FAQ & Info

• Self-care matters. Self-care and wellness are two cornerstone principles of Take This and our outreach efforts. We ask that in all of your streaming activities, especially prolonged streaming efforts, you visibly and overtly practice self-care (e.g., taking breaks and eating) as an example for the viewing public.
• Validation matters. Expect that people will talk about their mental health when you are streaming for us. Please validate their concerns and struggles in an empathic manner, and then offer our mental health resource page (see below).
• Language Matters. What we say, and how we say it, matter a lot to people experiencing mental health challenges. It’s easy to use mental health terms in common language, not being aware that they can shame and impact people challenged by these conditions.
  • Example: “This is unbelievable.” vs. “This is insane.”
  • Example: “I’m so OCD.” vs. “I’m really picky.”
• Label the diagnosis, not the person. We are all people first. Our mental health does not define us, positively or negatively. To that end, generally avoid identifying or labelling a person as their diagnosis, or with that identifier. Mental health diagnoses are only one part of a person, not their whole identity, and our language should reflect that. That said, some people use what’s called “identity-first” language, especially in much of the autism community, and people’s self-identification should be the default language.
  • Example: “People with mental health challenges.” vs. “Mentally ill people.”

• An estimated 1-in-2 Americans will be diagnosed with a mental health condition in their lifetime
• Approximately 1-in-5 will be diagnosed in a given year
• The most common types of diagnoses in the US are anxiety disorders, of which there are many types
• 50% of lifetime cases of mental health conditions begin by age 14, and 75% by age 24
• Nearly 4 out of 10 people with major depressive disorder did not receive treatment in 2016
• Trust and a good working relationship with your therapist is a major factor in positive outcome

• Take This Mental Health Resource page
  • Includes Crisis Lines; Resources on Therapists, Culturally-Specific Support, Online Harassment, Streamer & Content Creator Support, Tools, and Apps
• Take This Expert Content page
• How to Find a Therapist: US, UK, AUS, and flowchart
• How to be a Friend
• Being a Professional vs. Being an Advocate

This is often a matter of some confusion. Please see our article on this topic. We also have a handy graphic.

If you’d like to cross post an article you write for us, that’s generally fine as long as the following rules are followed:

• The original post is exclusive to Take This for at least 24 hours from the time of original publication on our site. You may cross post after that time.
• The post must be cross posted in its entirety.
• Any cross post includes the following statement at the top of the page, below the headline, but before the post content: “This article was originally written for TakeThis.org, a mental health nonprofit which seeks to inform our community about mental health issues, provide education about mental health challenges and prevention, and reduce the stigma of mental illness.”

Absolutely! We love that people are excited about the work we do, and if you want to point people to our website and/or resources, feel free! Please link to our articles instead of copying and pasting them. Thank you!

That’s great! We usually have to say no to direct promotions as they violate our mission by being endorsing or promotional in nature. We will inform the community about charity streamers at our discretion via our social media outlets, but do not endorse any specific persons, games, etc. If you would like to consider a partnership with Take This, please contact us.

We’re glad you believe in what you do! That’s awesome! Unfortunately, we usually have to say no to these requests, as they violate our mission by being endorsing or promotional in nature. Please see above for our rules on expert articles. You’re still welcome to promote our website and our mission.

The Ambassador Program is a grassroots collection of amazing streamers who champion Take This’ mission of accepting those with mental health challenges. All of our Ambassadors go through a rigorous application process and exemplify our five aspirational principles, in regards to others’ mental health challenges:

• Hope
• Acceptance
• Kindness
• Self-care
• Effort

It is important to note that our Take This Streaming Ambassadors do not offer direct mental health services or individualized advice to their viewership or community. They are advocates for mental health acceptance. For more on what it means to be an advocate, please see our expert content on the topic.

You can apply and read more about the Ambassador Program here.

We have an official group of streamers as part of our Ambassador Program. You can read more and apply here.

If you aren’t part of the Ambassador program, but still want to stream/fundraise for us, we have a couple requests:

• Most folks find it easiest to use Tiltify or Streamlabs.
• Make note of our logo usage and trademark policy below.
• Feel free to direct people to resources, if needed. See below for specific sites. Our website is full of additional information.
• Please do not imply you’ve partnered with us or we’re working together (we don’t want folks to get confused).
• Remember that we’re a mental health organization and you are acting as a role model by streaming – keep it positive and supportive.
• Avoid using mental health stigma words, speaking negatively about mental health or anyone’s personal experiences.
• Have fun!

Please see the full list here: Mental Health Resources

A few selected links from the resource page:

• Burnout 101 and Burnout for Content Creators: A multi-part, educational series on burnout created by Take This’ Dr. Kelli Dunlap and Dr. Raffael Boccamazzo and especially tailored for content creators.
• Managing Chat When People Bring Up Self-Harm: A new series of videos providing mental health education to content creators on a variety of topics, sponsored by Rainbow Six. 
• How Streamers Can Respond When Viewers Need Help: Addressing mental health needs on Twitch and other streaming platforms has been a growing concern, especially given the lack of research that exists on the topic.

Not currently, but in case we are, we often reach out to our established volunteers, as they are familiar with the culture and operations of Take This. That said, we’d love to grow to the point that we need to publicly post job openings. Until then, the best support you can give is either volunteering at a convention, donating to us, or both!

Our social media policy outlines use for our official Take This accounts as well as use for personal accounts of our board, staff, and active volunteers and ambassadors.

If you have any other questions or need additional information, please contact us. We’ll make sure it gets to the right person to be answered.