Eligibility Policy
It is the policy of
The New Beginnings Mentoring Initiative that each participant must meet the defined eligibility criteria. Mentoring staff
should be knowledgeable of and understand all eligibility criteria required for mentor and mentee participation in the program.
Extenuating circumstances may be reviewed at the discretion of the program director and acceptance
may then be allowed with the written approval of the executive director and representative of the board of directors when
all eligibility requirements are not clearly met. These instances are expected to be rare.
Mentor Eligibility Requirements:
§ Be at least
21 years of age
§ Reside in the Greater Baton Rouge area
§ Be
willing to adhere to all project policies and procedures
§ Agree to
a minimum one-year commitment to the program
§ Commit to participating in meeting
with 4-5 meetings per month with mentee
§ Be willing to communicate with
the mentee on a continuous basis
§ Complete the screening procedure
§ Agree to attend mentor trainings as required
§ Be
willing to communicate regularly with the program director and mentoring services coordinator and submit monthly meeting and
activity information
§ Have access to an automobile or reliable
transportation
§ Have a current driver’s license,
auto insurance, and good driving record
§ Have a clean criminal history
§ Have never been accused, arrested, charged, or convicted of child abuse
or molestation
§ Not be a convicted felon. If the applicant
has been convicted of a felony then they may be considered only after a period of seven years with demonstrated good behavior
and an appropriate and corrective attitude regarding past behaviors.
§ Not
be a user of illicit drugs
§ Not use alcohol or controlled
substances in an excessive or inappropriate manner
§ Not be currently in treatment
for substance abuse. If a substance abuse problem has occurred in the past the applicant must have completed a non-addictive
period of at least five years
§ Not currently be under treatment for
a mental disorder or have been hospitalized for a mental disorder in the past three years
§ Not have falsified information during the course of the screening process
Mentee Eligibility
Requirements:
§ Be 11-15 years old, with the option to serve until
their 18th birthday
§ Reside in the Greater Baton Rouge area
§ Demonstrate a desire to participate in the program and be willing to abide
by all project policies and procedures
§ Be able to obtain parental/guardian
permission and ongoing support for participation in the program
§ Agree
to a minimum one-year commitment to the program
§ Commit to spending a minimum
of 8-10 contact hours/4-5 meetings with the mentor each month
§ Be
willing to communicate with the mentor on a continuous basis
§ Complete
screening procedure
§ Agree to attend mentee trainings as required
§ Be willing to communicate regularly with the program director and mentor
services coordinator and discuss monthly meeting and activity information
Use of Alcohol,
Drugs, Tobacco, and Firearms Policy
It is the policy of The New Beginnings Mentoring Initiative
to prohibit and discourage the use of drugs, alcohol, and firearms. Mentees and mentors are prohibited from using drugs or
alcohol or possessing firearms while engaged in the mentoring relationship. Any suspected violations should be reported to
the program director.
Alcoholic Beverages: No participant
of The New Beginnings Mentoring Initiative will possess or consume beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages while actively
engaged or prior to actively engaging in mentoring, nor shall any participant endorse the use of alcohol. Mentors and mentees
may go to a location where minors are allowed and alcohol is served provided that the mentor and youth do not consume any
alcohol.
Drugs: No participant of The New Beginnings Mentoring
Initiative will manufacture, possess, distribute, or use any illegal substance while engaged in mentoring or otherwise.
Tobacco: The intent of The New Beginnings Mentoring Initiative is to
create a smoke- and tobacco-free environment. To that end, smoking and the use of all tobacco products is prohibited on the
premises of The New Beginnings Mentoring Initiative and those involved with the program must refrain from the use of such
products while engaged in mentoring. The use of tobacco products includes but is not limited to cigarettes, cigars, pipes,
chewing tobacco, snuff, or other matters or substances that contain tobacco.
Weapons,
Firearms, and Other Dangerous Materials: The possession or use of firearms,
firecrackers, explosives, toxic or dangerous chemicals, or other lethal weapons, equipment, or material while participating
in mentoring activities is strictly prohibited.
Any violation of this policy will result
in the immediate suspension and/or termination of the mentoring relationship. In addition, violations of this policy may result
in notification being given to legal authorities that may result in arrest or legal action, and may be punishable by fine
and/or imprisonment.
Closure Policy
It is the policy of The New Beginnings Mentoring Initiative
that all mentors and mentees must participate in closure procedures when their match ends. Closure is defined
as the ending of a formal match relationship regardless of the circumstances of the match ending or whether they intend to
have future contact informally beyond the match duration. While no party is expected to continue the relationship beyond the
formal end of a match, matches may continue in the program beyond the contract period (one year for The New Beginnings Mentoring
Initiative matches) and receive ongoing support and supervision.
