- Admin
- #1
anthony
Founder
I thought I would create a new thread from the announcement of future changes thread: [DLMURL]https://www.ptsdforum.org/c/threads/ptsd-forum-network-2013.18643/[/DLMURL] so that discussion doesn't interrupt the announcement of the limitations posted in that thread.
This is more apt for just all out, have your say type approach.
What is going through my mind on future development as the administrator? More importantly, what is going through your mind on what you want from an online resource that actually helps you get better, along with how to achieve it... being extremely important?
Ideas are all good and well, but implementing them must also be possible and reasonable.
Like I said in the announcement, and then further clarified about the usage of "my" within the naming to do with ownership, being "I" inference, which is appropriate in acknowledging trauma, the proposed structure is something like:
Chat Expansion
Creating rooms for each forum is a nothing aspect... we have expanded chat to already include a report and vote to kick self moderation system. There is one more system I am reviewing for the "possible" future inclusion, which uses all resources already paid for here, but expands the video system to be more personal again, being an email feature offered by Flashcoms allowing members to video email one another within the site.
An area of future issue is this decision, which of yet I do not know the full complexities or consequences, from both legal and accounting aspects... much more to look into before any decision will be made on this in 2013 itself. Example:
One possible aim is to be able to accept professionals who give their time towards a charity model, helping people with PTSD, thus expanding the realm globally for online assistance. Without that protection for them when they provide such a charitable service, they would be negligent, thus unable to do it. Where here, now, they are exempt from such things under the legal policy as anything they say here is not under a "fee for service" arrangement, thus they participate as any other member does.
Whilst the legal policy can reflect specifics of what is and is not a service under the MyPTSD brand, which it will, the moment the forum is used or included in any way with payment for services, then we must act under the laws of providing a mental health service, not a bunch of us all helping each other out, which is how forums exist now without complicated legal aspects. Any forum that provides services, would be a business or paying taxes... this being mental health, comes under medical, and complicates things that little bit further.
And the forum, or part of it, will get used for services, ie. a group therapy forum would be one of the first things that come to mind, where information can remain within a forum environment, yet closed to those within the group therapy itself, as its not individual counselling, which would come with privacy legalities.
So these are two current thought processes that must be reviewed and decided in 2013 as things get established.
There are so many possibilities and options, avenues, etc, that can be taken to expand this site to help those who suffer PTSD, without complicating it with expensive services or pricing, period, so the aim of the site always remains PTSD sufferer and supporter focused.
WOW... That All Sounds Complicated, Why?
What have I learnt from this forum over these past years? The main points are easy, being:
Now, me alone... I cannot help the world. I tried that years ago and ended up falling apart worse myself, thinking I could help everyone else, and forgot about me. Sure, lots of people got better, but I got worse, and that took a toll again on my own life. So that's not sustainable. So the above ideas are thoughts on what is possibly sustainable in the future.
Nothing here is concrete, these are all just thoughts, opinions, ideas, vision for the future. If SGB becomes the cure for PTSD that people have been looking for by 2013, then I don't need to worry about any of this... but from looking at the results pool myself already, its not looking that way, and seems more only targeted at a select group of PTSD sufferers, again not working on complex and severe cases. Time will tell...
An example of why a non-profit type model would fit best, is:
The best type of therapy is usually that from someone who "gets it", being those with PTSD, though also who have the qualifications to provide therapy. I am getting such, others already have them, ie. social workers, counsellors, psychologists, nurses, etc. There are many fields that qualify to provide therapy for a fee service.
Knowing I, like most, if they could help others, then they can only do it for brief periods in order to maintain their own health with PTSD. So really a group of global, qualified, therapists who all have PTSD, treating others with PTSD from here and being paid for it, as the non-profit sustains from charitable donations to pay part-time therapists with PTSD who can work from home and provide video and/or text based therapy over the web at little to no charge to the sufferer, and be dedicated for x hours a week with that person initially, then tapering it out over time, then reducing back to just forum support.
More complications based on therapy! Therapy is the type of service where there are laws that must be complied based on your physical location. So lets say, using user Becvan as an example here, being a Social Worker and Canadian. Lets say the organisation employed Bec to provide therapy services through the site. Bec works part-time from home and helps sufferers for the non-profit, is paid by the non-profit. Because Bec is providing that service from Canada, then she must comply with that countries laws for providing therapy services, as well as Australian laws by working for the Australian entity. Then, each client has laws for their rights based on medical services based on their physical location. This is the complication of the WWW at this present time... nobody knows which law trumps what, however; good legal policies and contracts can get around most things by the client signing them prior to the service being provided. That is how people are delivering therapy across the world via websites at present. Will such loopholes get closed in the future? Do not know. Will each therapist simply be limited to providing clients within their country only? Don't know...
As you can ascertain... the more questions asked, the more complications and questions are raised.
