Wellness Aide/Intern

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Lantern is looking for a volunteer wellness aide that specializes in apartment organization, particularly in small spaces occupied by tenants who may be hoarding. This volunteer would work with tenants collectively and individually in developing techniques and learning different ways to organize their apartments with the goal of reducing, decluttering, and/or preventing clutter.

Volunteer Responsibilities:

• Work with case manager and tenant to assess the current state of the living space, and set organizational/decluttering goals
• Educate to increase knowledge and foster lifestyle changes with tabling, one-on-one and group-based education, skills-building, and/or hands-on reorganization support.
• Provide the necessary tools and basic organization tips, allowing for the sustainability of decluttering and organization support
• At the tenant’s pace, move towards the removal of excessive clutter and various unused items causing unsanitary living conditions from individual units

Orientation and Ongoing Support:

With supervision and oversight from Lantern’s Program Manager, wellness aides will receive volunteer orientation as well as ongoing training and resources regarding best practices for engaging with people who may be hoarding. This program will be implemented in coordination with the on-site case management team, to ensure that volunteer efforts are integrated into existing wraparound services.

Specific skills you will gain/ strengthen

With supervision and oversight from Lantern’s Program Manager, wellness aides will receive volunteer orientation as well as ongoing training and resources regarding best practices for engaging with people who may be hoarding. This program will be implemented in coordination with the on-site case management team, to ensure that volunteer efforts are integrated into existing wraparound services. Wellness aides will:

• Build experience in the nonprofit, community-based organization field
• Use techniques from Motivational Interviewing, an evidence-based counseling technique
• Utilize clinical and educational tools/resources designed to support individuals who have chronic mental and physical health conditions, and specifically for those who experience difficulty working through clutter
• Apply communication skills for engaging with tenants in a way that's affirming and constructive

WHO WE ARE:
Lantern is grounded in the mission to champion the independence and well-being of New Yorkers who are impacted by or threatened with homelessness. Our objective is to make sure that our residents can find and maintain stable housing through emergency shelter and supportive housing. Our on-site social services bring residents and staff together to create opportunities for personal recovery, wellness and growth. We have 16 supportive housing buildings located in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx, and three shelters based in Manhattan and Queens.