Posted in: Games, PAX West, Video Games | Tagged: Amy Falcone, Dayeanne Hutton, e Cardona, GamrEnchantment, John Phipps, Mark Speedy, MissKyliee, Mxiety, NihonTiger, PAX West, PAX West 2018, Random Tuesday, Sammmtastic, Sticking Points, streamers, Take This, Tanya DePass, Taylor Quinn, Twitch

Take This Announces 14 Stream Ambassadors at PAX West

Take This, a mental health organization geared toward game developers and the gaming community, has announced its first group of streaming partners. This first group of "Take This Streaming Ambassadors" will serve as grassroots innovators and motivators in Take This's campaign against the stigma, hopelessness, and isolation found when dealing with mental health issues in the gaming community.

The 14 Ambassadors announced at PAX West this weekend are:

• Amy Falcone
• NihonTiger
• Dayeanne Hutton
• Sticking Points
• John Phipps
• é Cardona
• Random Tuesday
• Mxiety
• Mark Speedy
• MissKyliee
• Sammmtastic
• Tanya DePass
• Taylor Quinn
• GamrEnchantment

Take This defends their choices, saying:

Take This Streaming Ambassadors have been selectively chosen as official representatives for Take This in the streaming community.  These ambassadors were selected through a rigorous selection process and received training on how to discuss mental health and its challenges with their audiences, and properly support individuals in crisis. Streaming Ambassadors actively fight stigma against mental health challenges and promote mental health inclusivity in their streams. They will create an environment of acceptance and kindness for those suffering from emotional or mental health challenges, whether or not they rise to the level of psychiatric diagnosis. They will partner with Take This to actively create positive, supportive communities, and will work to support the efforts and mission of Take This through fundraising efforts.

"Streamers have such a strong relationship with their audiences, making them the perfect group to say to gamers that its okay to not be okay," commented Eve Crevoshay, Executive Director of Take This. "Our first group of Ambassadors are so passionate about making mental health issues a normal part of conversation, and we know they will have a great impact on gamers who may be struggling with mental health concerns or challenges."

To make sure that all of the Ambassadors help create a supportive and understanding environment for their viewers, they are expected to exemplify the following five "aspirational principles":

• Hope – Hope is healing! Take This Streaming Ambassadors let others know that things can improve, and that there are resources available. They help others celebrate their successes – even if the successes seem small.
• Acceptance – It's okay to not be okay, and Take This Streaming Ambassadors accept people's emotions and physical health as they are. They do not shame others for the pain they feel.
• Kindness – Reaching out to others is hard. It risks rejection. Take This Streaming Ambassadors treat those they encounter with compassion and kindness, even if they cannot directly intervene in the other person's life.
• Self-care – Physically and emotionally, we can only give what we have. Giving to others at the expense of one's self can be just as personally harmful as never helping others. Take This Streaming Ambassadors exemplify the balance between appropriate selflessness and selfishness. They seek out their own help when needed and give help when they can, within the bounds of what's reasonably appropriate to the situation and their own expertise.
• Effort – Streaming ambassadors show an active interest in promoting and advancing evidence-based understanding of mental health, as well as the mission of Take This. They actively attempt to promote all the above principles in their streams and in their communities.

The Ambassador program is the latest of the Take This program, which also include its AFK Room Program at conventions (this year in room 601 at PAX West), online resources on various mental health topics, and its mental health consulting program for developers.

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