Closure can
occur for any number of reasons including: the contracted match duration has ended, one or both participants do not want to
continue the match, there are changes in life circumstances of either the mentor or mentee, or an individual no longer meets
the requirements for program participation. Hence, the match may end at the discretion of the mentor, mentee, parent/guardian,
and/or program director. It is left to the discretion of the program director whether an individual will be reassigned to
another match in the future based upon past participation performance and current goals and needs of the program.
Future contact will be at the mutual and informal agreement of the mentor, the mentee, and the parent/guardian. If future
contact is agreed upon, The New Beginnings Mentoring Initiative will not be responsible for monitoring and supporting the
match after the match has ended. The director will verbally and in writing inform all parties—the mentor, mentee, and
parent/guardian—that the formal match has ended and that The New Beginnings Mentoring Initiative will not be liable
for any incidents that occur after the match has closed.
Confidentiality Policy
It
is the policy of The New Beginnings Mentoring Initiative to protect the confidentiality of its participants and their families.
With the exception of the limitations listed below, program staff will only share information about mentors, mentees, and
their families with other professional staff and the Board of Directors. Further, all prospective mentors, mentees, and parents/guardians
should be informed of the scope and limitations of confidentiality by program staff. Additionally, mentors are required to
keep information about their mentee and his/her family confidential.
In order for
The New Beginnings Mentoring Initiative to provide a responsible and professional service to participants, it is necessary
to ask mentors, mentees, parents/guardians, and other outside sources to divulge extensive personal information about the
prospective participants and their families, including:
§ Information
gained from mentors and mentees, written or otherwise, about themselves and/or their families, in application to and during
program participation
§ Participants’ names and images
gained from participants themselves, program meetings, training sessions, and other events
§ Information
gained about participants from outside sources including confidential references, school staff, employers Records are,
therefore, considered the property of the agency, not the agency workers, and are not available for review by mentors, mentees,
or parents/guardians.
Limits of Confidentiality
Information from mentor and mentee records may be shared with individuals or organizations
as specified below under the following conditions:
§ Information may be gathered about
program participants and shared with other participants, individuals, or organizations only upon receipt of signed “release”
forms from mentors, mentees, or parents/guardians.
§ Identifying
information (including names, photographs, videos, etc.) of program participants may be used in agency publications or promotional
materials only upon written consent of the mentor, mentee, and/or parent/guardian.
§ Members
of the Board of Directors have access to participant files only upon authorization by a formal motion of the board. The motion
shall identify the person(s) to be authorized to review such records, the specific purpose for such review, and the period
of time during which access shall be granted. Such members of the board granted access shall be required to comply with the
agency policies on confidentiality and may use the information only for purposes stated by the approved action of the Board
of Directors. Known violations shall be reported to the Board chairman. A violation of the agency’s confidentiality
policy by a Board member shall constitute adequate cause for removal from the Board.
§ Information may only be provided to law enforcement officials or the courts pursuant to a valid
and enforceable subpoena.
§ Information may be provided to legal counsel in the event of litigation or potential
litigation involving the agency. Such information is considered privileged information, and its confidentiality is protected
by law.
§ Program staff and volunteers are mandatory reporters
and as such must disclose information indicating that a mentor or mentee may be dangerous to or intends to harm him/herself
or others.
§ If program staff members receive information at any
point in the match process that a volunteer is using illegal substances, there is a criminal history of any kind, or is inappropriately
using alcohol or other controlled substances, the information will be shared with the parent and they will have the option
to reject the prospective mentor or close the existing match.
§ At the
time a mentor or mentee is considered as a match candidate, information is shared between the prospective match parties. However,
the full identity of the prospective match mate shall not be revealed at this stage. Names and addresses are shared with match
mates only after the involved parties have met and agree to be formally matched. Each party shall have the right to refuse
the proposed match based on the anonymous information provided to them. The information to be shared may include:
- Mentors: age, sex, race, religion, interests,
hobbies, employment, marriage or family status, sexual preference, living situation, reasons for applying to the program,
and a summary of why the individual was chosen for the particular match. Results of driving records and criminal histories
may also be shared.
- Mentees:
age, sex, race, religion, interests, hobbies, family situation, living situation, a summary of the client needs assessment,
and expectations for match participation.
Safekeeping of Confidential Records
The executive director is considered the custodian of confidential records. It is his/her
responsibility to supervise the management of confidential information in order to ensure safekeeping, accuracy, accountability,
and compliance with Board policies.
