Guidelines for Peer Counselors

[Aine of the Fae]

PEER COUSELORS

1. Anyone who meets the following conditions can volunteer to be an MW Peer Counselor
A. You must have a minimum of 100 posts at MW
B. You must have been a member at least one month
C. You must be at least 15

2. This is not a professional counseling session/setting. If you have skills and training, use them, however realize that the people who come for help often just want some to talk to, not diagnose them.

3. Have access to a list of resources for your area so that if anyone lives near you, you can send them somewhere if you need to. We will have a list of nationwide and state by state resources, but sometimes it's hard for someone to get very far away. If you need help building a resource list, let us know!

4. You must be available at least once a week. Relationships and friendships can and will be built and we don't want people to feel lost if you are gone for months at a time.

5. Confidentiality is important. You can discuss things with other peer counselors to get insight on how to deal with a situation, but telling others they private details of your conversations with those who ask for help is inappropriate.

6. It would be best if you are available for multiple methods of communication, but it is not required. Various methods include AIM, MSN, YAHOO, and ICQ chat, email, private message and phone. None are required and phone calls would only be on a case by case basis, and generally only in crisis situations.

7. Procedures for Peer Counseling: There are methods we have for connecting Counselors with those in need.
A. A person makes a request by creating a New Thread in the Forum. If {Tigress} or Aine of the Fae are on-line, they will assign a Peer Counselor to the person requesting help. If they are not on-line, any Peer Counselor may approach the person making the request and begin working with them -- simply reply to the thread stating something like "You have a PM" so other counselors know that person is being assisted.
B. Add your Questionnaire answers ({Tigress} will PM you a Questionnaire after you volunteer to become a Peer Counselor) to the Peer Counselor Availibity List -- make sure to indicate whehter or not your available (you would make yourself unavailable for things like vacations, or if you're already counseling one or two people and don't have the time for another one, etc). Once you have posted in there, those seeking help can contact you directly without waiting for a Peer Counselor to be assigned to them.

8. When you see someone requesting help in the MW Peer Counselor forum, DO NOT RESPOND. We will be assigning the person to one counselor, and a lot of different responses can be confusing and frustrating for someone who just wants somebody to talk to.

9. We highly suggest you not take on more than one or two people in need at any given time. It is easy to get burnt out, and we encourage you to pace yourselves so that you can remain Peer Counselors for MW for a long time.

[Klucky]

*raises hand* This sounds like a great idea. I meet all the counselor requirements, may I be one? How would I go about that then?

(Psst...if it helps at all, I've been an "unofficial counselor" here for a while. Quite a few people have come to me with their problems and I like to think that I was able to help them out. :) )

-Klucky

[Aine of the Fae]

You most certainly can Klucky!!! Contact {Selene} she is handling the "interview" process.

The interview is a short questionnaire designed to determine who you can best help. A 16 year old guy would be clueless about a 35 year old woman suffering post-partum depression! :lol:

[Klucky]

:lol: Okie dokie.

-Klucky

[Shanti]

Aine after looking at what you's guys are actually doing I wouldnt mind helping. I was worried of having to many people asking for a shoulder or not having someone to go to when you are not sure of how to help. But with the team work being provided, I am not concerned with the responsibility. I would like to offer myself to the best I can.

[Aine of the Fae]

That's our key, is teamwork. Everyone will be assigned to someone, and it will be distributed evenly. If you feel overwhelmed, your team is there for you. They are YOUR peer counselors too. And if you get someone and you realize that you just can't handle the issues they are bringing to you, talk to your team members, or to {Selene} or I. We can reassign the person if necessary.

[{Tigress}]

Shanti, I'll fire off a PM to you ASAP.

[WickedBttrfly]

I would like to volunteer. I'll help in anyway I can.

[djmixon]

I am willing. . .if you need me. . .

Donna

[SilentDreams]

I would love to be a peer counselor. I feel that I meet all the requirements.

[semi]

I'm in. I've got a bachelors in Psych burning a hole in my pocket. a strong desire to help people, and a lifetime of doing the wrong thing (thereby learning the right thing). I wolud love to do this. Have to wait, though, til I've been here a month. Rules, grrr.

