Second Haven was designed from the ground up with safety, privacy, and trust as core requirements. Using a familiar digital environment like Minecraft to support community and connection only works when strong, well-tested safeguards are in place.
We spent our first six months developing, testing, and refining a detailed set of technical and human protocols that make Second Haven a reusable playbook for safe, Minecraft-based interventions.
Safety at Second Haven is ensured through a layered approach, combining robust technical controls with active human oversight by trained facilitators and moderators.
Our Protocols
Second Haven operates using carefully configured server settings, permissions, and procedures that go far beyond default gameplay environments.
Safety is ensured through a combination of:
- Technical controls (region permissions, chat scoping, command restrictions, logging, and monitoring), and
- Human oversight by trained facilitators, moderators, and server operators.
Together, these layers allow us to create spaces that are developmentally appropriate, access-controlled, and responsive to emerging needs.
Safety During Peer Support Group Sessions
Peer support groups take place in clearly defined, protected spaces within the Second Haven environment. These safeguards are enabled before any group session begins.
1. Creating a Protected Space
Before a session, a dedicated region is created inside one of our Second Haven Minecraft worlds using WorldGuard, a powerful server-side permissions and region-management system.
- The outer bounds of the region are explicitly defined.
- Entry and exit rules are set using WorldGuard flags (WorldGuard offers roughly 150 configurable options).
- Only approved group participants and facilitators are added as region members.
During the session:
- Participants are limited to the designated region.
- No other Second Haven residents (for example, families building elsewhere in the world) can enter the region.
- No one outside the group can walk into, teleport into, or otherwise interact with the group space.
Note:
These regions can be quite large. In real-world terms, a region might be as small as a single building or as expansive as hundreds of miles. This allows ample room for exploration, group activities, and creative engagement. When appropriate, we can also create entirely separate worlds with custom settings dedicated solely to group sessions.
2. Diverting and Securing Communication
During peer support sessions, in-game communication is intentionally restricted.
- Minecraft’s native text chat is disabled for group participants using additional server plugins (including LuckPerms and EssentialsX Chat).
- Group participants cannot send or receive in-game chat messages.
- Private messaging and unmonitored communication are not permitted during sessions.
This means that during facilitated peer sessions:
- Participants cannot interact, chat, or communicate privately with players outside the group.
- All communication occurs only within moderated, facilitator-approved spaces.
Text and voice communication during sessions takes place exclusively on a HIPAA-compliant communication platform, not within our Discord server or in Minecraft itself.
After Group Sessions: Lifting Restrictions Safely
Safeguards applied during group sessions are time-bound.
At the conclusion of each session:
- Region permissions and restrictions are lifted.
- Participants regain standard server access.
- Youth can freely explore the broader Second Haven multiverse.
This allows participants to:
- Play informally with trusted family members.
- Invite parents or caregivers to build or explore together.
- Continue social connection in a low-pressure, recreational context.
This separation is intentional:
- Peer support activities occur only in designated, access-controlled regions with restricted communication.
- Recreational and family play occurs elsewhere in the same persistent world, under different norms and permissions.
Peer groups serve as a catalyst for connection, while the broader world supports the cultivation of genuine, lasting connections beyond scheduled sessions.
Server Access and Monitoring
Second Haven maintains strict access and oversight standards.
- The server is fully whitelisted.
No one can join without submitting an application. - All applications are reviewed manually.
- Whitelisting is performed directly by Dr. Lindeman, Second Haven’s founder and server admin.
Second Haven uses extensive protections, including:
- GriefPrevention and CoreProtect, which make destructive behavior reversible and effectively impossible.
- Continuous server-side monitoring for unsafe communication.
- Automatic blocking of prohibited language.
- Automated responses (including kicks or bans) for rule violations.
Moderators actively monitor the environment and can respond in real time, either through the server console or by logging in with elevated permissions.
Moderation and Oversight
Second Haven uses a tiered moderation model:
- Moderators and Server Operators (OPs) have defined, role-specific permissions.
- Communication between moderators is continual and coordinated.
- Moderation actions are logged and reviewable.
This ensures both rapid response and accountability.
Hosting, Backups, and Infrastructure
Second Haven is hosted by Apex Hosting on a dedicated 12 GB plan, providing:
- Stable performance
- Daily automatic backups
- Reliable infrastructure
- Timely customer support when needed
A Safety-First Design Philosophy
Second Haven is intentionally designed to balance protection with authentic connection.
Our protocols are foundational to how Second Haven operates.