01/11/2022
Layer Our Loves Nonprofit Organization is developing venting circles for youth middle school to high school.
A venting circle is a safe space for youth to openly discuss their life circumstances and daily occurrences (bullying, family frustrations, pandemic anxiety, self-esteem, teen pregnancy, and trauma) and learn from mentors how to build and increase their resiliency as they encounter life challenges by helping them acknowledge and move through difficult and painful feelings and thoughts.
Responsibilities Include:
- Build a supportive, non judgement, venting positive centered relationship with mentees
- Provide a safe sounding board, someone who will listen and judge
- Help to improve wellbeing, self-confidence, independence by exploring activities that promote these areas
- guide mentees through problem solving and supporting to identify solutions
- Motivate and inspire mentees by using your own life experiences and by being a positive role model
Skills required:
- Strong communication skills, including active listening skills
- be reliable and keep pre-arranged commitments with your mentees
- Enthusiasm and an interest in encouraging mentees to be proactive in their mental wellness
- ability to keep accurate and up to date notes
- Ability to work as a team, seeking support and advice from the volunteer team as needed
- Be non-judgmental and able to respect a persons' right to choose how they live
- We welcome volunteers with lived experiences of the issues mentees maybe facing such as bullying, substance abuse, abuse, low self-esteem, teen pregnancy, anxiety and depression.
Commitments:
- We ask for a volunteer commitment of 8 hours per month for a minimum of 6 months.
- Maintain confidentiality
- be stable in your own mental health recovery
- be able to pass a background check
- must be free of problematic drug/alcohol misuse and have been so for the past six months
- to not engage with mentees outside of volunteer hours unless given written consent by parents or guardians
