• Support for all. These are sensitive and divided times. We believe all people are deserving of peace, love, forgiveness, abundance and flourishing health. Our mission is to provide a safe space for all to begin their journey into self-understanding, healing, hope and flourishing. 
   

• Confidentiality and anonymity. No matter your mode, please respect our members’ desire for anonymity. You can make appeals for videos on and sharing, but we ask that you not require it for your First Aid workshop. If you would like to hold a session requiring videos on, it will be listed in the description of your event to allow members to self-select accordingly. 
   

• Impartiality and inclusivity. Deliberate disruptors, bullies and anyone expressing aggression or disrespect towards other participants will be immediately sidelined to spare the rest of the group. Your First Aid workshop is not the place to allow this kind of disruption for others. However, we recognize that ostracizing bullies is both helpful and hurtful. There can be a time for both. We will do our part to support this likely hurting, likely misinformed person in a way that benefits all.
   

• Guides of the Mental Health First Aid hour volunteer their time for these workshops. They are mental health professionals and have received a brief training to offer BlueDot Mental Health First Aid sessions specifically. Practitioners are also able to share their offerings in the follow-up emails sent to participants. Should this platform lead to paying clients, we ask you to consider donating to United Wellness Foundation by way of referral fee. Practitioners are urged to join the BlueDot Practitioner support group to give balance. 
   

• First Aid is Free for participants. Donations to the United Wellness Foundation are appreciated but not required. 
   

• Connectivity. We offer multiple scheduled sessions per week. Participants RSVP to each event to receive the zoom link. Each session will have a guide 
   

• Boundaries. Sessions support mental health first aid, and are not meant for acute triage (when hospitalization and/or medication are indicated). Offerings include tools to increase resilience and capacity to deal with challenging experiences of all kinds, but are not meant to provide full-fledged or specified treatment. 
   

• Tools and practices on offer are intended to bring soothing, provide a safe way to process what is happening or has happened, and to support ‘down-regulating’ towards the rest-and-restore functions of the parasympathetic nervous system. Explicitly invite  participation within each participant’s capabilities and boundaries. People should come away with at least one applicable tool or practice. 
  (Potentially relevant themes to think about offering: Stop doom scrolling, gentle grief work, how to speak with your children about current affairs.)
   

• No cross-talk or advice-giving between participants. Do be careful of spotlighting members as they come forward to share. When offering suggestions to members, always take an approach that empowers them rather than causing unconscious deficiencies. 
   

• Participants are invited to come on time and commit to staying for the duration, to increase the safety of the container and the efficacy of the work. 
   

• Resource list/referral network for guides and participants that need acute and hands-on support. 

 

Practically

• Guide, backup & tech host will receive login details for the specific zoom room your session will be in. 

• Facilitator from BlueDot will introduce the session, the guidelines, and hand off to the guide. 

• Include some way of gauging how everyone is doing (e.g. a number in the chat), preferably multiple times throughout the session. 

• Invite people to join other sessions & let them know they will receive a follow-up email if they RSVP’d via the website.