Online Communities guidelines

This is NOT an emergency service – if you are in immediate danger please call 000

 

This service is for young people, by young people, and is based on a peer support model of care. We cannot provide ongoing clinical support, if you require a higher level of support than we can provide we may redirect you to a more appropriate service and place a ban on your account to keep you and our community safe.

Be friendly and welcoming: it takes courage to post your story, so it is important to welcome anyone to spaces and provide support.

Respect people’s boundaries, beliefs, and ideas

We have a zero tolerance policy against racism, discrimination, and any prejudice

Never post details of self-harm, suicide methods, methods to lose weight, abuse or medication: Whilst it is important to talk about suicide and self-harm, it is important to do this safely and respectfully.

Keep identifying information such as email address, full name, photos of yourself or someone you know private: it is important for you to maintain your anonymity for your safety.

Remember that all advice and support is given by your peers: This means that we encourage you to remember this if you decide to follow any advice given. If you would like professional support you can contact eheadspace.

Limit how many messages you post in a row so the discussion can flow: Spamming the chat can lead to a pause or ban on your account, it is important to allow everyone to speak freely.

Swearing is permitted, however swearing at another person is not permitted

Do not avoid the ‘auto-flag’ feature: using other letters or numbers in a flagged word to avoid our auto-flag moderation tool may result in your account being banned. The auto-flag is there to make sure messages are safe to be viewed by participants in our community chats.

Keep your messages age appropriate: eheadspace is a service for young people age 12- 25, explicit sexual material or graphic depictions of abuse are not permitted. 

When providing a useful resource, ensure it is appropriate for our age range (12-25)

Ensure you are not encouraging illegal behaviour

You may receive a message from one of our moderators. This may be to check in after a concerning post, or to discuss the content from your post. Please respond to our message as we are doing our best to make sure you are safe and supported. We want you to be able to express yourself on Online Communities, however, if you have clearly broken our community guidelines, your post will not be submitted and your account may be reviewed.

Read the headspace Charter of Healthcare Rights for Young People.