[FeatherGoblinglimmer]

I'd like to be one too. :).

[Valkie]

I'm in. I've got a bachelors in Psych burning a hole in my pocket. a strong desire to help people, and a lifetime of doing the wrong thing (thereby learning the right thing). I wolud love to do this. Have to wait, though, til I've been here a month. Rules, grrr.

So, spend the next two weeks posting your butt off :)

[Hoot]

This is such a great idea! I'd love to be able help with it. For now, though, and in the months ahead, my ability to spend time here is going to be spotty (as it has been for awhile) because I'm in the middle of some hectic moves.



4. You must be available at least once a week. Relationships and friendships can and will be built and we don't want people to feel lost if you are gone for months at a time.


But things will eventually settle down again, and I hope there will a spot for me to lend a hand with this when they do.

[Aine of the Fae]

Post in the volunteers thread everyone!!!! {Selene} will be checking that!

[misschief]

ok.. i read the guidlines. so, i understand everything... but one thing is unclear. when someone leaves a message... i wait and recieve a PM if i'm supposed to talk to them about it. right?

[{Tigress}]

Yes. Aine or I will assign Peer Couselors based on matching up the needs of the one requesting help with the Questionnaires the Peers filled out. We also do this to ensure that no Peer is overwhelmed with more than one or two people they're helping at any given time.

[Sephiroth]

i dont mind helping out. im planing on going to college to be a juvinelle corrections counsiler so i could take this as a learning exp. too

[mol]

8. When you see someone requesting help in the MW Peer Counselor forum, DO NOT RESPOND. We will be assigning the person to one counselor, and a lot of different responses can be confusing and frustrating for someone who just wants somebody to talk to.

You need to re-think this one. Sometime somebody might want some help when no peer couselors are availiable. This happened last night and another member wanted to help but didnt know if she was allowed to do so.

[Shanti]

I ran into that problem this weekend Mol. It drove me nuts that some one waited several hours for a response!!

[DianaStormDancer]

You need to re-think this one. Sometime somebody might want some help when no peer couselors are availiable. This happened last night and another member wanted to help but didnt know if she was allowed to do so.
Hmmmm I agree with Mol here....perhaps we could always just send a pm as to let the someone know we are available to talk without officially making it a "peer counseling" situation. I mean if someone is willing to listen to another in need there should be no giudelines necessary Im thinking......just a thought

[Yvonne Belisle]

What about posting the peer councilors contact info for ims and what they are willing to discuss. The person seeking someone to talk to could then im somone and see if they are online.

[Shanti]

What about posting the peer councilors contact info for ims and what they are willing to discuss. The person seeking someone to talk to could then im somone and see if they are online.
Something like that I think is a good idea. Some people want to talk now and not later and it makes it possible for someone who needs to get stuff out to act on their need instead of feeling like they are in a checkout line. A little help by giving the person in need, the chance to go look for help themselves.

Usually if I need to talk, its at that moment not hours later. :)

[Yvonne Belisle]

Sometimes you loose you nerve too.

[Valkie]

perhaps a list of counselors with thier IM info?

[Brinclhof]

perhaps a list of counselors with thier IM info?

I know that there are a list of users that are currently online at the bottom of the main page. This list distinquishes between Admins, moderators and regular users. Would it be possible to have a seperate listing for the peer counselors that are online at that time? That way if some one needs to talk they could just pm or Im a counselor that is online at that time.

[misschief]

that's a good idea.. probably a hassle for mol tho... lol

[{Tigress}]

You need to re-think this one. Sometime somebody might want some help when no peer couselors are availiable. This happened last night and another member wanted to help but didnt know if she was allowed to do so. We're on it, Mol. I've got a guideline written up, just haven't had a moment to send it out yet. I'll post it here and will follow it up with a PM to the Peers in case they don't see this.

If Aine of the Fae or I are not around when a request is posted, please wait 6 hours. If we still have not posted something in a Request thread, feel free to contact them yourself providing you are not already working with another person.

If you do this, immediately PM both me and Aine and post a "you have a PM" thing in the thread so other Counselors know you've taken it on.

