A.L.E.X. PIR®
A.L.E.X. · PIR®

Using A.L.E.X. and the helpdesks

Asking A.L.E.X. a question

In PIR's Discord, type /ask followed by your question. A.L.E.X. answers only from PIR's own published materials and lists its sources. Add private:true to see the answer only yourself. A.L.E.X. cannot read your chats, does not give medical, dosing, or legal advice, and is not a crisis line.

Talking to A.L.E.X. without commands

In the ask-alex channel, tap Ask A.L.E.X. and type anything, like a question about PIR or a description of what you need. The answer is private to you. Tap Ask a follow-up to keep going, or Turn into a ticket when a person should help: A.L.E.X. suggests the right team and fills in the form, and you can change anything before sending. A.L.E.X. still can't read the channel itself, only what you type into its forms.

When a ticket is marked Resolved, its private thread is archived: it leaves the channel list but stays readable under the channel's Threads button → Archived. Tap Reopen in the thread if you still need help.

Which helpdesk should I use?

  • /litcom — the Literature Committee: literature requests, corrections, translations, and ideas.
  • /techcom — the Tech Committee: the website, email, forms, Zoom, and general tech problems.
  • /github — PIR's GitHub organization: repositories, builds, GitHub Pages, and Actions.
  • /pr — the Public Relations Committee: social media, press and outreach, brand assets (logos), and the De Vine News newsletter (a PR subcommittee).
  • /board — PIR's Board of Directors: proposals, questions, and requests that need a Board decision.
  • /mod — Discord moderation, privately. You can also right-click any message and choose Apps → Report to mods.

Opening a ticket

Type the desk command, choose Problem or request or Idea or feedback, and fill in the short form. A private thread opens between you and that committee — only you, the committee, and server moderators can see it. You'll get a ticket number like TECH-12. Check on it any time with /ticket TECH-12.

Bringing something to the Board (BoardDesk)

Any service member can send PIR's Board of Directors a proposal, a question or a request. Type /board in PIR's Discord (or choose BoardDesk on the web helpdesk), pick "idea / feedback" for a proposal or "problem / request" for anything that needs a decision, and write it in your own words. A private thread opens with you and the Board, and the request lands in the Board's private GitHub inbox so nothing gets lost between meetings. The Secretary adds it to an agenda and you'll hear back in the same thread. Committees can also draft proposals in their own repos; finished ones are collected into the Board's repo automatically.

Joining a private group (BIPOC, LGBTQ+, Men's, Women's)

Private groups are joined by request, never by a click, so they stay safe. Type /join anywhere in PIR's Discord (or tap Request to join on the pinned panel in the request channel), pick a group, and add a note if you like; you don't need to explain yourself. A private thread opens that only you and the group's trusted servants can see. When they tap Welcome, the group's channel appears for you and the group says hello. If the answer is "not right now", you'll hear it kindly in the same thread, and every open meeting and channel is still yours.

The web helpdesk (https://psychedelicsinrecovery.github.io/alex-desk-public/portal.html) lets people who don't use Discord open and follow tickets. There is no password. Enter your email address and PIR sends you a one-time sign-in link from helpdesk@psychedelicsinrecovery.org. The link works once and expires after 15 minutes; if it expired, just request a new one. After signing in you stay signed in on that browser for 7 days, or sign out any time. Your email address is never stored: tickets are matched to you by a scrambled tag of it. Want to volunteer? Use the web desk's "I'd like to serve" button, or tap Serve in the service-opportunities channel in Discord.

Privacy

Type /privacy in Discord for the short version, or read the full details in A.L.E.X.'s privacy notice and PIR®'s privacy policy.