Community Integration Mentor (Gippsland)

About the role

As a Volunteer Mentor with the Community Integration Program (CIP) you will provide support to a young person who is living in Out of Home Care to connect into their community and have positive and meaningful social experiences. The guidance you provide will help to increase their social confidence, reduce feelings of isolation and develop the young person’s capacity to develop diverse, positive and sustainable community connections.

Over the course of your 12 month mentor relationship, you will provide regular role modelling and guidance, ensuring the young person you are supporting is able to access and pursue positive interests, hobbies or activities within their community.

What you’ll be doing

As a CIP Volunteer mentor you will :

• Support a mentee for a 12-month period, having contact weekly.
• Spend time with the young person you are matched with ensuring engagement in meaningful community activities of their choosing.
• Act as a consistent, patient, and non-judgmental presence for the young person, demonstrating good communication skills and maintaining confidentiality and appropriate boundaries of the mentor relationship.
• Attend monthly supervision with the Community Integration Leader and provide verbal and written reports as required
• Take part in community events with the mentors and mentees (eg. picnics, celebration dinners).

About you

You will bring the following personal competencies and attributes to the role:

• You are friendly, engaging and able to establish communication with a young person in a non-judgmental manner.
• You are open to learning from young people and able to recognise their unique perspective, experiences and contributions.
• You have good awareness of your capabilities and will confidently ask for support and guidance when needed including when ethical challenges may arise.
• You remain calm under pressure and are open to receiving and discussing feedback.
• You understand or have experience in setting and maintaining professional boundaries
• You can recognize your feelings and prejudices and manage your emotions appropriately in a range of sensitive or challenging situation
• You have a high degree of integrity and you understand the importance of maintaining strict confidentiality and always respecting the privacy of young people.
• In addition to these competencies you will be available to commit to regular contact with a young person over a 12-month period, as well as attending monthly supervision meetings.

Contact us

Please reach out to the CIP Program Coordinator with any questions about the role, the program or volunteering with Whitelion. We look forward to meeting you soon.

Helen Maher, Community Integration Leader Email: helen.maher@whitelion.asn.au Ph: 0417 660 586

Whitelion acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which it is situated, and we pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge and respect the continuation of cultural, spiritual, and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples across the nation. Whitelion commenced its Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan in 2020.