Oh, and one last thing... if you do make contact with the Requester, please ask and make sure another Peer hasn't already started a dialog with them. (Two of you could be PMing at about the same time.)

[Shanti]

We're on it, Mol. I've got a guideline written up, just haven't had a moment to send it out yet. I'll post it here and will follow it up with a PM to the Peers in case they don't see this.

If Aine of the Fae or I are not around when a request is posted, please wait 6 hours. If we still have not posted something in a Request thread, feel free to contact them yourself providing you are not already working with another person.

If you do this, immediately PM both me and Aine and post a "you have a PM" thing in the thread so other Counselors know you've taken it on.

Oh, and one last thing... if you do make contact with the Requester, please ask and make sure another Peer hasn't already started a dialog with them. (Two of you could be PMing at about the same time.)
6 hrs? What if someone wants to talk sooner, like right away? Wouldnt it be best if they can find someone if they want to?

[mol]

Hmmm. Maybe this is getting *too* regimented. They way it worked before seemed to *work*. All it was, was a list of everyone who was in the group. IM's, emails, etc...the person have the problem would contact who they *wanted* to contact.

[Valkie]

Might I suggest a happy medium.
We could do a list for counselors, that way if someone has someone that they have talked with before about the subject they could keep them, or they could pick someone that they are comfortable with
and we could keep the request open for those who don't know who they want to talk to.

[{Tigress}]

Hmmm. Maybe this is getting *too* regimented. They way it worked before seemed to *work*. All it was, was a list of everyone who was in the group. IM's, emails, etc...the person have the problem would contact who they *wanted* to contact.

Mol,

If that's the way you'd like to see it handled, that's the way we'll do it. Aine and I were just trying to keep certain counselors from getting overloaded with people wanting to talk to them specifically AND we were trying to get people matched up with Peers who seemed to be the best match for their needs. I guess we were just thinking if what had been in place before worked, why was it dormant for almost a year? But, like I said, if that's the way you think it should be done, we'll be happy to comply... it will make our job much easier, that's for sure. :)

[Shanti]

Well for someone that wants to find their own, couldnt we have a thread where each conselor puts up a little bio/info thing?

Like:
I am Shanty.
44 yrs old.
I am a mom a kids ages such and such. I have a SO.
I am an animist.
I like sewing.
I am willing to talk about the following issues:
Family
Sexual probs. Any type.
Kids. I have both young and grown kids.
Pets especially dogs and whatever.
Probs with social issues
and on and on.......

Then if someone wants to find their own potential peer counselor, they can.
If they dont know who they want they can post a request or whatever.

I am just trying to think of it from the person looking for help.
When I was new, I wanted to talk to someone but had no clue of whom to even try. I ended up waiting months, till I made friends. I know how I felt at the time and I would of liked a place I could of gone looking for people that I knew would be willing to talk.
Just a thought.

[Shanti]

Plus counselors could find each other. We are not all online at the same time and that would make it easy to see who is available. Heck what if a counselor needs a question answered ASAP and no one from their group is online? That would solve that potential prob!

I'm just trying. Sorry if I am getting carried away with rambling! :)

[{Tigress}]

How about this... let's keep trying it our way, with that new exception, only I'll revise to say that if Aine and I aren't on-line, no one needs to wait? This way, we can still try to match up the best Peer to help that person and keep Peers from taking on more than they can handle and getting burnt out too quickly.

Let's go that route for a few days and see how it goes, okay?

[Aine of the Fae]

Mol,

If that's the way you'd like to see it handled, that's the way we'll do it. Aine and I were just trying to keep certain counselors from getting overloaded with people wanting to talk to them specifically AND we were trying to get people matched up with Peers who seemed to be the best match for their needs. I guess we were just thinking if what had been in place before worked, why was it dormant for almost a year? But, like I said, if that's the way you think it should be done, we'll be happy to comply... it will make our job much easier, that's for sure. :)

I personally know what it's like to get overloaded. I get swamped, daily, with private messages, IMs and emails from people wanting to talk, asking questions, etc. Now I really don't mind helping, in fact I enjoy it, but it pulls on my time and my energy and having a structured peer group allows us to distribute the people who need help, instead of one small group of people getting all of it.