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There is a vast knowledge and experience base on this forum, and I would like to tap into that for feedback on what options exist based on the above, that you know of / have experience in that area, etc... what is around that simply hasn't been mentioned here yet that could benefit the members in the future, etc etc.
What do you have to say?
This is more apt for just all out, have your say type approach.
What is going through my mind on future development as the administrator? More importantly, what is going through your mind on what you want from an online resource that actually helps you get better, along with how to achieve it... being extremely important?
Ideas are all good and well, but implementing them must also be possible and reasonable.
Like I said in the announcement, and then further clarified about the usage of "my" within the naming to do with ownership, being "I" inference, which is appropriate in acknowledging trauma, the proposed structure is something like:
- myptsd.com (main PTSD resource, 18+ as provides medical information)
- mysexabuse.com (handles sexual abuse from 13+ (COPPA compliance), non-mental health focused)
- mycombatptsd.com (handles veterans only with PTSD)
- mydomesticviolence.com (handles all types of DV, 13+ (COPPA compliance))
- mysupporter.com (An addition as a single supporter resource, considering a single signin system will be in use, regardless which forum you use.)
Chat Expansion
Creating rooms for each forum is a nothing aspect... we have expanded chat to already include a report and vote to kick self moderation system. There is one more system I am reviewing for the "possible" future inclusion, which uses all resources already paid for here, but expands the video system to be more personal again, being an email feature offered by Flashcoms allowing members to video email one another within the site.
- Cost US$700 for unlimited user license - unlimited users required as "users" is based upon how many will use it over time, and putting a limit of 1000 max on it, being the lesser license maximum offered by Flashcoms, is not really effective for a forum that already exceeds that in membership, and will exceed that in usage over a period of time for the product.
Must also factor in, this would then be used across all four websites, as users run from a collective single database, not how it is now, with single sign on for each site you specifically fit.
An area of future issue is this decision, which of yet I do not know the full complexities or consequences, from both legal and accounting aspects... much more to look into before any decision will be made on this in 2013 itself. Example:
- Business / Company - Making the new MyPTSD entity into this can exclude specific parts of the site, ie. the forum, leaving a fee for service approach for therapy. Problem with this, is that I can only perform limited hours of actually one on one help, otherwise I fall down ill. Employing other therapists if it grows, will be costly to you the sufferer, which completely defeats the entire purpose and aim for MyPTSD with helping in the PTSD realm... due to my own direct suffering and experience with PTSD.
- Non-profit - Now this is my preferred option, yet extremely tricky and lots of legalities in Australia, yet possibly do-able, maybe not a realistic option at all... unsure. This really is quite a complex adventure, but once established, no more real work than a registering a company and running it.
A non-profit still allows for payment to persons for their time, ie. pay therapists to perform work, cost of the site, accounting, etc, however; the kicker here is that it can exist on donations and raise money / collect money from businesses, individuals, etc, as possible tax-deductible donations (Maybe - strict laws apply here for tax-deductible non-profits), yet provide global therapy services to those diagnosed with PTSD via online methods through MyPTSD. This fits my more personal thoughts and wishes, that everyone get available help for PTSD, not just those with the $$$ to afford it. This way, some could get totally free assistance, others could get cheap assistance quickly, being that the difference is funded via a charity.
Again, not real sure on all the legalities or whether this is the best, or even viable... and there are lots of legalities and requirements to be classified as "charitable" under Australian law. The best thing though, is that as a charity then everything becomes completely public and open, and my ex-wife can't screw me for money personally by screwing what MyPTSD is trying to accomplish for those who have PTSD. If it was a business, and as an extremely money hungry person she is, she would try to get money from anything it made, so as a charity, she could not do a thing, as she does not care about anyone suffering PTSD... she only cares about herself. So this would completely absolve any possible avenue in this country for her to take, thus cannot get near what is deemed charitable monies for her own greed and financial gain through trying to get more child support or such from me personally.
Easy to say, not so easy to put together though from a legal perspective here in Australia, as charities that are tax deductible are not just handed out because you apply, and are vastly different from being a non-profit who is exempt from x, y or z taxes... which doesn't mean you're an actual tax deductible charity in the this country, it just means you are not for profit and are exempt from some or all taxes... tax deductible donations are different again.
Basically, if it can be approved as a charity, then more can be done for PTSD... and payment can be made for services rendered by the charity, and as a charity vs. business, if the charity got closed, then any profits must be dispersed under Australian law to a similar charity to assist them in what is deemed a similar purpose. So in other words, all monies would go to a charity that is mental health related and based in Australia, so there is never any worries about donations become private funds for anyone, including myself.
Then there is International implications and requirements... the simple problem of the site being web based and not physical in nature... could pose issues, really just unsure and only have more questions than answers about this avenue at this time.
