Hi Harry,
Thanks for your feedback. As we have said in other discussion topics, we are very open to feedback and it’s all part of the process for us to make the services as useful and as possible.
At the moment, for these first two weeks of the forums, we are playing it safe in regards to technical support and only open during the times we have access to the technical team. We want be on top of any technical bugs and issues often happen when something like this is first launched.
During the week commencing the 19th of May, we will be moving to 5pm – 10pm Monday – Sunday. For the time being, due to moderator resources, the forums won’t be live outside of these hours. However, we have been tracking the busiest times for the forums as we want to ensure the forums are open when people need them, while being able to ensure the community is safe. It is also our goal to work with our partners to bring more moderators on board, which will also give us options for longer hours.
During our "non - live" time, the forums are still accessible for members to read other posts and create posts that will go live the following day.
I hope this exercise hasn't had a negative impact on you. Sometimes discussing (typing) topics that are currently happening or have happened in the past, can bring up some additional stress and negative feelings. Please do not feel pressured to post if participating is having a negative effect on you.That is the complete opposite type of impact we would like to have on people.
Also, it is totally fine to participate in these forums without always discussing mental health related topics. We encourage a variety of conversation topics and hope people can use these forums as a way to connect. We would love for these forums to become a community of people who get to know eachother, not just about their lives as carers, but the person as a whole.
We are not a 24/7 crisis service, but rather a peer to peer support service. If yourself or another member needs assistance right away it's important to call a service such as Lifeline (13 11 14) who offer crisis help and professional advice 24/7.
As I said, we are very open to, and appreciative of, your feedback and encourage it. Soon we will also be sending a survey to you all to capture even more feedback.
Thank you for being a part of the beginning of the saneforums journey and helping us provide the best service possible.
NikNik