[{Tigress}]

How about this... let's keep trying it our way, with that new exception, only I'll revise to say that if Aine and I aren't on-line, no one needs to wait? This way, we can still try to match up the best Peer to help that person and keep Peers from taking on more than they can handle and getting burnt out too quickly.

Let's go that route for a few days and see how it goes, okay?

Expounding on this new idea for clarification...

If Aine of the Fae or I are not on-line (please wait at least until our names fall off the list on the forum index as even if it looks like we've been inactive for a little while it doesn't mean we're not at our computers working on something else) when a request is posted, feel free to contact them yourself providing you are not already working with another person.

If you do this, immediately PM both me and Aine and post a "you have a PM" thing in the thread so other Counselors know you've taken it on.

Oh, and one last thing... if you do make contact with the Requester, please ask and make sure another Peer hasn't already started a dialog with them. (Two of you could be PMing at about the same time.)

Can we try it this way for a few days and see how it goes?

[Yvonne Belisle]

I have been doing it off and on for three years here so it was working but the thread kept getting burried and a lot of times councilors move on and no one updated it. I have never left and I have delt with a lot of people over the years here. My last was last month.

It did need updating and the forum is a great idea. Perhaps if you did a combination of people posting their info in case someone doesn't want to share with more than one person and pairing councilors and those in need when someone posts? That would combine both methods.

[Semele]

Why do you assume the old one failed just because it was't updated? Maybe people are still counceling each other via that list. The point is that they are making the connections themselves with the list. No need to have input from outsiders who have no idea what they want.

What is the draw to handing out the peers rather then just participating as a peer?

[Gebo]

I would like to say that I found my own peer counselors. I found them by reading their responses in the forums I was interested in. Be reading their posts, I got a feel for who they were and what they believed in. Sure, you may be able to pair me with a counselor that says he/she can counsel someone with depression, but to be honest I would rather someone who knows ME not my issue. I commend you for the efforts, but maybe by being paired with a peer-you lose the part of yourself that you find in searching for a peer.

[Yvonne Belisle]

The only updating problem with the old list was sorting through a ton of posts to try and see who was still doing it and active.

[{Tigress}]

Why do you assume the old one failed just because it was't updated? Maybe people are still counceling each other via that list. The point is that they are making the connections themselves with the list. No need to have input from outsiders who have no idea what they want.

What is the draw to handing out the peers rather then just participating as a peer?

Semele, my apologies. I incorrectly jumped to the conclusion that since the last post in that thread was in October of 2003 that it was an inactive concept. I'd seen Yvonne mention that she was still around to assist with this, but since she was the only one from that group who spoke up, I again, incorrectly figured it was defunct thing.

So, when Aine and I decided to head this up, we wanted to try a new approach that would have more of a chance for success. That's what we thought we were doing. However, I as I told Mol in an earlier post, if y'all want it done differently I'll be happy to assist in any way I can -- just tell me what you need from me.

[{Tigress}]

Well, since no one has many any additional comments I am going to send out the following PM to all of the Peer Counselors. Hopefully this will work. If not, we'll go back to the drawing board. :)




If Aine of the Fae or I are not on-line (please wait at least until our names fall off the list on the forum index as even if it looks like we've been inactive for a little while it doesn't mean we're not at our computers working on something else) when a request is posted, feel free to contact them yourself providing you are not already working with another person.

If you do this, immediately PM both me and Aine and post a "you have a PM" thing in the thread so other Counselors know you've taken it on.

Oh, and one last thing... if you do make contact with the Requester, please ask and make sure another Peer hasn't already started a dialog with them. (Two of you could be PMing at about the same time.)

In addition, if you would like to add yourself to a list of Peer Counselors who can be reached by anyone without being assigned, please post the answers to your questionnaire (or as many of them as you want to be seen publically) in this thread (http://threadlinkwillgoherewhenIcreateit). Please be sure to include a Status of Available or Unavailable, so that people looking for help will know if you are able to talk to them or not. This Status should be used to reflect if you've got your plate full with others you are helping or not, or if you're away from MW for an extended period of time (like on vacation or something) or other such things. Below you will find a copy of the Questionnaire in case you didn't save yours.

