Community Based Mentoring Program

Position Reports to: Manager, Community Based Mentoring Program

JOB SUMMARY:

The Community-Based Match Support Specialists (CBMSS) provides case management services to children and youth (mentees), families and mentors through regularly scheduled telephone, electronic and in-person contact, as outlined by agency and national standards. The CBMSS assesses strengths and needs, provides mentees, families and mentors with support, psycho-education, resources and activities to facilitate a high quality and long lasting match relationship.

ESSENTIAL JOB ACTIVITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Through scheduled in-person, telephone and electronic contact, ensure that the elements of child safety, match relationship development, positive youth development and mentor knowledge and satisfaction are fulfilled.
• Demonstrate ability to apply social work competencies of strength-based and culturally competent assessment, planning, referral and linkage and crisis intervention to ensure that potential problems and barriers are identified and addressed as early as possible.
• Ability to judge when collaboration is necessary to adequately problem solve.
• Demonstrate that documentation of check-ins, issues discussed, surveys administered and all communication or interventions completed are detailed, thorough, and written with excellence into the BBBSA national database or other relevant systems.
• Assess individual needs for each match participant to assure a positive youth development experience for the child and successful and satisfying experience for the volunteer.
• Demonstrate high-level proficiency in applying child safety and risk management knowledge in working with children and families exposed to trauma, issues related to living in poverty and any other adverse experiences.
• Review and revise strategic interventions to strengthen match relationships that require crisis intervention and extra support to continue remain strong.
• Work collaboratively to develop and market match activities that offer mentors and mentees a variety of opportunities for relationship building and agency affiliation.
• Participate in Match Introductions for new matches, in collaboration with the Recruitment, Enrollment and Matching team.
• Meet goals for performance measures (listed below), match length and mentor, mentee and family satisfaction.
• Complete the SOR (Strength of Relationship) and YOS (Youth Outcome Survey) surveys to assess match impact on youth development, in addition to monitoring YODP (Youth Outcome Development) goals and facilitating creation of new goals when needed.
• Conduct exit interview with all parties at match closure. Assess reasons for match closure and re-match potential.
• Share with development and/or marketing staff any potential partnership relationships as discovered through mentors' and parents' employers and affiliations.
• Identify and promote re-engagement of mentors, board members, donors for other volunteer capacities.
• Collaborate with other program staff to ensure smooth transition among functions.
• Participate in various staff meetings, case conferences and professional consultation with supervisor.
• Consistently possess a positive, team-player and solution-focused attitude.
• Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Position Performance Measures:

• Support and supervise a minimum of 85-95 matches per month.
• Attend all match activities each year (mandatory are Sports Day, Match Graduation, Beach Bash, College Day and Holiday Party) in addition to 1 Junior Board Match-Meet Up event each year.
• Complete and turn in all monthly statistics and caseload reports on time.
• Contact new mentors within 2 weeks of receiving the match.
• Complete a minimum of 93% of contacts done and 69% done on time.
• Complete a minimum of 65% of 3 month and annual SOR and YOS surveys.
• Complete a minimum of 90% of YODP goals.
• Increase retention rate.

Competencies:

• Customer/Client Focus-Is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of fellow staff, volunteers, children, parents and agency partners; talks and acts with them in mind; establishes and maintains effective relationship with customers/clients and gains their trust and respect; views her/his role as adding value to the experience of volunteers and children in their match relationship; builds parental support for the match; deals effectively with diversity; demonstrates high degree of flexibility and adaptability.
• Listening-Practices attentive and active listening; has the patience to hear people out, can accurately restate the opinions of others even when he/she disagrees; understands child safety issues and is vigilant in recognizing signs of problems.
• Interpersonal Savvy-Relates well to all kinds of people; builds appropriate rapport; listens carefully to all points of view builds constructive and effective relationships; uses diplomacy and tact; capable of diffusing difficult situations comfortably; doesn't show frustration. Ability to mediate and create middle ground understanding.
• Approachability-Is easy to approach and talk to; spends the extra efforts to put others at ease; can be warm, pleasant and gracious; is sensitive to and patient with the needs and interests of others; builds rapport well; is a good listener.
• Priority Setting-Spends her/her time and the time of others on what' s important; quickly zeros in on the critical few and puts the trivial many aside; can quickly sense what will help or hinder accomplishing a goal; eliminates roadblocks; creates focus.
• Commitment to Task - Willing and able to pursue goals with commitment and to take pride in accomplishment. Willing and able to take action to achieve goals and strives to exceed goals.
• Results/Outcome Oriented - Is motivated by results; can be counted on to meet and exceed goals successfully; bottom-line oriented; pushes self for results; sets clear objectives and measures; monitors process and progress.
• Organizing-Marshals resources to get things done; orchestrates multiple activities at once to accomplish a goal; uses resources effectively and efficiently, identifies informal and incomplete information in time to do something about it.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must possess a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree.
• Must have excellent communication skills
• Must have assessment and relationship development experience with children and adults
• Must have high level of organization and ability to schedule time well.
• Must have excellent writing skills and a professional demeanor.
• Must be willing to work flexible hours including weekends and evenings.
• Must be willing and able to work with diverse populations.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required; while performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, stand, walk, bend and drive. Job requires frequent verbal and computer communication. Computer, telephone and fax use are frequently required.

Working Location: Location is based on a percentage of where work time is spent. Indoors: 90%. Travel (local): 10% - job requires minimal travel to community events.

Hours and Benefits: Full-time Non-Exempt position (40 hrs/week). Typical work schedule: Three days during the week, 9am - 5pm and two late work days 11am-7:30pm. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles operates on a hybrid work model, with staff working ~60% of their time remotely, if preferred.

Benefits includes 21 days paid PTO, medical, dental, Life, LTD and vision insurance. Eligible for 403(b) retirement plan immediately and 4% salary matching benefits after one year.

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: $19.00 - $21.00 per hour

Big Brothers Big Sisters is an Equal Opportunity Employer