but they really need to change their profile to not make Listeners seem unstable. I advise them to change their account, but this often goes ignored. This is disruptive and disrespectful to our members and staff as well. Many seem to forget, or perhaps don't quite fathom the fact that this is a Mental Health Support Site. The whole site is full of woe and different issues both physical and psychological. When we get into the Traumatic Experiences SubCom, this is where things become hardcore and very real. It's awesome folks wish to help, but here is where it takes extra training and experience. For those whom don't know that may be reading this, the Trauma Support Team is lead by Licensed and Experienced Therapists. Most of our team is well trained and experienced, as well many of us are in school to go into the psychology field. We have our own additional training sessions, as well as professional help when we need to learn how to help someone with serious particulars we may not be familliar with. We know our members and their particulars quite intimately, we spend hundreds of hours gaining their trust, hearing their woes, and assisting them to the best of our abillity. We know which ones have DID, whom is a Survivor of severe abuse etc. We know how to handle our members very well. Many of our members are emotionally volatile. They need to know and trust whom they are chatting with. It takes us a fair amount of time for folks in our community to trust us and open up to us. This trust needs to be earned not taken. I have had members complain to me about "Strangers in the group speaking to them". Many of our members are easily upset by strangers. Hel many of our members are even upset by flashing profile pics. Trauma Support is a very serious and sensetive area of The Cup. It requires well trained and educated people to support it, and our members expect and deserve nothing less. Our members know whom is on our team, we work with them every day. Consistancy, familliarity, and predictabillity is a key with most of our members. This comes from doing the work, and being in the trenches with our members through bad times and good. We have become a family here. We alle appreciate the interest of Listeners to join our team, please do so the right way and learn. This is not a place for ego, just Knowledge and Experience to support our mebmbers to the highest standards.

Thank You Rain for making this post and giving me a voice.

I just want to clarify something clearly. Any listener and any mod is welcomed if they wish to take part alongside our members in any of our sessions but all we ask is that listeners and mods not in trauma, allow those in trauma co hosting and down to be the session moderator to do their role, because those people are familiar with our members needs and issues whereas a mod with little trauma experience could actually do more harm than good if they start issuing warnings or blockiing our members etc when they do not regularly work or support those members. We love having a diverse set of people attending the sessions but all we ask, is that our own co hosts and our own mod carry out the role for our support sessions, without those outside trauma doing that which has potential to hurt our members and in return also disrespects those who have given up their time to perform these roles in our team.

@dancingRainbow45

HIya Rain Thank you so so much for bringing this out(oops I think I was to write something) Ok let me get my brain together on this one. I do know this has been an issue awhile ago, but more so lately. I personally love that mods/listeners come in-BUT do not know how to "be a part" of the trauma comminity on the level of a listener/mod. Members get upset as they don't understand fully why the warnings are given. So then they get triggered, or think this isn't a safe place no more. So then the trauma team people have to work extra hard on again showing,earning,mentioning that "yes this IS a safe place and will REMAIN safe"

Consistency is so very important here. Members rely on this alot. Members know the mods and listeners who come weekly. Members like this alot-and for me the members are more important as this is why I am here-FOR THEM!! Members already tend to have some trust issues, or feel embarressed to really open up and share, dealing with PTSD, dealing with many of triggers..... whatever it is they are dealing with the mods/listeners know HOW to deal with this.

Talking on this more, I am so glad that Rain has put that as a strict guideline for this trauma team to protect the community. Each of us have gone through some sort of training, put in many hours trying to have members trust us, learning on triggers,PTSD, trauma in general. It is well worth it to do all this and be mentally prepared for our members. And in return we get the "little quiet mouse" who never ever says more then hi to finally feel safe and share a bit more with us. (wow this has gotten me emotional as I protect the members so much)

So listeners/mods who pop in, please do! We want you to come in and see how the dynamics are in that room-Trauma Room. BUT please don't lurk and warn, or give out general warnings, or butt in on things. We do have mods/listeners who know when to give the general warnings or a warning or simply just take someone in pm and chat a few minutes and continue back in the discussion if the member thinks they can handle it.

Please do pm any mod or listener you see in the trauma room to ask questions, or are interested on how to join the team. We do want you on the team if that is what you are interested in.

Having a compassionate heart is what we need more