Meet+Your+Neighbor+-+Coughran+Mayo,+Preferred+Family+Healthcare

[9:19] Glitteractica Cookie: next we have our own favorite avatar, Coughran Mayo! [9:19] Kali Idziak claps [9:19] In Kenzo: Go Coughran! [9:19] Zinnia Zauber: Rah C! [9:19] Glitteractica Cookie: Coughran is goign to talk about what his nonprofit does in SL [9:19] Coughran Mayo: HI everyone [9:19] Buffy Beale: cheers for C [9:19] Mia Kitchensink: Hi [9:19] Ronnie Rhode: Hi :) [9:19] Brena Benoir: Morning C [9:20] Ethelred Weatherwax: Hecke! heckle! [9:20] Buffy Beale: lol Eth [9:20] Ninlil Xeltentat: wooo C!! [9:20] Coughran Mayo: Glad to be here. Preferred Family Healthcare (PFH) has been involved with Non-Profit Commons since the early stages of the project, about three years now. [9:20] Coughran Mayo: Many of you know of our Tuesday Night Extraordinary Dance Extravagana event at Wharf Ratz on Aloft (shameless plug every Tuesday 8 - 10 PM SLT BE THERE!). We see it as a fun way for both non-profit representatives and other SL residents to meet and learn about one another [9:20] MacZ Urbanowicz: let's take a collection for hair for C [9:20] Coughran Mayo: PFH also has a large build at Preferred Family HC sim here on the main grid, and we have been operating a private grid project for over a year now, providing counseling services to young substance abusing clients through a generous grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health. A project I must say is going extremely well! Brena Benoir, who is also here today is our counselor for that project and we brag that she is the only full-time virtual world counselor in the world (correct me if I'm wrong)! [9:20] Dusty Artaud: (Social Innovation vote count has gone up to 1171 - good job guys! ) [9:21] Zinnia Zauber: Rah Brena! [9:21] Brena Benoir smiles [9:21] Ninlil Xeltentat: yay Brena!!! [9:21] Coughran Mayo: Please visit Wharf Ratz and Preferred Family HC to learn more about what we are doing to inform people about substance abuse disorders and solutions to those and other Mental Health Problems. [9:22] Coughran Mayo: We have found our activities in SL have paid off well both in terms of great collaborations and valued friendships in-world, and in allowing us to pursue interesting and groung breaking efforts in "Real Life"! [9:23] Coughran Mayo: Its been a great experience so far and we look forward to bigger and better things in the future. [9:23] Coughran Mayo: I wanted to follow up on the presenation made last week here by Niko Linden, and tell you a little about how we are encouraging support groups in SL. First, let me say that OUR view of a support group is pretty traditional, along the lines of Alcoholics Anonymous - there are about 25 AA meetings in SL each week by the way. [9:23] Mia Kitchensink: nice [9:24] Coughran Mayo: It's a group in which there is no one functioning as a "professional" (although professionals my be in attendance), and which is self supporting, i.e. there are no fees for attending but members can donate voluntarily if there are costs involved. There may or may not be a format or agenda, each group is free to set their own rules. Usually membership is fluid, in that people come and go as they need to or are able to, but some groups prefer to establish themselves and continue as an intact entity, and as newcomers inquire about participating, they are encouraged to start another version of the support group. [9:24] Coughran Mayo: The purpose of a traditional support groups is for the members to share their experiences with one another, provide mutual support, help people who are sturggling with encourgagement and good advice based on personal history, and so forth. It is not to provide therapy, or to suggest that there is only one way to solve a problem. Group members become strong through mutual effort. [9:24] Coughran Mayo: We have made a corner of Preferred Family HC island available for support groups and have created a skybox for meeting which allows a good level of privacy to group attendees, but support groups could be held anywhere that the likelihood of being overheard by others is limited. If you are wanting to start a group and are looking for a more secluded location, please to feel free to contact me. [9:25] Dusty Artaud: This is great work C and Brena -- much needed! [9:25] In Kenzo: very cool Coughran! [9:25] Coughran Mayo: Thanks for this opportunity to let you know more about PFH and our work in SL, and at NPC. Feel free to IM me or Brena anytime if you have any questions, or if we can help in any way. [9:25] Kali Idziak claps [9:26] Brena Benoir: Thank You Dusty [9:26] Buffy Beale: yes god work C, the Tue nights are fun way to connect [9:26] Coughran Mayo: That's my story, and I'm sticking to it! [9:26] Em Ellsmere applauds [9:26] Glitteractica Cookie: thanks coughran