Thank you for your interest in reaching out to at-risk youth in our area. Because of the populations we serve in residential facilities, this work can be unique in a number of ways. Please review the information on this page to acquaint yourself with our expectations for volunteers. When you arrive on site to participate in your event, a chaplain will review this material with you and be available to answer any questions you may have.
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- Safety: our primary concern when hosting a volunteer event is the safety of our children and volunteers. There are several things you as a volunteer can do to foster safety during this event.
- Background Check- The facilities we partner with require volunteers to complete a registration form that includes a background check.
- Visibility- We ask that volunteers only interact with our residents in the presence of other adult staff or chaplains. We will not ask you to work with a child in private. For your safety and theirs, do not spend time interacting with a child alone.
- Physical Interventions- (Physical interventions are extremely rare at our volunteer events) Occasionally the children we serve lose control of their behavior and require physical assistance to protect themselves and others. We ask that volunteers do not participate in any kind of physical intervention with a child. In the case of a physical altercation, we ask our volunteers to step back and allow the facility staff to provide the necessary intervention.
- Background Check- The facilities we partner with require volunteers to complete a registration form that includes a background check.
- Privacy: You will be working with children who are receiving mental health care services through our partner agencies. We ask each volunteer to respect the confidentiality of the children and families we serve. Do not take pictures. Do not share information about the youth with others inside or outside the facility.
- Behavior Management: The youth we serve often display alarming behaviors. Cursing, threatening, fighting, and other forms of inappropriate behavior are common among children who have experienced trauma. It is important for you to understand that we are not asking volunteers to correct their behavior. The facility staff and our chaplains will address and correct resident behaviors.
- Boundaries: The majority of our kids have experienced physical and/or sexual assault. One side effect of this kind of abuse is a lack of appropriate physical boundaries. You may experience a child invading your personal space. This is a learned behavior that many of these youth are working on in treatment. Please be aware of your "personal bubble;" if a child imposes on your boundaries, kindly and firmly remind them to respect your personal space. You can be kind and direct at the same time.
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- Sizing You Up: Many of the behaviors you will see on display from our youth are survival skills learned early in life. It is common for kids to instigate a stranger in order to get a response. You are an unknown person, and possibly a danger. When you meet a child, she may try to 'get a rise' out of you with an inappropriate comment or gesture. These displays are an attempt to figure you out. Do you get offended easily? Are you an angry person? Are you a racist? How do you respond to an inappropriate comment? We recommend that our volunteers be non responsive to these initial instigations. Use positive non verbals, respond to appropriate interactions, and overlook the rest.
- Set the Tone: Communication is reciprocal. Our kids will mirror what you do. Be intentional about setting a positive tone. Smile, be open to the residents, find something (anything) to compliment, be inquisitive about the child, show concern, listen well, and respond. If you are distant and cold, they will respond in turn. We ask our volunteers to be intentional about setting a positive tone with our residents.
- Personal Information: For a variety of reasons, your personal information (address, phone number, Facebook, email, etc) cannot be shared with the youth we serve. We ask our volunteers to keep their personal information private, even if a child asks for it.
- Connect to Jesus: The model we promote in ministering to traumatized youth is twofold. We connect with hurting kids in a non threatening way. At the same time we hold onto Jesus; we intentionally bring Christ into the relational space with us. We refuse to reject a child because his habits offend our religious sensibilities. We refuse to set aside the gospel so as not to offend a broken child. This balancing act often feels like walking a tightrope. Hold fast to Jesus- Be present with the child. In order to accomplish this, we ask our volunteers to be available rather than agenda driven. Don't walk in the door expecting to preach at a kid. Instead, pray and wait for a child to invite you into an opportunity to speak the truth in love.
Prepare: Proper preparation for an event will make the volunteer experience even more meaningful.
- Pray- Begin praying today for your volunteer opportunity. Pray for the children you will be reaching out to, pray for sensitivity to the Spirit, and for hearts that are responsive to the gospel.
- Paperwork- Make sure you complete and turn in any necessary paperwork. well before the date of the event.
- Arrive on time- We schedule in a few minutes at the beginning of any event for a brief volunteer orientation. Be sure to arrive on time so you are prepared to minister to the kids.