What Working in Forensic Psychiatry Has Taught Me About the Umbraco Community

Source: Dev.to

I used to be a nurse. Now I’m a Community Manager.

I used to work in forensic psychiatry – a closed psychiatric ward where mentally ill people who had committed crimes were placed instead of prison or jail.
Now I work at Umbraco, an open‑source content‑management system.

It sounds like two very different jobs. In some ways it is, but more often than not I find myself thinking that the skills I used as a psychiatric nurse are very transferable to my role as a Community Manager.

“So… what did you do before working at Umbraco?”

This question comes up every time I attend an Umbraco event. It’s a good conversation starter, but I can’t help feeling a little insecure when I have to answer “I used to be a nurse.”

“Oh wow, that is a big change,” people tend to reply.

I’m not a developer. I didn’t come from a traditional tech background. My first instinct is to justify myself:

• “I’ve been making websites since I was 10.”
• “I’ve always been interested in the tech world.”
• “I have a master’s degree in Web Communications.”

All true, but not the point I really want to make.

What I really want to say

“It might sound very different, but Community Management is really just what I used to do as a nurse: managing patients in a psychiatric ward. People are people.”

People are people

People are people. The overall principle is the same, but each individual is unique. That’s true for both patients in a forensic psychiatric ward and for members of the Umbraco community. Some are loud, some are quiet; some are comfortable speaking on the big stage at Codegarden, while others prefer to lurk on Discord. Some walk into a room and instantly make friends; others find it harder to talk to new people.

Managing a community is all about people. It’s about:

• building trust and relationships,
• interacting with members,
• holding space and making sure everyone gets a seat at the table,
• mediating conflict and putting out fires.

When you realize that people are people, you don’t need to be a developer to manage a community of developers.

Even though I left nursing, I continue to have immense respect and admiration for the staff and patients in forensic psychiatric wards. It’s a challenging environment, and there is a lot of stigma surrounding the people who live there.

I remind myself that those residing there are someone’s parents, siblings, friends, and children. They are real people whose debilitating mental illness contributed to their placement in a forensic psychiatric ward, away from the rest of society. I have deep empathy for them and will always work to spread awareness of the challenges they face, because they are people just like the rest of us.

Managing a community of people who don’t want to be there

I used to “manage” the community that existed within the forensic psychiatric ward. The thing about that ward is that most people don’t want to be there. They were committed because of a crime but could not be placed in a regular jail or prison due to mental illness. It was my job to help them coexist in a place they hadn’t chosen.

Now I do the same thing for the Umbraco Community. The main difference is that people do want to be there. They attend events of their own free will, and while they’re free to leave, they keep coming back because they feel a sense of belonging.

That sense of belonging has been on my mind a lot since I joined Umbraco. At first I questioned whether I belonged, having never held a tech job before. I was the “new kid.”

Being the “new kid”

I used to greet patients when they first arrived at the ward: scared, confused, sometimes angry. I would help them unpack their belongings, explain the daily routines, and ease them into life at the ward. It can be scary being the “new kid.” We’ve all been there—maybe not in a forensic psychiatric ward, but in a similar capacity.

Newcomers don’t know the unwritten rules. The same is true for the Umbraco Community. Everyone seems to speak a language that’s familiar yet full of secret meanings. Inside jokes fly past your head. You see people using #H5YR! (meaning High Five, You Rock!) and feel like you missed the memo. Even when everyone is friendly, it’s easy to feel like you don’t quite belong. The very things that make the community fun, unique, and wonderful also raise the barrier to entry. There’s so much history, culture, and lore that newcomers simply haven’t absorbed yet.

Being new anywhere is hard. Part of my job is making it easier for new community members to feel included—just like I did for the new people at the psychiatric ward. Over time, I’ve turned being the “new kid” in a tech world into my strength, and I see it as my mission to help other newcomers feel welcome and find their place in the Umbraco Community.

“I know you – you’re the one who writes a lot on Discord!”

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Writing Daily Messages on the Umbraco Discord‑Channel

Writing daily messages on the Umbraco Discord‑channel is one of the things I do as a Community Manager. It’s something people notice enough that, when I introduce myself to new members, they sometimes say:

“I know you – you’re the one who writes a lot on Discord!”

Often, the people saying this aren’t even the ones interacting with my posts. That makes me happy, because to me it means what I’m doing is working.

Being Present – A Skill From Psychiatric Nursing

I spent a lot of time in the ward’s common areas – watching TV, doing puzzles, or reading the newspaper alongside patients. I used to joke that my job was “making puzzles,” because from the outside it probably looked like I wasn’t working at all.

In reality, being present was a big part of my job. Being available for small, everyday conversations is essential for building relationships. By simply being there I could:

• Pick up on subtle changes in mood
• Notice frustrations early
• Join shared activities that help create trust and connection

I could make sure everyone had someone to talk to and that everyone felt included in the community.

The messages I post on Discord are less about the words themselves and more about showing up for the community, building trust, and making space for everyone to feel heard. I want people to know that I am available and approachable to everyone.

When People Get Emotional, They Care

When people openly disagree or show frustration, it’s a sign that they care – about the product, the platform, and the people using it. A healthy community is one where:

• It’s safe to disagree.
• Different opinions are welcomed.
• People can be passionate without fear of being labeled a troublemaker or becoming unpopular.

Enthusiasm is important, but respectful communication comes first. Creating a space where strong opinions can be expressed while staying kind is essential.

Power Dynamics Exist Everywhere – Be Aware

In the forensic psychiatric ward, the power imbalance is obvious: staff have keys; patients don’t. Staff create the rules; patients follow them. Awareness of that imbalance – and softening it – was essential.

In tech communities, power dynamics are more subtle but still very real. Long‑time members hold knowledge and connections that newcomers lack. They know the CMS team, the MVPs, and the contributors who make Umbraco what it is. For a newcomer, this can make it intimidating to speak up, join a conversation, or participate in activities.

My role includes noticing these dynamics and helping level the playing field, making sure everyone feels welcome. This isn’t about old‑timers doing anything wrong – many newcomers join without issue, and the Umbraco Community is known for being friendly because – well – they are!

Still, in our society some people are conditioned to feel hesitant, unsure, or less entitled to take up space, especially where they lack knowledge or seniority.

It’s not enough to create space for people to join – you need to actually reserve them a chair at the table.

What Working in Forensic Psychiatry Taught Me About the Umbraco Community

There are many things I don’t carry over from the forensic psychiatric ward to my role as a Community Manager at Umbraco. The knowledge I do carry with me is this:

• People are people. Strong emotions mean people care – not that they want to cause trouble.
• People are doing the best they can with the tools they have.
• Being present and available matters.
• Power dynamics are real. It’s often not enough to just make space for new people – you need to reserve them a seat at the table.

Lastly, the parallels I draw in this post are not about equating people or environments. Forensic psychiatry and open‑source communities are very different worlds. What connects them, for me, are the universal human needs that show up wherever people come together, and how my previous work as a psychiatric nurse shaped my approach to supporting communities today.

Tags: Umbraco, Developer Relations, DevRel, Career change, Community, Community management