Guidelines

You are probably here as you wish to share some of your own thoughts and experiences on this topic - thank you for taking the opportunity to contribute to this campaign, support positive change, and inspire others with your words.

These guidelines aim to make sure you are happy for us to use what you share and that you understand where we may share it. The information below explains what will happen with the details you provide in a post through our online form, and outlines some important things that we need you to be aware of in terms of your data protection and what we can and cannot share. 

By submitting an post about your experience through our online form, you agree to comply with these guidelines. We will be reviewing and adapting these guidelines on an ongoing basis.  

• What kinds of posts can we share in the campaign?

  We’ll share posts that:

  • Show the positive difference it makes when stigma and discrimination do not happen
  • Give examples of how life is supported when we experience positive and supportive reactions to mental health needs or difficulties at work, in the community, or with our friends and family
  • Help others, who may not have direct experience themselves, to understand why it’s so important to live life without stigma.

• What kinds of posts are we unable to share?

  This campaign focuses on trying to show why life without stigma or discrimination needs to be achieved; we hope to do this by highlighting the positive impacts on our lives when we don’t experience mental health stigma. Because of these aims and different legal considerations, and in order to create a safe and respectful space, there are some things we won’t be able to share. These include, but are not limited to:

  • Posts that may identify particular people, clubs, groups, workplaces or organisations
  • Posts that aren’t in line with the campaign’s aims
  • Posts that include offensive, threatening, abusive language or that make personal attacks
  • Posts that are or may be unlawful, or reference legal cases that have been or are being taken
  • Posts that promote or advertise commercial products or services.

  It’s also very important that any issues related to suicide or self-harm are carefully considered to make sure content is safe for different readers. We need to follow guidelines about how these topics are discussed on our sites, and this may mean a post cannot be included. You can find more information and guidance from Headline here. 

• What about your privacy?

  We respect your privacy and we value the trust you have put in us.

  We are committed to keeping your personal information safe, and have measures in place to prevent unauthorised access to or use of your information; you can find our Privacy Notice here.

  Please do not share any information you are uncomfortable with.

  We will only share a first name, which you provide, under each post, and no other personal details will be shared beyond those included in what you have written in your post. If you are more comfortable posting under a different name, please feel free to do so.

By sharing a post through our online form as part of this campaign, you confirm that:

• You are a person 16 years of age or older
• This information is your own, and is not copied from any third parties
• You grant St Patrick’s Mental Health Services (SPMHS) non-exclusive, unlimited rights to reproduce, display, perform, distribute, archive, edit, adapt, modify and otherwise use any content posted to this website.

As this is information is for a public campaign, we also advise that you do not provide any personal information about yourself or anyone else (for example, telephone number, home address or email address).

• What does this mean?

  By posting an experience through the online form for our campaign, we will have the right to use this content on our website and in our communications. 

  For example, your content may be displayed on the campaign webpages, or could be used when we are referring to this campaign on our social media channels, on our websites, in email newsletters, or in blogs.

  We have the right to make the final decision on how text or images appear. We may need to edit your text to meet word count limits on the campaign webpage, but we will never change or falsify your message.

  We have no obligation to use your content, and we may remove your content from the campaign webpage at any time.

  By submitting the online form, you agree to allow the content to be published or quoted by us without further notification to you.

• What happens when I submit a post through the online form?

  When you share a post through our online form, our Communications Department receives a notification. Once the post meets our guidelines above, a member of the department approves the post for publication, and it becomes visible from our 'Life without stigma' page.

  The online form is hosted by POWr. You can read more about POWr's privacy protections here.

• What does it mean if I shared something and it hasn't been posted?

  If you shared a post through the online form and it is not appearing as a testimonial, this may be for a number of reasons:

  • We may have been delayed as receiving and preparing posts for the site can take some time
  • The post didn't fall under the guidelines above. 

  If you would like to contact us with a query about a post you shared, please email us at communications@stpatsmail.com.

• Can I change my mind about sharing a post?

  You can always change your mind about sharing your experience.

  If you would like a post you have shared to be taken down, please contact us by email at communications@stpatsmail.com. We aim to respond to all requests within five working days.