Requesting Confidential Information From Other
Agencies
A mentee’s or volunteer’s right to privacy shall be respected by the agency.
Requests for confidential information from other organizations or persons shall be accompanied by a signed release from the
mentor, mentee, and/or parent/guardian.
Violations of Confidentiality
A known violation
of the agency policy on confidentiality by a program participant may result in a written warning or disciplinary action such
as suspension or termination from the program.
Evaluation
Policy
It is the policy of The
New Beginnings Mentoring Initiative that evaluation will be a key component in measuring the success of its mentoring program
and for making continuous improvements in the effectiveness and delivery of mentoring services.
Evaluation data will be collected every six months for mentees in the program, including the following general measures:
mentee satisfaction with the mentoring relationships, how happy mentees feel when they are with their mentors, youth self-esteem,
academic performance, peer and parent relationships, moods, alcohol and substance use, sexual activity, etc.
The New Beginnings Mentoring Initiative
program staff will be responsible for evaluation efforts.
Mandatory
Reporting Policy
It
is the policy of The New Beginnings Mentoring Initiative that all staff, mentors, and other representatives of the program
must report any suspected child abuse and/or neglect of agency clients or program participants immediately. All such
suspected reports must be made to appropriate state and/or local authorities. Program staff must follow the mandatory reporting
of child abuse and neglect procedure.
All employees, volunteers, and mentors of The
New Beginnings Mentoring Initiative are required to undergo training as to what constitutes child abuse and neglect, what
the state statutes are, and how to properly report such cases.
Any staff, volunteers, or mentors accused of child abuse or neglect will be investigated by the agency. Contact with
program youth will be restricted or constrained and/or the person in question suspended from employment or program participation
per the decision of the executive director and board of directors until such investigation is concluded.
Contact and Information
Release
(To Be Completed by the Parent/Guardian)
Youth’s Name: ________________________ Date: ________________School: ________________________________________
I hereby grant permission for the New
Beginnings Mentoring Initiative to make contact with my child and conduct a personal interview for the purposes of applying
to be a mentee. The New Beginnings Mentoring Initiative may also make contact with my child on school premises
for the purposes of screening and interviewing as well as ongoing support of his/her participation in the mentoring program.
I authorize the New Beginnings Mentoring Initiative to obtain any needed information regarding my
child from his/her school’s staff, including academic and behavioral records and conversations with teachers, counselors,
and other administrative staff.
Further, I understand that basic information about my child
will be anonymously (without names) shared with a prospective mentor(s) to aid in determining a suitable match. Once a mentor/mentee
match is determined, my and my child’s identity and other relevant information will be shared with the mentor to the
extent it aids in facilitating a successful match.
_________________________________________
________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature
Date
Parent/Guardian Name: _______________________________________________
Address__________________________ City_____________ State____
Zip_____
Mentor Contract
I will follow the rules of The New Beginnings Mentoring Initiative.
I
will make a minimum one year/4-5 contacts per month commitment to being matched with my mentee.
I will attend
training sessions & participate in closure sessions.
I will inform the program staff of questions/concerns.
I
will keep information concerning mentee confidential, except for situations of harm to him/herself or others.
I
will obtain parental permission for all mentee meetings.
My signature serves as documentation that the information provided
is correct and that I will abide by the rules of the agency. Name_____________________________________ Date_____________________________________
Overnight Visits and Out-of-Town Travel Policy
It is the policy of The New Beginnings Mentoring Initiative
to encourage mentor/mentee visits within their own community and limit overnight visits. However, overnight visits and out-of-town
trips are permitted under the following conditions:
§ Overnight visits and out-of-town travel
are only permitted after six months participation with a match.
-
Between six months and one year, overnight visits and out-of-town travel may occur only with approval from both
the program director and parent/guardian. Out-of-town travel may occur only with the accompaniment of the parent/guardian
or other person designated by the parent/guardian.
- After
one year, both overnight visits and out-of-town travel may occur with permission of the parent only, and the mentee and mentor
may travel alone out of town with parental permission. All parties must report all such occurrences during their monthly contact
with mentoring staff, the nature of the activity, and the purpose.
§ For
any and all admissible out-of-town travel, the parent/guardian must write and sign a permission slip stipulating:
- Their child is permitted to travel with the mentor to the
predetermined destination, specifying names and the location(s) being traveled to.
-
Permission for medical treatment in the case of a medical emergency.