Because we are doing this both ways (assigning for those who want help in selecting a Peer, but letting those who know whom they want to talk to pick their own), I would ask that you keep me informed of your availability for assignments. This way I don't try to assign someone to you when your plate is already full.

[Counseling Questionnaire will be inserted here.]

Thank you again for all of your help!

[Aine of the Fae]

Edited the guidelines.

[moria636]

I would like to volunteer to be a counselor here at mystic wicks... I used to be a volunteer counselor at my high school I love helping others...

[forbidden_vengence]

I would really enjoy being one after I get that darn one month membership thing done.....reserve me a spot!!

Are you sure I must last a whole month before I dunno if I can last that long!! lol

:raining:

[MorningDove030202]

Hey, could you send some clients my way? I'd like to get some expereince with this peer counceling stuff, and I haven't been contacted at all yet. Thanks! I'm also more available as I am no longer working tuesdays and thursdays.....

Dove

[{Tigress}]

Hey, could you send some clients my way? I'd like to get some expereince with this peer counceling stuff, and I haven't been contacted at all yet. Thanks! I'm also more available as I am no longer working tuesdays and thursdays.....

Dove

With over 75 counselors, there are many counselors who haven't been assigned anyone yet. If you'd like to increase your chances of getting someone to talk to, you might want to consider adding yourself to the List of Counselors who are willing to be contacted directly by those in need.

[MorningDove030202]

With over 75 counselors, there are many counselors who haven't been assigned anyone yet. If you'd like to increase your chances of getting someone to talk to, you might want to consider adding yourself to the List of Counselors who are willing to be contacted directly by those in need.

Oh how do I do that?

Dove

[{Tigress}]

Oh how do I do that?

Dove

I PM'd ya. :)

[Velvet]

I'd like to volunteer to do this.

[Little Willow]

I've already asked if I can volunteer ... but I haven't got 100 posts as yet. Sorry I didn't read this first.

*edited to add* Also offered 3 people help (1 was a maths problem that I had to pass on ... thanks Blair and Valkie) and 2 haven't replied as yet ... is this a problem? Yet another apology for that. Can't help myself sometimes.

[wakywitch]

I would really love to do this.
I see people posting and on some of them it could be me asking for help. Kind of like BTDT deja-vu.
AM available during the week, have more than 100 posts.
Well over the age of 15.
Haven't been here more than a month. :dis:

[Wolf O Volos]

I would offer myself as a peer counselor, if you would have me.

[IndigoMoon]

this might seem like a stupid question, but do you have to be a peer counseler to respond to the threads here?

[greenwitch]

I would love to be a counselor, I'm here everyday and I meet all the requirements. My friends all tell me I'm the counselor that you dont have to pay 500 bucks for, or anything for that matter. I'm just here to listen. :) let me know what I need to do to become one....


Blessed Be,
Adra

[Rudas Starblaze]

im interested. but i only wanna deal with those who really need help. i already have been anyway. just let me know.

[Wolf O Volos]

this might seem like a stupid question, but do you have to be a peer counseler to respond to the threads here?


Actually... I don't think it is a stupid question at all. I have wondered that myself. In my own mind, as someone who does not warrant the title "peer counselor", it makes more sense to me NOT to post here unless in a thread like this one. If I want to give advice, or share personal information to help someone else, I take it to the "Energy requests" forum, or send a PM. This Forum, if I am correct, is a place to request the aide of a peer counselor, and not really the place one would go to get the oppinions of the general populace of this site.

If that is not the correct information, would appreciate someone in charge of the Peer Conselors group, to varify or correct whatever I might have miscommunicated, or missed.

[Convallaria]

So, once you guys start actively allowing people to become peer councellors, and stop neglecting this thread I'd like to volunteer to be a peer councellor.

I am 18.
I've been here for nearly a year.
I'm over 100 posts.
I'm a great listener.

Once you come back, will you please let me know if I might be able to become a peer councellor?

[Semele]

The system is being revamped.