Volunteers Wanted for Youth Mentoring in SMR Melbourne! - Melbourne

Monday, 26 September 2011

Item details

City: Melbourne, Victoria
Offer type: For Free

Contacts

Contact name Emily McArthur
Phone 97916596

Item description

Brosnan Youth Services are currently seeking motivated, positive and caring community members who can provide their assistance and support to disadvantged young people in the community.

The Leaving Care Mentoring program is aimed at providing extended community support to Child Protection young people who reside in residential or home based care who are soon to be transitioning into independent living. This is done through matching volunteers from the community who have been trained in mentoring, with one of our young people for 12 to 18 months. With the aim that the mentor and young person develop such a relationship that it will continue post the program and to the mentor can be a consistent and stable role model in their lives.

Who is the program for?
Leaving Care Mentoring Program is targeted at high risk young people aged between 12 and 18 who have been on a Child Protection order from the Department of Human Services and whom reside is residential or home based care in the Southern Metropolitan and Outer Metropolitan Areas. These young people are reaching the age of 18 and will be required to transition into adult independent living. Our mentoring program recruits, screens and trains volunteers who feel they can act as a positive role model and give guidance and friendship to one of our young people, to enhance positive integration into the community when approaching independent living.

Where does the program operate?
Leaving Care Mentoring operates throughout metropolitan and rural Victoria. Brosnan Youth Services (a program of Jesuit Social Services) is responsible, in conjunction with MOiRA, for delivering the program throughout the Southern Melbourne Metropolitan Region.

How are people referred to the program?
Young people are referred to the program through the Department of Human Services or other support organizations. We invite and welcome any candidates interested in mentoring a high risk young person to please contact us for more information on how to become involved.

Formal units of training or certificates associated with the program?
Any volunteer who wishes to become a mentor is required to undergo the Leaving Care Mentoring training, this is four, 3 hour sessions held at night across 4 weeks. Each mentor who completes the training receives a certificate of attainment.

Mentor screening process:
Our screening process involves:

1.Request an information package from the Mentoring Case Worker by calling or emailing. The information packs will include additional information about the program out lining the program objectives and statistical information on the success of mentoring, organisational information and application form/s.
2.Complete and lodge an application form Upon completing your application form/s, they can be returned either in person or by post. On receipt of an application a letter is sent informing you it has been received and will be contacted to confirm an appointment time. If you are deemed unsuitable a letter will be sent informing you as not suitable for the program at this stage.
3.Attend a face to face interview You will be invited to an in-person interview with the program co ordinator and a program worker/s. Your interests and involvement with the program will be discussed and any questions you may have will be answered. If at this point you are deemed suitable, a request for a Police check will be signed and appropriate identification verified.
4.Reference Checks In your application you were asked to provide three (3) written referees. At this point checks are conducted. Photo identification, such as a license or passport needs to be produced at the first interview.
5.Undergo a Police record check. Because you work involves vulnerable young people, a condition as a volunteer is a willingness to undergo a police records check. You will be asked to sign a form and it will be lodged.
6.Invitation to attend core mentor training. On satisfying the requirements in the initial interview and the successful completion of a police record check and verification of your referees, you will be invited to participate in the Mentor Core Training. Again mentors are reminded that until they complete the core training and have been informed in writing they are officially mentors, they are still are considered potential mentors. For those people who are not considered by the program to be suitable will be given the opportunity for feedback.
7.Core Training. As a potential mentor you will be invited to participate in 12 hours of core training. It will be over a 4-week period, with 3 hours training per week. The training will be held either through the day or of an evening. During this period you will be given feedback on a weekly basis and assisted where ever appropriate.
8.Final Interview After the 4 weeks of core training, those who are deemed competent will be invited to attend a final interview with Brosnan program staff. If you are successful in being engaged as a mentor, you will need to enter into a contract with Brosnan- Youth Mentoring Service, outlining mentor expectations, rights and responsibilities. If you are deemed not competent in the core training units, you will be given the opportunity for feedback and may be eligible for further training.


Please call or email today to gain a spot in the upcoming training!
9791 6596 or emily.mcarthur@jss.org.au