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Peer Support and Actionable Steps Group Consent Form and Guidelines

These groups are for Canadians who are 18+.  If there are children in your home, please ensure that they are out of earshot and you are using earphones  and taking precautions to prevent anyone under 18 from listening to what you say or what the group discussion involves.  Many of our conversations are not age appropriate for minors.

This is a peer support group with the purpose of learning, sharing, listening, being supportive of each other and taking action to make changes in both the Political Policy and Legal Spheres. A support group is not a therapy group, and this group does not provide legal consultations or advice.

Members of these groups and participants on these calls can share their lived experiences with others but under no circumstances are you or anyone on the call to advise another person on a course of action.  Although many of us have experience in Family Law, Criminal Law, Civil Law, and are familiar with Type B Personality Disorders, we are not doctors or lawyers and we do not give advice.

Peer support groups (PSGs) are comprised of individuals who share a common condition or circumstance. In the case of our PSG: marital separation and divorce, intimate partner violence/abuse, parental alienation, parenting, navigating the legal system, and dealing with cultural gender biases. PSGs are focused on providing mentoring, emotional and social support, information, education, and practical help to each other. Those who are further along in their journey can provide a sense of hope and direction to those more recent in the recovery process. The expression of mutual caring and concern provides a powerful environment for reclaiming hope, healing and building resilience.

RULES

1. What is shared in this group stays in this group. Each of us must commit to confidentiality. In the case of a breach of confidentiality during the meeting, facilitators and moderators have the right to stop the meeting and to ask the member associated and responsible for clarification. In the case of non-compliance, the facilitator or moderator has the right to exclude the participant(s) from the meeting. The meeting will continue after the confidentiality has be reinstated. The exceptions to confidentiality are those mandated by law, specifically: the facilitator or moderator has a legal duty to report information if he or she has a reasonable reason to believe, on the basis of something shared in the group...

a) That there is an eminent risk of harm to either yourself or someone else  

b) If they hear disclosure of abuse to a child or other vulnerable person. 

If this is the case, the facilitator will in most circumstances let you know that the duty to disclose has been triggered. 

2. As of November 1st, 2023, FAC has a policy that those attending online peer support groups share their address with False Allegations Canada. This is so that, in the very unlikely case of an emergency, FAC can call emergency services on your behalf. 

3. This is a space where we strive to make participants feel free to express a range of emotions, without fear of judgment or shaming. Your anger an4.  We must deal respectfully with each other’s boundaries. If in doubt, ask permission. If you have the impression that you crossed a boundary, apologize. If someone crossed your boundary, please let them know.

5. When you are not talking please mute your microphone.  Listen while people are sharing.  When a person wants to speak they should raise their hand in an obvious and direct manner. The facilitator will call on people in the order in which they raised their hand. It is much easier for the host to know who’s in line to speak if you raise your hand and wait in the cue until called upon.  When you’re called on, un-mute yourself and speak. When you finish speaking, clearly let the host/facilitator know and mute yourself again. Only one person speaks at a time--please do not interrupt or talk over others. 

6. This group is a space for us to respectfully and confidentially discuss our experiences and beliefs.  Ask permission to comment on something someone else has shared or to ask them a question. It is fine to let others know that you would rather that they did not comment on what you shared.

7. Please mute your cell phones and computers and use earphones if you are in a public space or if there are others in your household nearby.

8. Video needs to be 'on' for all participants, so that we can do our best to ensure that no third parties are participating in the meetings. The usage of earphones is highly encouraged during the meetings. In rare cases, we allow an exception to the 'camera on' rule, for those with concerns about privacy. If you wish to have your camera off, you must consult with the facilitator at the start of the meeting, either via email or via chat. The facilitator will then verify that your name matches the registration records. The decision to allow the camera off rests with the facilitator, on a case by case basis. This exception is reserved for those with deep abiding concerns about privacy (for instance those involved in complex criminal law proceedings). In general, we want cameras on so that participants' can connect with each other in a meaningful way.

9.  Members frequently share helpful links in the chat.  Please do not share any sensitive, compromising or unlawful information in the Zoom chat.  If you wish to save links or discussion from the meeting, please click the three dots ... beside the emoji symbol in the chat field and you will see the option to save the chat to your device for future reference.

Thank you for attending, sharing, and listening to each other.

Please remember and honour our commitment to confidentiality