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Professional Mentor "Friend" - Palmdale

Friends of the Children - National

Professional Mentor "Friend" - Palmdale

Palmdale, CA
Full Time
Paid
  • Responsibilities

    Friends of the Children – Los Angeles (Friends L.A.) has recently expanded to Antelope Valley and we are looking for a passionate, committed, professional mentors, who we call Friends, to support our mission to impact generational change by empowering youth who are facing the greatest obstacles through relationships with trained full-time professional mentors—12+ years—no matter what. Our model is proven to break the cycle of generational poverty for children who face the most barriers by providing paid professional mentors to thousands of youth across the country and to our new expansion in Antelope Valley (AV). Eligible candidates will be fierce advocates for children that come into contact with the foster care system, and equally effective in working with parents and caregivers to achieve their hopes and dreams.

    Are you looking to make a difference in the lives of children who need it most? 

    We will hire an extraordinary individual who with knowledge of the AV and looking to develop intensive, long-term, trusting relationships with children who need it most. A Friend will work with eight children and will:

    • Set positive expectations
    • Nurture and promote the child’s individual strengths, talents and abilities
    • Help assure physical and emotional well-being
    • Teach life and academic skills
    • Provide enrichment activities
    • Model responsible behavior
    • Simultaneously manage multiple priorities to ensure goals are met in a timely manner

    Friends will spend approximately four hours per week with each child and will report directly to the Program Director.

    The ideal candidate will have:

    • A bachelor’s degree or associate’s degree* (*with at least six years experience)
    • Significant experience working with youth who face obstacles
    • Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the child welfare system  
    • Be culturally competent and trauma informed
    • Experienced with utilizing social and emotional learning curricula
    • Superior scheduling and time management skills
    • Data entry and database management skills
    • You’ll start on the ground floor of a small nonprofit, then grow with us
    • You’ll be part of a dynamic and supportive national network, with a proven, evidence-based mentoring model
    • You’ll have new challenges daily, and we commit to support you in every way, to help you serve our kids and to keep your batteries charged.
    • You’ll be part of a friendly and collaborative workplace, where work-life balance is respected
    • Most of all, you’ll play a critical role in helping LA’s children facing great barriers change the trajectories of their lives!

    Work hours are flexible and will vary depending on the needs of the youth. Friends must provide their own child-safe vehicle and insurance; we reimburse for mileage. 

    If you are this amazing person, here’s what we have to offer:

    Position Details:

    Salary: $45K

    Benefits: Full

    Friends of the Children is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to addressing discriminatory practices, and to working toward racial equity. The equal employment opportunity policy of Friends of the Children provides fair and equal opportunities for all employees and job applicants regardless of race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, disability, or genetic information, in compliance with applicable federal, state and local law. Friends of the Children hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled.  

    To learn more about Friends of the Children go to: https://friendsla.org/

    INTRIGUED? WANT TO KNOW MORE? To learn more about the position’s responsibilities and qualifications see below:

    The following statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work to be performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended as a comprehensive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified.

    CORE JOB ACCOUNTABILITIES

    • Develop and sustain a long term, caring, trusting and accepting relationship with each child;
    • Spend time with children, one-on-one and in the classroom;
    • Develop, maintain and follow a Roadmap or Transition Plan for each child;
    • Set realistic expectations and goals based on each child’s strengths, talents, abilities and needs;
    • Teach life skills and healthy habits to contribute both to basic development and learning, and to contribute to building positive self-esteem;
    • Develop a talent/skill/area of interest with each child to help develop positive self-esteem and experience growing confidence;
    • Provide enrichment resources and activities which include opportunities for cultural awareness, diversity and community service;
    • Contribute to children acquiring behavioral management skills, tolerance, respect for others, courtesies and compassion;
    • Develop positive relationships with families and engage them in their child’s development;
    • Establish and maintain positive relationships with teachers, administrators and others involved in each child’s life;
    • Work closely and assess parent’s needs and link families and children to community resources as appropriate;
    • Reinforce basic academic skills and learning;
    • Model and promote good problem solving and decision-making skills to children and families;
    • Participate in the programming and resources available through the organization, effectively utilizing program resources to meet the needs of each child and their families;
    • Maintain spending within budgetary guidelines;
    • Complete, distribute and collect time summaries, activity journals, short term plans, expense reports and evaluation materials accurately and in a timely manner;
    • Attend and actively participate in team meetings, staff functions, and trainings;
    • Provide information and support to development team and related activities as needed;
    • Fulfill other responsibilities as required.

    ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND ABILITIES

    • Ability to relate to children and to develop and sustain trusting, supportive relationships with them;
    • Strong interpersonal skills;
    • Demonstrated ability to work with children in varied capacities and settings to help them learn and grow;
    • Ability to cultivate trusting relationships with children, parents, teachers and community members;
    • Ability to maintain confidentiality and communicate appropriately within the workplace;
    • Ability to use creativity and initiative in planning activities to continually develop children;
    • Ability to work independently in diverse environments with limited supervision;
    • Ability to work as a team player;
    • Ability to manage several concurrent issues and solve problems effectively exercising appropriate discretion and judgment;
    • Ability to set goals and develop plans to meet those goals to ensure the development of each child;
    • Ability to complete administrative tasks accurately and on time;
    • Ability to handle high mobility and driving demands safely and with good judgement;
    • Strong written and verbal communication skills; organizational and time management skills;
    • Basic computer and keyboarding skills, proficiency with e-mail systems, familiarity with MS Outlook and Access (or other database applications)
    • Ability to exercise good judgment independently, in various situations and environments, and under varying levels of stress.

    ADDITIONAL JOB REQUIREMENTS

    • Maintain current driver’s license, good driving record, and vehicle insurance;
    • Maintain First Aid/CPR certification;
    • Transport children in personal vehicle as required for mentoring activities;

    WORKING HOURS

    This is a full-time, non-exempt position.  Due to the nature of a Friend’s role, the work hours are somewhat non-traditional, and include late afternoon and evening work.  We recognize that each Friend’s daily work schedule will vary due to the uniqueness of the role and the needs of the individual children being served.  Each Friend is expected to exercise appropriate discretion in this regard.  During the school year, the general workweek is Tuesday through Saturday, with Sunday and Monday as days off.  During the summer, and for spring and winter breaks, many _Friends _work a standard Monday through Friday workweek.  The Program requires that you see each of your assigned children both in and outside of school, for an average of four hours each week, although how you accomplish that is at your discretion within established Program guidelines

    EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

     Bachelor’s degree preferred, Associate’s degree required, plus two to three years’ experience working/volunteering with children.  Mentoring experience with children and understanding of the child welfare system preferred.