Terms and Conditions for Online Support Group Users
Last updated: 28/05/2021
‘Count on Me’ envisions building a diverse community that embraces the challenges faced by individuals while fostering overall mental & emotional well-being.
‘Count on Me’ Support Groups is a service provided by the ‘Little Umbrella Foundation’. Our Online Support Groups are administered by professional Psychologists with experience and special training in their areas of Mental Health support. This service is operated from New Delhi, India. This service is operated by the ‘Little Umbrella Foundation’ for the purpose of providing online support group sessions to individuals who face challenges.
Our support group services are based on the information you choose to share with us. Our professional Psychologist will make every effort to assist you with the issues or problems.
The Little Umbrella Foundation does not accept any liability for any injury, loss, or damage incurred by use of or reliance on the information.
1. PRIVACY AND SECURITY
The Little Umbrella Foundation operates within India’s legal requirements and standards for privacy and information management. These frameworks are intended to safeguard access and use of your information.
For further information, please read our Privacy Policy
2. CONFIDENTIALITY
When you are using ‘Count on Me’ Online Support Groups your personal information is kept confidential. We will not share your information with any other organization without your permission, except if we are required to do so under law. This may apply in circumstances where we have a duty of care; that is when you are at serious risk of harming yourself, harming someone else or there is a child protection concern. De-identified transcripts and demographic data may be used for the purposes of training or clinical supervision or to evaluate the services provided by the Little Umbrella Foundation.
3. RULES FOR PARTICIPATION IN A SUPPORT GROUP
Acceptance of these rules forms a part of the Terms and Conditions of Use of ‘Count on Me’ Online Support Groups. You must be aged 18 or above to participate in a ‘Count on Me’ Online Support Group. Individuals below the age of 18, will not be allowed to participate in the support group sessions.
4. INTRODUCE YOURSELF
When you first enter the Online Support Group room, please announce your presence by introducing yourself, just as you would if you had just walked into a physical room, instead of a virtual one.
5. BE GUIDED BY THE TRAINEE & LUF COORDINATOR
Please note that, in the Online Support Room, there will always be at least one LUF coordinator and a Trainee to assist each Psychologist. The role of the Trainee is to provide support and guidance within the group context, ensure the rules for participation are understood and kept by all participants, and make sure that the Support Group is a safe place for all the participants.
6. RESPECT OTHER USERS
Open and honest communication is encouraged within the Support Group, but within the framework let’s ensure sensitivity and beware of the impact words might have towards others. The ‘no-go’ areas have been chosen with the aim of keeping the conversation at all times safe and non-triggering.
At all times, patience and kindness with other participants is requested. Let’s try to respect other individual’s opinions, statements, ideas, and shared stories or experiences, even when they might be quite different from your own. Please also be respectful of conversational space and try not to dominate the conversation.
7. LET’S OFFER SUPPORT, NOT ADVICE!
The Online Support Group is a space where trained Psychologists can support you and provide guidance; it is also a space where you may provide valuable support to other people who have experienced similar issues to you. We encourage you to be mindful of providing support and abstain yourselves from giving any advice to those around us. Everyone’s experiences are unique, and what worked for you might not work for someone else, no matter how similar their experience may sound.
8. INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR
Some behaviors are inappropriate and will not be tolerated in the Online Support Group. Breach of any of the regulations stated below will result in warnings and eventual suspension from the Online Support Group without further notice:
- You must not use the Online Support Group if you are affected by drugs or alcohol.
- You must not post any statement, ask questions, or use language which may be construed as offensive, harassing, obscene, pornographic, profane, threatening, abusive, or invasive of a person’s privacy. This includes swear words or abbreviated swear words.
- You must not post any statement that may be construed as discriminatory on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or any other form of illegal discrimination.
- You must not share information or tips that might be used to promote, encourage or support mental health issues, or to promote, encourage or support suicide or self-harm
- If you believe someone else is behaving or posting inappropriately, please bring it to the notice of a LUF Coordinator, and LUF will address the behavior.
9. OTHER ‘NO-GO’ AREAS
Some subjects or conversational topics can be unhelpful or even harmful if discussed with people who are sensitive to certain situations. A breach of any of the guidelines mentioned in this document will result in you being warned, and a further breach may result in you being ‘suspended’ from the group.
Please do not post links to other websites, journals, blogs, or other personal material. If you are aware of a website or have a journal that you think may be helpful to others, please send an email with details to the LUF Coordinator via coordinator@littleumbrellafoundation.org
10. NO SHARING OF PERSONAL CONTACT DETAILS
Please do not ask for or share personal contact details with others in the Online Support Group, for your own privacy and safety.
11. NO SUICIDE OR SELF-HARM TALK
Suicidal/self-harm thoughts and feelings are always serious and require urgent and individual attention. If you are having these thoughts or feelings, rather than joining an Online Support Group you should seek immediate help from a 24-hour crisis support service.
12. TEMPORARY ABSENCE FROM THE ONLINE SUPPORT GROUP ROOM
If you need to leave the session for any reason, then please inform the LUF Coordinator present in the session. Be aware that if you are temporarily absent for more than 15 minutes, the LUF Coordinator may assume you are not coming back and may log you out of the session.
13. SAY GOODBYE WHEN LEAVING
When you are about to leave the Support Group room, whether it is at the end of an Online Support Group session or earlier, please inform that you are about to leave, and say goodbye to the other users and the Organizers. When participants leave abruptly, without saying goodbye, it may be distressing to other participants, who may worry that you have left because something has upset you, especially if you have left the group early.
14. CONSEQUENCES OF BREACHING THESE RULES
If the LUF Coordinator believes someone has breached the rules for participating, she or he will post a general reminder of the rules to the whole Support Group. If you have breached the rules by engaging in ‘Inappropriate Behaviour’ you will be warned and/or ‘suspended’ from the Online Support Group without further notice.
If the Coordinator is satisfied you understand what the problem was and will not intentionally breach the rules again, you will be able to return to the Support Group.
If you breach the rules again, you may be ‘suspended’ from the Support Group and banned temporarily or even permanently from returning.
15. By using ‘Count on Me’ support group services, you acknowledge that:
- Little Umbrella Foundation is in no way responsible for any consequences whatsoever to anyone arising from the use of any of the services provided by ‘Count on Me’ support group sessions.
- Participants coming from various fields or walks of life may express opinions or information in general. We at LUF will not be responsible for any consequences whatsoever arising from the same. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
- The sole purpose of the support group is to create a community for the betterment of children and elders.
- We are not responsible or liable for any similarities with the expression of participants or any other individual or organization which may relate to the copyright issue. One needs to understand the approach is empathetic and for the welfare of society.
If you have any queries, concerns or require further information relating to these Terms and Conditions, you can email Prity Banerjee, Founder/Director, Little Umbrella Foundation Email: director@littleumbrellafoundation.org
