transforming lives ending poverty through systemic change conference role: mentoring © 2013,...

Transforming LivesEnding Poverty

Through Systemic Change

Conference Role: Mentoring

© 2013, National Council of the United States Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Inc. This copyright covers all materials in this presentation except where otherwise noted.

Conference Team Members

Name Position

Steve Cigich District Council President – Waukesha WI

Irene Frechette Diocese Council President – Fall River MA

Tom Pelger Diocese Council President – Peoria IL

Mike Syslo Associate Executive Director – National Office

Tamara Thrasher Service Trainer – Cincinnati OH Archdiocese Council

2

Mentoring Process Overview Small group discussion Break Mentoring Process Detail & Tools Q&A

Transforming Lives...Ending poverty through systemic change

Agenda for this module

END POVERTY THROUGH

SYSTEMIC CHANGE

OUR VISION


….One Person One Neighborhood One Community at a time

Conference Role: Mentoring Objective / Mentors / Participants

Impact on current home visit Mentoring process overview – 3 stages Process options Other considerations Getting ready to start Parting thoughts


What we will cover in this overview….

Empowerment

Mentoring

Collaboration

Advocacy

Cornerstones for the Society’s effort


Vision: End Poverty through Systemic Change

Mentoring requires empowerment, collaboration & advocacy

Today’s home visit: immediate, but temporary aid

Mentoring committed individuals out of poverty

Engaging parish in advocacy

Conference R0le: Charity & Justice


Vision: End Poverty through Systemic Change

Empower people to move out of poverty through:

Education & skill development Supportive relationships Social & professional connections Spiritual growth Community engagement


Mentoring Objective

Every participant … has autonomy and is responsible for their

own actions has the potential to grow deserves empathy and compassion has sacred dignity


Program Values

Primary Consideration Desire to improve their life situation and

willingness to make personal changes to accomplish their goals

Other Considerations Open to accepting outside help Strength to overcome resistance from family &

friends From an unstable environment and/or poverty


Mentoring Candidates

Team of 2 Vincentians Coaches: “Connectors” / Cheerleaders / Friends

Not counselors / experts in every field which the participant may need to develop to move out of poverty

Help the participant implement their plan Facilitate connections to community sources

that enable them to build personal “resources” and achieve their plans


Mentors

Lead participants through the Getting Ahead program (Discovery, Goal Setting, and Planning)

Receive training in a process expected to last 2 to 4 months

Augments the Mentor role as another resource for the participant


Facilitators

Home Visit Process - Modified


Introducing Mentoring

• Little change to current home visit

• Not linked to decision to assist with immediate need

• Simple verbal introduction

• Leave behind “brochure”

• Best to introduce after support has been provided

• Mention in follow-up call to communicate assistance

• Provide them the brochure

• Additional participants via referrals from community partners

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1. Individual Calls Help Line

2. Return Call - (Gather Basic / Additional Information, Set

Expectations, and Schedule Visit)

4. Perform Due Diligence and Seek

Approval of Proposed Actions

5. Discuss with Individual and Take

Actions

Introduce Mentoring, if appropriate

3. Perform Home Visit -(Clarify Needs,

Responsibilities, and Establish Boundaries)

5a. Home Visit Process Ends

3 Stages:Acceptance

Discovery / Goal Setting / Planning Implementation

Mentoring Process


Mentoring Process – Acceptance

1. Candidates call to express interest • Answer initial

questions• If still interested,

mentor team will call back to set up initial visit

Tools • Program brochure

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No

Yes

1. Individual Contacts Mentoring Program

3. WillIndividual take Next

3a. Mentoring Process Stops; Relationship May Continue

2. Initial Meeting with Mentoring Team

2. Initial meeting of mentors and candidate • Walk through program

– steps, timeline, responsibilities

• Answer additional questions

• Establish realistic and agreeable expectations

• Outline next steps , including next meeting(s) and “Getting Ahead” program

Tools • Program brochure• Participant Info Record

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No

Yes

1. Individual Contacts Mentoring Program

3. WillIndividual take Next



Mentoring Process – Acceptance

3. Candidate decision to proceed • Can stop at any time

based on participant’s decision

• Could re-start if mutually agree

No

Yes

1. Potential Candidate Contacts Mentoring

Program

3. WillCandidate take

Next Step?



