At the end of this orientation, you will be know: - the importance of group rules, - where your role in the group begins and ends, - how to manage difficult behaviour, and - the types of support you might need and where to find them.

1. Facilitator orientation level 2:
Building on what you’ve learned
running your first session
Facilitating MyTime – finding your feet

2. What does orientation cover?
Level Timeframe Focus
One – The essentials Before your first session • Program overview
• Members &
registration
• Your role as a
facilitator
Two – Finding your
feet
After your first session • Managing issues
• Growing as a
facilitator
• Finding support
Three – MyTime
superstars
After your first quarter • Developing skills
• Research and best
practice
• Tips & tricks

3. Boundaries in the group
• Group rules
• Where your role ends in the group

4. Establishing group rules
The role of the facilitator of a MyTime group is
very important, particularly in the establishment
phase of groups but also as they continue
through the years.
The first thing you can do is help the group set
its own rules to establish a good ‘group culture’.

5. Establishing group rules - continued
• Let the group members set their own
group rules with your guidance –discuss
how helpful different rules are. Some
examples could be:
o Maintain privacy and confidentiality.
o Respect others’ beliefs and experiences.
o Giving everyone a chance to be heard
and try not to interrupt; not speaking is
also ok.
o No phones in hand while in a session. If
members need to take calls or texts,
they can move away from the group.
• A reminder of the group rules every few
sessions is a good idea

6. Including everyone
• Discuss how a group can welcome new members and make
sure they feel comfortable (see article in Partners Area)
o You may discuss the idea of pairing new members with more
experienced members
o Think about having a standard ‘welcoming’ process to introduce
and welcome new members
• When discussing social media (eg. page, account, group),
talk about how you can make sure nobody feels excluded
o Are all of your members on the same social media platform?
o Are all members happy to be in a public group?
o How and when will new members be added?

7. Growing as a facilitator
• Putting boundaries into practice
• How involved should you get?
• Finding support

8. On tap vs. on top
• Groups should work towards minimal input from
the facilitator. We call this being on tap.
• When groups are just starting, they usually need
lots of input. We call this being on top.
• As a facilitator, you need to find the right balance
for your group. This will keep changing as your
group dynamics change.
o You might find even when your group has reached a
stage where you’re on tap, you might sometimes have
to go back to being on top in certain situations

9. On tap vs. on top - continued
On tap
• Members choose topics
• Members lead discussions
• Facilitators coordinate speakers &
activities members would like
• Facilitators source information
On top
• Facilitators help choose topics
• Facilitators prompt discussions
• Facilitators suggest speakers and
activities
• Facilitators source information

10. Taking a step back
• Remember, it’s not a big deal if you don’t get to
cover everything – they won’t be tested on what
they discuss!
• It’s really, really tempting to want to make it
easier for members by planning
and providing everything for the
group.
o Try to remember, MyTime
gives members a place to
have some control, and feel
empowered.

11. Where your role ends
• To recap level one:
o MyTime groups are a place
where carers can find peer
support
o The program focuses on
members supporting other
members
o The facilitator’s role is to
encourage discussion and
provide information and
resources

12. Where your role ends - continued
• Your role is to:
o encourage discussion
o refer to services
o be guided by members
o share reliable information
o make sure sessions are
varied and meet the needs
of everyone
o welcome new members to
the group
• Your role isn’t to:
o talk at members
o provide counselling
o decide for the group
o take the place of other
health professionals
o only hold a specific type of
session, or focus on certain
members
o provide a place for existing
members to ‘close ranks’

13. Handling difficult behaviour
• When is behaviour an issue?
• What to do when there’s a problem
• Where your role ends

14. Personality vs. behaviour
• It’s import to understand the difference between accepting
people’s personality differences, and allowing inappropriate
behaviour
o Personality is how a person acts, feels and thinks. It’s important
to understand and respect these aspects in everyone.
o Behaviour is how a person acts. While nobody acts the same,
we need to put limits on certain behaviours in groups, to make
sure all personalities are respected.
• Often, behavioural issues can stem from personality traits –
some people are more authoritative, less talkative, strongly
opinionated, etc. This can lead to behaviours that can cause
conflict of issues with other group members,

15. Common behavioural issues
• Over-sharing
o try directing questions to individuals, or asking to hear from someone who hasn’t spoken. It
might be necessary to interrupt and ask what others are thinking, or even take someone aside
privately and ask them to help encourage some of the ‘quieter’ members to share
• Under-contributing
o recognise that some members might not want to share. If you think they want to say
something, try addressing them directly and asking them to comment, especially if you see
signs of engagement (like nodding). Try going around the group and ask everyone to speak if
they comfortable to do so, or breaking into pairs.
• Advice giving
o talk to the group about the difference between sharing and advice giving, and be aware of
sentences starting with ‘you should’ or ‘why don’t you’. When someone is offering advice, try
cutting them off and returning to the discussion, or exploring places to get verified
information.
• Negativity
o encourage people to move beyond the problem to potential solutions, or throw it back to the
group to discuss. Be aware that some members will let off steam with black humour or a vent,
and try to recognise when the mood moves into an area that is unhelpful.
There are lots of articles in the Partners Area to help manage difficult behaviour

16. If you’re concerned
• If you experience or witness bullying,
harassment, or any similar behaviours, inform
your coordinator immediately.
o Even if you think it was a one time incident, it’s
important to let communicate these things, as it will
help you and other members in the future.
• If you see a pattern of subtle behaviour
developing, try gently bringing it up with the
member. It might help prevent a small issue
becoming a bigger one.
• It may be necessary to suggest to a member that
they seek further support, such as counselling.
o If you are planning on doing this, be aware that some
people may react negatively or be offended by the
suggestion. Approach it slowly, and allow the member
space to think it over.

17. HELP! I still want more information
• Finding support
• Where to from here?
• The Partners Area

18. Everyone needs a little
help sometimes

19. What kind of support might you need?
• Background information on a session topic
• Resources for members
• Session activity inspiration or ideas
• Creative approaches to promotion
• Dealing with issues within the group
• Information on how MyTime works

20. Where to turn
• Your coordinator can provide information on a number of topics about
MyTime, and can share experiences of other groups and facilitators. They
are also the best person to talk to if you are having issues with any of your
members.
• This website has lots of information on handling issues and improving your
skills in the ‘Knowledge Bank’ section, and tips and tricks on promotion in
the ‘Promoting MyTime’ section. There are also a number of parent
resources you can download and hand out.
• The PRC can provide information on the MyTime model, as well as other
programs it runs. By contacting the PRC, you can also share your question
to all partners (through the Partner Updates) or through the whole
MyTime audience (through the Facebook page or website)
• Raising Children has lots of information on parenting and disability topics,
as well as some resources that would be helpful in groups.

21. Where to from here?
• After you’ve run your first MyTime quarter, we suggest
you watch facilitator orientation level 3
• If you have any questions about the information found
here, you can contact your coordinator, or contact the
Parenting Research Centre
• Look out for the Partners Update newsletters, which
will have lots of tips on specific topics and general
MyTime questions
• Keep checking back to the Partners Area of the MyTime
website for resources, support, and support

22. Finding the Partners Area
• Go to the
MyTime
website
www.mytime.net.au
• Scroll to the
bottom