This agreement helps create a respectful, confidential, and emotionally safe group. It is not a legal contract or a substitute for professional mental-health, medical, or crisis support.
1. Voluntary participation and consent
- Participation is voluntary. I may join, speak, pass, take a break, or leave at any time.
- I will respect others’ choices about what they do and do not wish to discuss.
- I will ask before offering advice, feedback, physical contact, or personal follow-up.
- “No,” “stop,” “not now,” silence, or hesitation will be respected without pressure.
- I understand that sharing personal experiences does not create an obligation for anyone else to share.
2. Respectful conduct
I agree to:
- Treat all participants with dignity, regardless of identity, background, beliefs, sexuality, disability, or life experience.
- Listen without interrupting, mocking, shaming, diagnosing, or minimizing.
- Speak from my own experience, and avoid making assumptions about what other participants think, feel, or intend.
- Avoid racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, threatening, or otherwise abusive language.
- Avoid sexual comments, flirting, unwanted romantic attention, or comments about another participant’s body.
- Respect personal boundaries and avoid pressuring anyone to disclose trauma, emotions, relationships, substance use, or other private information.
- Raise concerns with the facilitator rather than confronting or retaliating against another participant.
3. Confidentiality and privacy
4. Safety and boundaries
- Threats, intimidation, harassment, stalking, coercion, unwanted contact, violence, and discrimination are not permitted.
- Weapons, intoxication that disrupts the group, and attending while unable to participate safely are not permitted.
- I will not use the group to recruit, sell products or services, solicit money, promote extremist activity, or pursue sexual or romantic relationships.
- I will not contact another participant privately unless they have clearly consented to that contact.
- Any participant may ask for a pause or facilitator intervention if a discussion becomes unsafe.
5. Peer-support limits
- This is a peer-support space, not psychotherapy, medical care, crisis intervention, legal advice, or a substitute for treatment.
- Participants are not expected to diagnose, treat, rescue, or be available to one another outside meetings.
- Advice should be offered cautiously and only when welcomed.
- The facilitator may recommend professional, medical, or emergency support when appropriate.
6. Crisis and safeguarding
If I may harm myself or someone else, or if I believe someone is in immediate danger, I will seek urgent help through local emergency services or a crisis service. I understand that the group cannot provide emergency monitoring or guaranteed crisis response.
Local emergency number: 911 Local crisis/support service: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Designated safeguarding contact: Group facilitators at the in-person meeting
7. Handling concerns
Concerns may be raised privately with: Hunter
Facilitator/contact: Group facilitators Preferred contact method: Speak in person or text/call 337-581-2665
The facilitator may pause a discussion, set boundaries, ask someone to leave a meeting, or suspend/remove participation when necessary to protect the group. Serious incidents should be documented and handled according to the group’s safeguarding policy and applicable law.
8. Annual acknowledgment
I confirm that I have read and understood this agreement, including its limits around confidentiality and the peer-support nature of the group. I agree to follow these standards and respect the boundaries of other participants. I understand that my participation may be ended if my conduct places others at risk.