Understanding digital realities and evolving intervention practices to foster a human-centered digital world.
Since 2018, the Virtual Guardians Foundation (FGV) has been operating a true innovation lab for digital psychosocial intervention. Through our Digital Outreach Workers (TRN) program, launched in 2023, we are developing community-based outreach practices within online communities. This presence allows us to better understand the dynamics at play and to refine how we engage with people, identify distress, and provide appropriate professional support.
This work brings to light insights that are useful across all fields of practice. Every day, professionals support people whose relationships, sense of belonging, and challenges are partly experienced in the digital realm.
In line with this approach, the FGV is officially launching the Carrefour DHN, the Hub for Human Dynamics in the Digital World. This cross-functional professional development initiative aims to make digital practices accessible to professionals and to support skills development in their respective fields.
The Digital World as a Psychosocial Domain
Online communities, social media, and gaming platforms play a role in socialization and identity formation. Meaningful connections are formed there. Relationships of influence, conflicts, and vulnerabilities also arise there. These dynamics are part of the reality of the people we support, regardless of where the intervention takes place.
Carrefour DHN proposes integrating this dimension into our understanding of situations and professional practices. This integration requires knowledge of digital cultures, an understanding of how platforms work, and the ability to contextualize behaviors. This approach allows us to address together issues that are often treated separately, such as problematic uses, community membership, and mental health.
Skills for Dealing with Emerging Phenomena
Digital identity, influence, and content creation are among the key topics covered. The Carrefour also addresses platform dynamics, mental health, and cyberaddictions, as well as the relationships and uses that are emerging with artificial intelligence. Ethics and professional responsibilities are woven throughout the entire program.
The training sessions are designed to help participants better understand the role of digital habits in a person’s life, identify signs of distress, and select appropriate intervention strategies. They also address professional online presence and the relationship between digital interactions and in-person meetings.
A common training foundation is supplemented by content tailored to youth and family issues, public safety, and community-based outreach in digital communities. Identifying distress online and referring individuals to resources are also part of the curriculum. The structure of the training programs evolves as new trends and phenomena emerge. This is where the Carrefour DHN’s advantage lies: thanks to the TRN program—a digital intervention laboratory—observations and lessons learned in the field directly inform the training. Practitioners thus have access to content that is continuously updated in response to digital communities and the challenges that arise within them.
A flexible program for various practice settings
Groups and organizations can select individual content offerings or put together a complete program. Presentations at events, customized training sessions, workshops, and communities of practice are offered in person or online.
The Carrefour DHN is aimed primarily at professionals in the community, school, health, and social services sectors, as well as public safety officials. It enables teams from different disciplines to develop a shared understanding of the digital situations they encounter.
A collaboration with Binôme Écosystèmes
The Foundation is rolling out the Carrefour in collaboration with Binôme Écosystèmes, an emerging organization that specializes in developing psychosocial skills ecosystems. This collaboration supports the training framework and the design of content tailored to real-world practice settings.
Meet the FGV in 2026 and 2027
The FGV will participate in several annual events and training sessions in late 2026 and throughout 2027. The launch of the Carrefour also opens up the possibility of developing activities with interested groups and organizations.
To request a presentation, training session, or collaboration, please contact Jenica Poirier to discuss the needs of your organization.
jenica@gardiensvirtuels.org
For a human-centered digital world.
