Mentoring Support Specialist Role
Job Description
The BEST Kids™ Mentoring Program is dedicated to empowering youth in foster care and at-risk situations to build healthy and successful futures through mentoring, college and career readiness, and life skills programs.
Mission Statement: The mission of BEST Kids, Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(3) agency in Washington, D.C., is to train and actively support mentors who provide a positive, consistent, and caring adult relationship that guides and inspires at-risk and foster youth. BEST Kids™ Mentoring Program encourages all children to discover and develop their unique skills, fostering a positive sense of self, teamwork, and social skills for becoming productive members of society.
Position: Mentoring Support Specialist
Reporting to: Program Director
Responsibilities:
- Adherence to Policies and Procedures:
- Adhere to all program and agency policies, emphasizing safety, professionalism, and efficiency.
- Safety and Concern Reporting:
- Identify and document safety issues or concerns for volunteers, children, and caregivers, reporting to the Program Director promptly.
- Decision Making and Support:
- Use professional judgment to make decisions, ensuring safety and providing support for all mentoring relationships.
- Community Partnerships:
- Explore and build meaningful partnerships throughout the community for referrals to additional resources for mentors, mentees, and caregivers.
- Intake Interviews:
- Conduct intake interviews with newly referred youth, their caregivers, and school administrators.
- Relationship Building:
- Develop and maintain strong working relationships with mentors, mentees, caregivers, and service providers, with special attention to school administrators.
- Match Collaboration:
- Collaborate with other staff to match youth with appropriate mentors effectively.
- Match Relationship Assessment:
- Continually assess match relationships focusing on child safety, match development, positive youth development, and volunteer satisfaction.
- Match Support:
- Provide match support according to BEST Kids policies, ensuring a minimum frequency.
- Training and Development:
- Assess and provide individual training, information, and support needs for each match participant to ensure positive youth development and a satisfying experience for the volunteer.
- Match Activities:
- Develop, promote, and implement individual and group match activities to support ongoing volunteer involvement and agency affiliation.
- Assessment Utilization:
- Effectively utilize assessments to measure match impact on youth development and progress towards goals and outcomes.
- Closure Procedures:
- Conduct exit interviews, follow match closure procedures, and assess participants and volunteers for re-match potential.
- Communication Oversight:
- Oversee the creation and implementation of the weekly BEST Kids email to all mentors.
- Other Duties:
- Complete other duties and activities as needed.
- Assist the Program Director.
- Mentor Recruitment
- Assisting with the recruitment of mentors.
- Additional Responsibilities:
- Attend and participate in all agency and department staff meetings.
- Contribute to weekly programming at partnered schools.
- Assist in maintaining a safe and healthy work environment.
- Represent the programs department in agency fundraising activities.
- Speak on behalf of the organization when given permission.
- Complete End of Day reports when working remotely.
- Provide peer group data for grant writing and reporting purposes.
- Other duties as assigned.
- Promote BEST Kids and present program options to corporations, community groups, schools, and other potential volunteers, participants, and donors.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in social work, psychology, and/or education, preferred.
- Two or more years of experience in mentoring and youth development, working within community organizations and/or schools preferred.
- Must reside in the District of Columbia.
- Five or more years of experience working with youth and leading groups of children, highly desired.
- Strong organizational, writing, verbal, and interpersonal skills.
- Creativity and flexibility are essential in assuming significant responsibility.
- Experience working in racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse urban communities preferred.
Compensation: An incredibly competitive salary is available.
Applications: A letter of application and résumé must be submitted to BEST Kids, Inc. at 1212 4th street SE #201 or emailed to carl@bestkids.org.
Equal Opportunity Employer: BEST Kids is an equal opportunity employer. Minorities and women and people of every group or gender are encouraged to apply.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $23.00 - $26.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Schedule:
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Washington, DC 20003: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)
Work Location: In person