§ For any
and all admissible out-of-town travel, the mentor must write out or type a detailed itinerary of the trip, and provide this
to the parent/guardian prior to leaving, and include the following:
-
The destination(s)
- Phone
numbers of their cell phone (optional), places being visited, and lodging
-
Times and dates of departure and arrival at each location being visited
-
Expected time of return§ For out-of-town trips of more than one day’s duration,
the mentor must check in with the parent/guardian daily by phone, if possible. During permissible out-of-town travel, the mentor should review and abide by all terms outlined
in the transportation policy.
Recognition Policy
It is the policy of The New Beginnings Mentoring Initiative
that all participants
—including mentors, mentees, and parents/guardians
—be recognized as important to the success of the mentoring
program. Particular emphasis will be placed upon recognizing the program’s volunteer mentors.
It is the responsibility of the program director to,
at minimum, plan and implement the following recognition activities:
§ Host an annual recognition event including selection
of a mentor, mentee, and parent/guardian of the year along with other outstanding service or performance acknowledgments
§ Feature a mentor, mentee, parent/guardian, or general match success story
in each quarterly newsletter
§ Establish a mentor recognition award
system for length of service
§ Utilize outstanding mentors to help deliver
orientation and training sessions for the recruitment and matching of new mentors
Training Policy
It is the policy
of The New Beginnings Mentoring Initiative that all mentors and mentees attend a minimum two-hour initial training session
prior to being matched. The agendas must cover basic program guidelines, safety issues (including mandatory reporting), and
communication/relationship building skills.
Each mentor and mentee will attend an additional two-hour
inservice training session at least twice per year. These inservice sessions will be offered to each group at least quarterly.
It is the responsibility of the program director to plan, develop, and deliver all training sessions
with assistance from other agency staff, board members, and volunteers. Evaluation forms will be collected
from each training session for the purposes of evaluating/improving the content of the trainings and trainer performance.
Transportation
Policy
It is the policy of The New
Beginnings Mentoring Initiative to allow mentors to transport mentees in their own private vehicles. The program director
must ensure that all mentors meet the following criteria prior to transporting the mentee:
·
All mentors must own a car or have access to reliable insured transportation; all safety equipment
including blinkers, lights, brake and back-up lights, seat belts, tires, and brakes must be in good operating condition.
· All mentors must possess a valid
driver’s license and present proof of auto insurance; a record of insurance will be maintained in the mentor’s
file and will be updated on an annual basis.
·
All mentors must undergo a driving record check and have a clean driving record for the last three years.
· The New
Beginnings Mentoring Initiative requires that mentors obey all traffic laws, and use seat belts and headlights at all times.
· Mentors must also
avoid taking medication or using any other substances that might impair their ability to drive.
·
If an accident occurs while the mentor is engaged in mentoring, it should be reported to the program director
promptly.
· The mentor must
carry a copy of the mentee’s health insurance information in the transporting automobile at all times in case of emergency.
If any of the above policy is not followed, the
mentor will not be allowed to transport the mentee in a private automobile or may face other consequences.
Unacceptable
Behavior Policy
It is the policy of The New Beginnings Mentoring Initiative that unacceptable behaviors will not be
tolerated on the part of mentors or mentees while participating in the program. This policy is in addition to behavioral requirements
stipulated in other policies or procedures within this manual. This policy in no way is intended to replace or take precedence
over other policies or procedures including, but not limited to, the following:
§ Confidentiality
Policy
§ Transportation Policy
§ Overnight
Visits and Out-of-Town Travel Policy
§ Mandatory Reporting of Child
Abuse and Neglect Policy
§ Use of Alcohol, Drugs, Tobacco, and Firearms
Policy
A number of behaviors are regarded as incompatible with The New Beginnings Mentoring
Initiative goals, values, and program standards and therefore are considered unacceptable and prohibited while participants
are engaged in mentoring activities:
§ Unwelcome physical contact, such as inappropriate touching, patting, pinching, punching, and physical
assault
§ Unwelcome physical, verbal, visual, or
behavioral mannerisms or conduct that denigrates, shows hostility, or aversion toward any individual
§ Demeaning or exploitive behavior of either a sexual or nonsexual nature, including threats of such behavior
§ Display of demeaning, suggestive, or pornographic material
§ Known sexual abuse or neglect
of a child
§ Denigration, public or private, of any mentee parent/guardian
or family member
§ Denigration, public or private, of political or religious
institutions or their leaders
§ Intentional violation of any local, state, or federal
law
§ Drinking while driving under the influence of alcohol
§ Possession of illegal substances
§ No
inappropriate, unprofessional relationship with the parent/caregiver
Any unacceptable
behavior, as specified but not limited to the above, will result in a warning and/or disciplinary action including suspension
or termination from participation in the mentoring program.