Who We Are as a Community

Who We Are

• We are a community of people in recovery from eating and related disorders
• Our primary purpose is to recover and help others to recover if they are seeking recovery
• While the needs of every individual are important, the need for unity of purpose is more important
• Without unity of purpose, the community will cease to exist
• We find unity of purpose by focusing on our primary purpose and not getting distracted by anything else
• We acknowledge above all else that our recovery from eating disorders is a matter of life and death

How We Operate

• What is shared within the community is a sacred trust
• We will not share anything seen or heard within the community (including names) with anyone who is not a registered part of the community 
• However, in the interests of truth and transparency, nothing is confidential or anonymous within the community because we are only as sick as our secrets
• In the interests of service, however, the community may choose to share information that is relevant to recovery (after it has been screened for relevance to our primary purpose)

The MC Leadership Team

• We are in service to this community because our own recovery depends on it
• We therefore abide by the governing principles and policies set out for the community, and we bring no outside interests into this service
• Since we lead by example, we remember that recovery is not possible without transparent honesty and humility
• We are willing to share openly with the entire team and bring no personal or professional agenda to the table when acting on behalf of the community
• While we may be professionals involved in recovery professions, we do not serve the community in that capacity, but rather as private individuals

Volunteer Mentors

• As volunteer mentors, we share our personal experience, strength, and hope for recovery with mentees
• We do not attempt to direct decisions facing mentees and we do not attempt to tackle issues that are outside the range of our personal recovery experience
• While serving in a mentoring role, we are not marriage or employment counselors, bankers, or clergy, or treatment or other professionals, even if we hold professional credentials in our outside activities  
• We may suggest tools for combating addictive behaviors so long as those tools stem from personal experience and have been proven to be effective
• When, while we are serving in a mentoring role, issues arise for which we have no personal experience or training, we consult our own mentors or the leadership team for someone who has experience in that area
• We are careful to take on only so many mentees as we have ample time to work with

For Professionals

• If you are a professional who would like to share information about MentorCONNECT with other professionals or with your clients, please click HERE for more information about the function and role of a mentor within the treatment team model