FORMAT

Membership

Our group is a gathering of peers joined together to provide information and support in sharing our experiences, feelings and coping strategies. We value and respect each others’ contributions. We help to make our meetings successful and productive by participating according to our capabilities, needs and interests.

Leadership

Our meetings are led by peer facilitators who share our experiences. They are not mental health professionals. They have received training in group facilitation skills and use these to keep meetings on track. Our meetings follow a set format.

Before the Meeting

  • Meetings start at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and at 1 p.m. on Sundays
  • We allow an extra 5 minutes to allow attendees to arrive

Coming Together

  • Facilitators introduce themselves and start by welcoming everyone
  • We review the group guidelines
  • We go around the “Zoom room” to introduce ourselves by first name plus optional prompts (e.g. ice breaker, favorite self-care strategies)
  • We go over announcements

Small Groups

  • We break into groups of 3–5 to share individual concerns
  • Each person gets to share for up to 5 minutes
  • If you’d like, you can also get feedback from the rest of your small group

Group discussion (Wednesdays only)

  • Members submit anonymous questions for the discussion via an online form
  • Facilitators present the questions and facilitate the members’ comments

Closing

  • We ask for optional donations for chapter expenses (membership and participation is free)
  • We go around the group circle and share one positive (or neutral) thing from the past week. It’s OK to pass and say nothing
  • Facilitator thanks the participants and adjourns the meeting