General Rules for Engaging in Supportive Discussion

While we will discuss the norms and rules for the community as a group, in the meantime, I wanted to make some clear guidelines for posting on the discussion board.

Here are some initial guidelines to follow:

1. Be respectful in threads by staying on topic and not posting irrelevant information, links, or photos.
2. If you refer to something that another community member stated in a post, please quote at least a few lines from their post, so others have a reference point for the conversation.
3. Respect the opinions of others. If you feel the need to disagree or feel like something stated was inaccurate, do so respectfully and acknowledge that different viewpoints and perspectives are valid. If you have access to information which is different from that presented, consider sharing your sources.
4. Respect the right to privacy of the people in this community and the young people and families we serve. Anything that reveals personal information that is inappropriate will be removed.
5. If you reply to a question from a community member, please be sure that your information is accurate. Even the most well-intentioned guess can have negative consequences.
6. Please refrain from using vulgar or unsavory language.
7. Be forgiving and assume the positive intent of other community members. If you feel than a statement must be addressed, do it respectfully and professionally.

Please note that this discussion board is moderated and that the moderators of this board have the discretion to remove posts that do not meet the spirit of the community or go beyond the bounds of constructive discourse. Any questions or concerns related to this policy should be directed to Thomas .