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>Mentoring Process – Acceptance

Mentoring Process – Discovery / Goal Setting / Planning

5. Develop Goals - Getting Ahead program• Mental models of life

now • Expense to

income• Time

management• Housing• Family structure• Social capital

• Self-assessment of personal resources

• Community assessment

• Future story• Goals & Action Plan

Tools • “Getting Ahead”

facilitator & investigator workbooks

• Facilitator training

Yes

"Getting Ahead" CoachesFacilitators

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5b. Develop Personal Goals & Plans -Coach Guided

5a. Develop Personal Goals & Plans -"Getting Ahead" Program

4. Use "Getting Ahead" or Coaches?

Mentoring Process – Discovery / Goal Setting / Planning

5. Develop Goals - Getting Ahead, Mentor Guided • Mental models of life

now • Expense to income• Time management• Housing• Family structure• Social capital

• Self-assessment of personal resources

• Community assessment• Future story• Goals & Action Plan Tools • “Getting Ahead”

constructs & tools, adapted to 2-on-1 “Under construction”

• Mentor training

Yes


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Mentoring Process - Implementation

6. Facilitate Connections • Coaches help connect

participant to area sources to build resources

• Introduce them to people who can become social and professional “bridging capital”

• Participant sets pace. They are responsible for own progress

Tools • SMART goal Action Plan • “Resource” Building

Guide • Release of Information

6. Facilitate Connections

8. Mentoring Process Stops;Relationship May Continue

7. Monitor/Assess Progress

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7. Monitor Progress • Participant sets pace

- they are in-charge & responsible for progress

• Help them to reset priorities and actions as needed

• Loop back to facilitate connections appropriate to revised goals and plans Tools

• SMART goal Action Plan • “Resource” Building

Guide • Release of Information • Participant Info Record




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8. Process End • When activity stops or

participant no longer desires support in pursuing their plan

• This could take many years

• Friendships won’t end when initial goals are met

Tools • Participant Info Record




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Step 4 – Design Decision: Process Options

Getting Ahead program or

use of Getting Ahead tools by Coaches & Individual


Mentoring Process

4. Design Decision – Use “Getting Ahead” Program or Mentor-Guided approach to assist participants in developing their personal goals and action plans• Could offer both for

maximum flexibility

Yes


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Grounded in the theory of change Safe, challenging, neutral, agenda-free learning

environment “Kitchen-table” learning experience Content & peer dialogue contribute to learning “Investigators” do the work of learning

Philosophy of Getting Ahead

© aha! Process, Inc.

Getting Ahead is Based on the “theory of change”

People in poverty need an accurate perception of how poverty impacts their lives and an understanding of economic realities as a starting point both for reasoning and for developing plans for transition.

Philip DeVol © aha! Process, Inc.

Purpose of Getting Ahead: What Do I as a Participant Get?

Explore and analyze the themes of my life

Assess my resources

Make my own arguments for change

Build my own future story

Make my own choices Prepare myself to take a seat at the decision-making

table in my community© aha! Process, Inc.

ACTION

RESPONSIBILITY

POWER

UNDERSTANDING WHERE I AM

UNDERSTANDING POVERTY

CO-INVESTIGATION (1)

Economic class

Plans (10)Action steps

Future stories

Critical analysisWhat it means to meTheory of change (2)

How to build resources (9)

Using the hidden rules of class to build resources

(4)

Self-assessment (7)

Community assessment (8)

What it’s like now (1)

Causes of poverty (3)

(Module)


“Getting Ahead” Program 10 modules, 16 sessions

Language (5)

Resources (6)

“Getting Ahead”: What’s Involved?

Closed group of 6–15 people; ideal size is 8-12

Basic program is 16 sessions of 2.5 hours Meet once or twice a week Puts Bridges and participants’

(“Investigators”) knowledge into a series of mental models

Facilitator helps investigators explore solutions; doesn’t teach / tell them what to do

Best results if there is long-term support from community partners for investigators’ plans


Cost ComponentsGetting Ahead Group of 12 over 16 Sessions

Line Item Expense Description

$25 Stipend / participant / session

$4,800 12 is the ideal group size. Stipend paid by gift card (store, gas, bus pass etc)

Getting Ahead workbooks $217.50 + S&H 12 participant workbooks and 1 facilitator manual

Facilitator Training Bridges WebinarSVdP WebinarBridges Facilitator DVD

$299TBD$175 + S&H

Next Bridges webinar: Nov 15/18SVdP webinar under construction: 4Q2013Module-by-module ideas

Facilitators 0 - $900 $0 if volunteers. If using GA graduates, pay at least same as investigator stipends.

