We're delighted to let you know that GROW, the World Community Mental Health Movement in Ireland, have just signed up to the uMeet pilot scheme. Founded in Australia in 1957 by former mental sufferers, GROW provides fantastic support services all over the world. In Ireland, Grow operate a network of over 130 support groups around the country and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to get involved as they expand online. Over the next while we'll be working closely ... Continue reading

We're delighted to announce the start of our long awaited pilot scheme. Over the next two weeks we'll be giving a limited number of organisations the chance to start using uMeet on an exclusive pilot scheme. Our pilot scheme organisations will be able to take full advantage of all of uMeet's features and receive support and training from the team here.We'll be running open day seminars on using the technology effectively, and workshops on how to train telephone and other ... Continue reading

Since the inception of the Internet and more recently an increased access to high-speed connections, it has been clearly observed that people use the Internet to find information on health, mental health and to connect with others in their situation. In a recent report published by the Irish Health Research Board, it was stated that in 2006, 93% of Irish Internet users had used the Internet to seek out information and services, 15.51% of these were health related. In Europe ... Continue reading

Like us, you may think online meeting rooms, for therapeutic support groups or otherwise, are a great idea. But who is involved? In this blog we will briefly explain exactly who you need to run an online meeting room and what their different roles are. Three Categories The online meeting room is used by 3 categories of people each with different access to areas of the site. Administrator Facilitator, or Chairperson (whoever is in charge of running the group or ... Continue reading

The terms support group, self-help group and mutual-help group all mean the same thing: A group of people who come together seeking and offering help and support. There is nothing more natural when you are in a time of need, than to talk to people in similar situations. Sharing common problems can lead to a collective wisdom and is seen to be a very valuable therapeutic tool. As participation in the groups costs its members little or nothing support groups ... Continue reading

People always have concerns about using the Internet regardless of whether it’s for a credit card transaction, or for meeting a potential partner. So it’s no surprise to us that those concerns have been brought to the fore once more when it comes to online support groups and meetings. In this 5 part series, we address those concerns and show you how they are overcome. Part 5. The Advantages to the Service Provider Over this series we have discussed the ... Continue reading

People always have concerns about using the Internet regardless of whether it’s for a credit card transaction, or for meeting a potential partner. So it’s no surprise to us that those concerns have been brought to the fore once more when it comes to online support groups and meetings. In this 5 part series, we address those concerns and show you how they are overcome. Part 4. Non-Visual Stimulus Quality of service is the number one priority of any support ... Continue reading

People always have concerns about using the Internet regardless of whether it’s for a credit card transaction, or for meeting a potential partner. So it’s no surprise to us that those concerns have been brought to the fore once more when it comes to online support groups and meetings. In this 5 part series, we address those concerns and show you how they are overcome. Part 3. Social Isolation and the Internet An out-dated but still prevalent stereotype is that ... Continue reading

People always have concerns about using the Internet regardless of whether it’s for a credit card transaction, or for meeting a potential partner. So it’s no surprise to us that those concerns have been brought to the fore once more when it comes to online support groups and meetings. In this 5 part series, we address those concerns and show you how they are overcome. Part 2. Competition with Traditional Methods of Support. Many organisations worry that online support services ... Continue reading

People always have concerns about using the Internet regardless of whether it’s for a credit card transaction, or for meeting a potential partner. So it’s no surprise to us that those concerns have been brought to the fore once more when it comes to online support groups and meetings. In this 5 part series, we address those concerns and show you how they are overcome. Part 1. The Issue of AnonymityOnline Support Groups can be likened to chat rooms. However ... Continue reading

We know that organisations dealing with traumatic areas such as rape and sexual abuse generally offer a helpline, information, and counselling services. Unfortunately, in many cases there are long waiting lists for people who wish to access counselling. Given the issues surrounding PTSD are particularly sensitive, potential service-users may feel more comfortable accessing internet-based services as an initial contact. Evidence suggests an intervention called Interapy may be of significant benefit to those users suffering from PTSD. A controlled trial of ... Continue reading

Online support groups are a popular form of support service delivery now common on the Internet. Surveys conducted both in the US and Ireland show that a substantial proportion of Internet users access the Internet for health reasons. In 2002, 80% of American Internet users (55% of all adults) accessed the web for health information. And in 2000, 4.9 million American Internet users participated in emotional support settings on line (Fox, 2000). In Ireland, a survey conducted in 1999 reported ... Continue reading

Should you consider an online support service? Many charities provide support and information to a specific target audience, which could include both their service users and also their service user’s wider community of family and friends.When considering how having an online support service might benefit your organisation consider the following questions:Does your organisation offer information or support?Does your organisation offer face-to-face support services?Is your target audience widely dispersed?Do you have difficulties in making your services available on a national level?Do ... Continue reading