How do I become a mentor?

Parents put a great deal of trust in our agencies to provide them with volunteers who are appropriate, reliable, use good judgment and can be a stable and positive influence in the life of their child. Therefore, our assessment process is designed to identify appropriate volunteers and acquaint them with their roles and responsibilities as mentors. All volunteers complete the same process, but each is assessed (personal background, life experiences, interests, skills, etc.) on an individual basis.

The Application/Assessment/Match Process Includes the Following Steps:

• Initial interview between potential mentor and Mentor Duluth staff
• Potential mentors review the orientation packet and complete written application
• References/criminal history checks done by Mentor Duluth program
• Personal screening interview with Mentor Duluth staff
• Child selection between program advocates and mentor
• Parent/mentor meeting with Program Advocate
• Match meeting with child, mentor, parent and program advocate
• Mentor training and on-going support

Once a match is made, the program advocate maintains regular contact with the volunteer, parent and child, providing continual support throughout the length of the match.

Summary

The Mentor Duluth program does not require a great deal of time or money. Instead, we ask that volunteers share themselves and their day-to-day activities with a child. Becoming a mentor is the beginning of a lasting friendship. If you have additional questions, or wish to become a volunteer, please contact the Mentor Duluth office at 722-4745 ext. 120.

Thank you for your time and interest. You will be making a difference in the life of a child!

The Role of a Mentor

Being a Mentor is not the same for everyone. Each relationship is different because each person is unique. The match team consists of the volunteer, child, parent and program advocate. The program advocate will be responsible for the overall management of the match. Each Mentor Duluth volunteer has an important role to play: Providing a special one-to-one friendship with a child. Volunteers are required to make a minimum of a one-year commitment and see the child on a regular basis. Most matches go well beyond the one-year mark with many forming long-term friendships.

A Mentor is...

A friend and listener

Unconditionally accepting a child as he or she is.

Convey a sense of caring and hope.

Provide emotional support and express flexibility and openness.

Maintain open communication and encourage expression of thoughts, feelings and attitudes.

Empathize and understand another person's struggles, rather than show pity or pass judgment.

A positive role model...

Positively model the values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility.

Involve a mentee in safe and healthy activities.

Support growth and skill development in interest areas.

Encourage positive peer relationships.

Encourage community involvement.

An adult resource and guide...

Help a mentee sort out feelings and channel them productively.

Help a mentee explore new experiences, choices, values and future goals.

Help identify resources when help is needed.

Show respect for individuals, their abilities and their right to make their own choices in life.

A responsible volunteer and program member...

Assume a leadership role – initiate contact with parent, child and program advocate.

Be consistent and dependable regarding contacts and activities.

Discuss problems or concerns that may arise in the relationship with the parent or child.

Participate in agency group activities or special events.

Be aware of mandatory reporting laws in the event of abuse by an adult.

Show persistence and willingness to "hang in there" through the ups and downs of a relationship.

A Mentor is Not...

A mentor cannot be somone who is a....

Savior

Therapist

Parole Officer

Foster Parent

Cool Peer

Volunteering

Who can become a mentor?

Men, Women, Seniors, Couples, Students...individuals from all walks of life and backgrounds

Individuals who are 18 years of age or older and no longer in high school

Individuals who are stable in their employment, personal relationships, residence and mental/emotional health

Individuals who have access to a reliable means of transportation

Mentors make a minimum of a one-year commitment to the relationship and see the child on a regular basis (10-12 hours per month)

Why We Need Mentors?

Because we have many more children than volunteers, it can take up to two years before a child is matched in our program.

Is It The Right Time For You To Volunteer?

It takes time and patience to develop a trusting relationship between a mentor and mentee. Sometimes new relationships can be challenging and somewhat stressful. It is, therefore, important that volunteers be in a stable place in their own lives before becoming a mentor. For example, you may be in transition or under stress due to marriage, separation, divorce, job change, change of residence, legal concerns or you may be in counseling or therapy. If so, you will want to contact one of our caseworkers to confidentially discuss whether or not this is the right time for you to volunteer for our program.

Volunteer Protection Act

In recent years, volunteers working with nonprofit or government organizations have increasingly become targets of litigation. When a child is injured playing sports, the volunteer coach may be sued. Someone harmed by a nonprofit organization's actions may attempt to hold its uncompensated directors or officers liable. Volunteers may be sued because they represent a potential "deep pocket" of recovery to an injured plaintiff. Congress became concerned that these lawsuits were discouraging volunteerism -- to the detriment of nonprofit and government organizations throughout the United States -- and proposed legislation to limit both

• (a) the circumstances in which volunteers could be held liable for their actions and (b) the types of liability which may be imposed.

On June 18, 1997 President Clinton signed the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997, Public Law 105-19 ("VPA"), which protects volunteers of nonprofit organizations and governmental entities from liability, as long as a number of conditions are met.

Under the VPA, a volunteer working with a nonprofit or governmental organization, such as YMCA's and other Mentor Duluth program sites, cannot be held liable to a third party for any harm caused by his or her action or omission, as long as the volunteer

• (a) was acting within the scope of his or her responsibilities,
• (b) was properly licensed, certified or authorized (under applicable state law) to perform the activities engaged in, and
• (c) did not act with gross negligence, willful, criminal or reckless misconduct, or with a conscious, flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of the individual harmed.

Under the VPA, therefore, a volunteer's mere carelessness or negligence will generally not be actionable. A plaintiff would have to show some special circumstances – for example, that particular volunteer activities require special training or licensing, or that the volunteer acted with malice – in order to recover damages from that person.It is important to note that the VPA does not eliminate a volunteer's potential liability in all circumstances.

For example, the VPA does not limit liability for harm caused by a volunteer operating a motor vehicle, vessel, aircraft, or other vehicle, if applicable state law requires the owner or operator to possess a license or maintain insurance.

Moreover, the VPA does not limit liability for any crime of violence, hate crime, or sexual offense for which the defendant was convicted, for any civil rights offense, or for any misconduct where the defendant was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Volunteer Confidentiality Policy

Mentor Duluth respects the confidentiality of volunteer records and, with the exception of the situations listed below, shares information about volunteers only among the agency staff. All records are considered the property of the agency and not the agency workers, or volunteers themselves.

In order to provide a service which is in the best interest of the children served by the program, information from outside sources (i.e. personal references, counselor reports, etc.) will be reviewed along with information gained from the volunteers. Case record information not deemed confidential is available for review by the volunteer. Information will be released to other individuals or organizations only in cases where we have a volunteer's written permission to do so.

The only exceptions to this policy would be in the following instances:

1. Reporting suspected physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect of children by their parent, caretaker, guardian, etc. to the local police and/or Child Protection Agency (staff and volunteers are mandated by state law to report suspected child abuse--3 year statute of limitations).
2. Providing information to law enforcement officials or the courts in response to a valid and enforceable subpoena.