Workshop & participant supplies < $100 Flip-chart paper, colored markers; folders, paper, pen, pencils for investigators.

Child care, transportation, food 0 - $1000 Ideally, food & baby-sitting would be in-kind; provided by volunteers.


Pros for Facilitator guided “Getting Ahead” - Group Setting Participants (“investigators”) learn from each other Demonstrates the power of working together in a community Reduces risk of mentor bias in participant’s plan development Creates additional support network of peers on the same

journey Easier program tracking , assessment, and modification

Cons: Creates administrative need to coordinate space and classes Less flexible in scheduling for the participant


Developing Goals & Plans: “Getting Ahead” Facilitator-Group

Guided

Pros for Mentor guided “Getting Ahead” – Individual Setting Scheduled at the convenience of the mentors & participant Less administrative need

Cons: No peer-based learning and support Heavier burden on mentor training to be able to “teach”

Bridges constructs to participants More risk of mentor bias in participant plan development More difficult to provide consistent experiences among

participants Not yet developed (available from SVdP 4Q 2013?)


Developing Goals & Plans: “Getting Ahead” Mentor-2:1 Guided

Other Mentoring Considerations


Primary assistance is not financial but personal, emotional support thru the journey out of poverty

Take care not to enable the current situation through ongoing subsidies of basic living expenses

Additional financial aid could take the form of “investments” that empower the individual (e.g. education, job skill training, certification…)

Any decision for financial aid should be brought back to the conference for approval


Participant Financial Support

Financial

Emotional

Mental

Spiritual

Physical

Support Systems

Relationships/Role Models

Knowledge of Hidden Rules

Integrity and Trust

Motivation and Persistence

Formal Register

Building

Bringing

RESOURCES : Building vs. Bringing

Reprinted with permission. Copyright J. Pfarr Consulting

Establish District mentoring support group for mentors to share lessons learned

Conduct mentor background checks & child safe environment training

Establish procedure that enables participants to contact an independent Vincentian if there are problems in the mentoring relationship


Process Oversight & Support

Councils - - provide training, mentoring support groups, mentor oversight; “Getting Ahead” organization & facilitation; community resource analysis

Partners - - establish links to organizations that provide resource building programs in the community

Businesses - - seek partnership funding for Getting Ahead, job interview preference for participants


Collaboration

We are open to participants of all faiths

As the relationship deepens, it will be natural for mentors to share their faith experience…but care must be taken to not force our faith or its beliefs

For participants who want to learn more about the Catholic faith, connect them to RCIA program leaders


Religion & Evangelization

Getting Ready in Your Area


Identify potential facilitators and mentors

Determine how you will use “Getting Ahead” – program, 2-on-1, or both Note: process for 2-on-1 option is not yet designed

Establish guidelines and process flows for your local process Number to call for info about mentoring

Modify current home visit practices (visit hours, use of blocked number calling, type of assistance, etc) for mentoring


Readiness Checklist

Provide Mentor and Facilitator training Bridges Individual Lens

Mentoring Process

“Getting Ahead” Program & Outcomes (for Mentors)

“Getting Ahead” Facilitator training (for Facilitators)

Child Safe environment training (where appropriate)

Conduct mentor background checks

Form teams


Readiness Checklist (cont’d)

Identify local sources for resource-building and establish relationships with each

Adopt, adapt, or develop your supporting forms Process maps & descriptions

Resource-building guide

Program brochure

Release of Information

Participant Information Record


Readiness Checklist (cont’d)

Be open to learning from the mentoring experience

Gather feedback from both mentors and participants on what is working, what is not, what is most relevant to the their needs

Share what you have learned with other Vincentians

Collaboration website is planned Transforming Lives...Ending poverty through systemic change

Final Thoughts

END POVERTY

THROUGH SYSTEMIC CHANGE

OUR VISION


…. One Person One Neighborhood One Community at a time

transforming lives ending poverty through systemic change conference role: mentoring © 2013,...

Documents

systemic change slide

end poverty

transforming lives

systemic change vision

systemic change mentors

systemic change agenda

systemic change program

module slide