I wonder if you have ever considered a separate sub forum for posts related to suicidal feelings? I say this for 2 reasons. Firstly, it will allow a place for people in serious distress to get specific help/advice like emergency numbers and info on organisations that can help. Plus, members can offer support as usual. Secondly, I know myself that suicide related posts and feelings of hopelessness can be almost contagious. It is easy to be triggered by seeing these posts, even if you don't open the link. While some days I feel strong enough to offer my support and advice, equally there are days when I don't. So, what about it?
Unfortunately, I think suicidal ideation is something that would fall outside of the boundary for acceptable peer-led support topics. EC already treads a pretty thin line on topics that it allows any person to offer advice on, without questioning qualification and/or experience, but suicide is something that really does need training experience if the risks are to be managed effectively. I'd personally be very uncomfortable putting people as young as 13 in a position in which they're advising suicidal members on issues of support, and if it went wrong I can only imagine the guilt that those involved would inevitably feel. I don't think it's necessarily something that can't be covered ever, though. The organisation acknowledges that we already cover many topics (including suicide) within our regular support, and it's not realistic because of age, finances etc for people to get access to experts. With that in mind, some advice is better than no advice. However, this really does fall into an area in which expertise need to take the reigns, therefore I think we'd need much more imaginative and skilled resources to actively support such people, rather than just making a forum for it in which any person could offer any scope of advice. As it stands, suicidal ideation is probably the most challenging aspect to modding EC outside of our security features, and even then the lack of confidence and training is apparent amongst staff and members. To have an entire section devoted to handling such cases, at least at this moment in time, would be more of a liability to the individuals welfare, rather than an avenue of support. Those are my immediate thoughts, anyway.
I see. Bearing this in mind ^, what would be good in the future would be some paid staff (not sure where the money would come from) or volunteers who are trained to advise people who are feeling suicidal. I suppose part of the reason I put forward this suggestion is because it sometimes seems...inadequate...when people post in desperation and we respond with the limited advice we can offer.
Just for clarification. We do have members on staff who are very much capable of tackling the subject of suicide. Even members of staff who aren't comfortable working with a member on the subject will no doubt take the situation seriously and ensure that the member is directed another resource or member of staff. Although we encourage members to offer support and advice to the best of their ability on the forums, a public forum is far from the most controlled environment. Poor advice given to someone searching for a way to come out or relationship advice can usually be corrected very easily; however, the with urgency and sensitivity that is required when addressing topics such as suicide, even one instance of poor advice or insensitivity among a crowd of positive ones can be extremely detrimental. But ideas and recommendations are always welcome. Maybe having more reminders and information out there about the ways that members can go about seeking help for suicide can be helpful.
It is also worth noting that we do have two social workers on our staff who have training in these issues and who advise on these sorts of topics. While you don't see it in the public forums, there is a clear procedure in place to identify members who are potentially at risk, evaluate the risk as best we can with the information we have available, and take steps, when necessary, to intervene. We have done so when necessary. So while it may appear from a given thread that someone posts that they are considering suicide and nothing meaningful happens, rest assured this is not actually the case. While as Martin indicated, EC cannot and does not assume the role of assessing or evaluating anyone's mental health, we do take precautions as we are able to help those in distress.