One possible aim is to be able to accept professionals who give their time towards a charity model, helping people with PTSD, thus expanding the realm globally for online assistance. Without that protection for them when they provide such a charitable service, they would be negligent, thus unable to do it. Where here, now, they are exempt from such things under the legal policy as anything they say here is not under a "fee for service" arrangement, thus they participate as any other member does.
Whilst the legal policy can reflect specifics of what is and is not a service under the MyPTSD brand, which it will, the moment the forum is used or included in any way with payment for services, then we must act under the laws of providing a mental health service, not a bunch of us all helping each other out, which is how forums exist now without complicated legal aspects. Any forum that provides services, would be a business or paying taxes... this being mental health, comes under medical, and complicates things that little bit further.
And the forum, or part of it, will get used for services, ie. a group therapy forum would be one of the first things that come to mind, where information can remain within a forum environment, yet closed to those within the group therapy itself, as its not individual counselling, which would come with privacy legalities.
So these are two current thought processes that must be reviewed and decided in 2013 as things get established.
There are so many possibilities and options, avenues, etc, that can be taken to expand this site to help those who suffer PTSD, without complicating it with expensive services or pricing, period, so the aim of the site always remains PTSD sufferer and supporter focused.
WOW... That All Sounds Complicated, Why?
What have I learnt from this forum over these past years? The main points are easy, being:
- Conventional therapy by people who don't have PTSD, just doesn't seem to really be effective and drags out over a lifetime for severe and complex sufferers, when it doesn't need too. The recovery percentages are low from conventional therapy. A short, concentrated, burst of around one months direct attention with help, daily / near daily, is usually enough to kickstart the person on the road to recovery and get a good majority of the aspects out in the open and the person self motivated into healing.
- Medication is more counter-productive than productive for the treatment of PTSD in most cases as any type of solution beyond short-term 1- 3 years maximum.
- The cost and availability of any real therapeutic solution just doesn't exist across the world, as lifetime PTSD sufferers (severe and complex) are majority unemployable and limited by any free services available, as well as therapy time itself, hence they endup here looking for answers, help and support. Their partners often wear the burden for insurance / therapy ongoing costs, which privately is expensive, free type clinics / low cost, cumbersome and difficult to get in to and the level of care often unsatisfactory for the level of distress.
Now, me alone... I cannot help the world. I tried that years ago and ended up falling apart worse myself, thinking I could help everyone else, and forgot about me. Sure, lots of people got better, but I got worse, and that took a toll again on my own life. So that's not sustainable. So the above ideas are thoughts on what is possibly sustainable in the future.
Nothing here is concrete, these are all just thoughts, opinions, ideas, vision for the future. If SGB becomes the cure for PTSD that people have been looking for by 2013, then I don't need to worry about any of this... but from looking at the results pool myself already, its not looking that way, and seems more only targeted at a select group of PTSD sufferers, again not working on complex and severe cases. Time will tell...
An example of why a non-profit type model would fit best, is:
The best type of therapy is usually that from someone who "gets it", being those with PTSD, though also who have the qualifications to provide therapy. I am getting such, others already have them, ie. social workers, counsellors, psychologists, nurses, etc. There are many fields that qualify to provide therapy for a fee service.
Knowing I, like most, if they could help others, then they can only do it for brief periods in order to maintain their own health with PTSD. So really a group of global, qualified, therapists who all have PTSD, treating others with PTSD from here and being paid for it, as the non-profit sustains from charitable donations to pay part-time therapists with PTSD who can work from home and provide video and/or text based therapy over the web at little to no charge to the sufferer, and be dedicated for x hours a week with that person initially, then tapering it out over time, then reducing back to just forum support.
More complications based on therapy! Therapy is the type of service where there are laws that must be complied based on your physical location. So lets say, using user Becvan as an example here, being a Social Worker and Canadian. Lets say the organisation employed Bec to provide therapy services through the site. Bec works part-time from home and helps sufferers for the non-profit, is paid by the non-profit. Because Bec is providing that service from Canada, then she must comply with that countries laws for providing therapy services, as well as Australian laws by working for the Australian entity. Then, each client has laws for their rights based on medical services based on their physical location. This is the complication of the WWW at this present time... nobody knows which law trumps what, however; good legal policies and contracts can get around most things by the client signing them prior to the service being provided. That is how people are delivering therapy across the world via websites at present. Will such loopholes get closed in the future? Do not know. Will each therapist simply be limited to providing clients within their country only? Don't know...
As you can ascertain... the more questions asked, the more complications and questions are raised.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There is a vast knowledge and experience base on this forum, and I would like to tap into that for feedback on what options exist based on the above, that you know of / have experience in that area, etc... what is around that simply hasn't been mentioned here yet that could benefit the members in the future, etc etc.
What do you have to say?
