Behavioral Mentor (Kansas City, Kansas)

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Apply here: https://form.jotform.com/222984414383057

In response to an increase in out-of-school youth, Turner Unified School District is partnering with Center for Supportive Communities (CSC), an innovative organization dedicated to using behavioral science to create equal opportunities and meaningful change, and we NEED YOUR HELP! We are searching for skilled and compassionate undergraduate and graduate students and young professionals to work directly with public-school students participating in CSC's SupportED program, a community-based behavioral diversion program for truant children and youth. SupportED's Therapeutic Mentors use functional mentoring, implement evidence-based interventions, and work alongside families and schools in a collaborative effort to divert children and families from the legal system and keep students on track toward success. Help us cultivate healthy youth development and sustainable behavior change so all young people have equal opportunities to live fulfilling lives. Contact info@supportivecommunities.org with questions.

Note. This position could fulfill a degree or course requirement. Talk to your advisor or instructor to see if you can receive credit for participating in SupportED.

Position Title

Behavioral Mentor

Position Dates

January - May

Time Requirements

You can choose to dedicate 5, 10, 15, or 20 hours each week. Your schedule will be flexible. Please read our FAQs below for more information.

Position Location

SupportED serves truant students in Wyandotte County including the Turner Unified School District in Kansas City, Kansas. Mentoring meetings occur in the community at a time convenient for the mentor and mentee and their family.

Position Responsibilities

• Maintain a caseload of 1-4 children and youth (your caseload depends on your weekly time commitment)
• Facilitate an individual meeting in the community each week with each child or youth on your caseload (each meeting must last at least 1.5 hours)
• Be a caring, supportive, stable, and positive role model
• Assist in homework completion, problem-solving, social-emotional development, goal setting, and career exploration
• Assist in administering functional assessments
• Implement an individualized, reinforcement-based intervention and teach functional skills
• Assist families in accessing community services and resources
• Monitor weekly attendance, grades, and behavior
• Maintain weekly communication with parents and schools
• Complete weekly documentation and progress reports
• Attend weekly and as-needed meetings with program supervisors
• Present at truancy review hearings (if necessary)

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED
• Strong interpersonal, communication, problem-solving, time management, and organizational skills
• Persistent in reaching out, patient in building trust, and consistent in communicating

Preferred Qualifications

• Background knowledge in a human-service field (e.g., applied behavior analysis, psychology, social work, social welfare, special education, or counseling) or juvenile law
• Proven experience in working with children, families, and schools
• Proven experience in tutoring or mentoring
• Cultural competence

Benefits & Perks

• Flexible schedule
• Receive course credit or fulfill a practicum or internship requirement upon agreement with university instructor
• Clinical experience across different service settings
• Training in evidence-based best practices
• Supervised fieldwork experience working directly with children, youth, and families
• Experience working in the education and juvenile justice systems
• Career exploration, professional development, and networking opportunities
• Website and social media recognition
• Opportunity to work with a dedicated (and fun!) team of professionals, clinicians, and researchers
• Quality reference or letter of recommendation
• Mileage reimbursement

Application Process

• Complete our online application here: https://form.jotform.com/222984414383057
• Complete an interview
• If both parties decide to move forward, you must complete additional paperwork, a health assessment and TB test, a comprehensive background check, and a 4-week online asynchronous training and competency assessment.

FAQs

What is CSC?

CSC is a nonprofit organization in Lawrence, Kansas, founded by Kelsey Dachman, Ph.D., BCBA-D and Madison Graham. Dr. Dachman received her Ph.D. in behavioral psychology from the University of Kansas under the leadership of Dr. Jan Sheldon and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Madison is pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of Kansas. Rock Chalk! Our mission is to use behavioral science to create equal opportunities and meaningful change for children, families, and communities.

What is SupportED?

CSC's SupportED program functions as a diversion program for truant elementary, middle, and high school students and a training program for undergraduate and graduate students and young professionals. SupportED originated in 1979 in Douglas County, Kansas, and continues to serve students in the Lawrence, Eudora, Baldwin City, and Perry-Lecompton school districts. SupportED is being replicated in Wyandotte County, Kansas, including the Turner Unified School District. SupportED is adaptable and replicable nationwide. We encourage communities to bring SupportED to their schools.

What does SupportED do?

SupportED's innovative approach combines behavioral science with functional mentoring and community collaboration to increase school attendance and divert truant students and their families from the juvenile justice system. We work as a village to identify needs, coordinate services, and implement evidence-based individualized interventions to get kids in school and engaged in learning. We pair each student with a caring adult mentor who teaches adaptive skills, counteracts missed educational instruction, instills confidence, provides support and guidance, and expands opportunities. We also help students and families access community resources and services. SupportED blends the talents and knowledge of diverse partners and collaborators to deliver a community-based, rehabilitative approach to solving our nation's educational crisis.

Why is SupportED needed?

The pandemic had devastating impacts on learning and behavior. Students are struggling to re-engage in school, and schools are struggling to effectively manage the increase in behavioral challenges leading to more suspensions and expulsions. Children who do not attend school regularly, for any reason, are at risk for social isolation, drug and alcohol abuse, juvenile crime, school dropout, and adult unemployment and incarceration. SupportED is designed to get students back on track and provide schools with the tools they need to effectively manage classroom behavior. Ensuring all children receive a quality education by removing barriers and implementing reinforcement-based strategies is a critical first step toward breaking intergenerational cycles of school dropout, undereducation, violence, and incarceration.

What will my schedule look like?

Each week, you are required to attend a 1.5-hr meeting in the community with each student on your caseload and a 30-min meeting with our Truancy Officer and Case Manager. Meetings with students must occur after school hours (typically, students get out of school around 3:00 p.m.) at a time convenient for you and the family. Often, mentors will pick the student up from school and will drive them home after their 1.5-hr meeting. Meetings can occur on the weekends. Meetings with our Truancy Officer and Case Manager will occur during normal business hours at a time convenient for you and our Truancy Officer and Case Manager. All other weekly requirements (e.g., counting attendance, emailing schools, speaking with parents, writing progress notes) can occur on your own time and must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. every Sunday.

If your student requires a truancy review hearing (which not every student does), the hearing will be approximately 20 minutes and will be scheduled on a Tuesday any time between 3:30 and 5:00. Hearings occur through Zoom. Additionally, you will be required to attend a brief feedback meeting with your Volunteer Coordinator.

Where will I meet with students?

You can meet with a student at any public location including, but not limited to, the Public Library, a park, a coffee shop, or an empty classroom in a Turner school. You are prohibited from meeting in your home or in the student’s home.

How many students will I have on my caseload?

The number of students on your caseload reflects your weekly time commitment.

• 5 hr/week = 1 child or youth on caseload
• 10 hr/week = 2 children or youth on caseload
• 15 hr/week = 3 children or youth on caseload
• 20 hr/week = 4 children or youth on caseload

What training will I receive?

You must complete asynchronous online training modules and attend an in-person orientation at the beginning of your service term and before you start meeting with students. Training topics include, but are not limited to, the SupportED program, compulsory education and truancy, basic counseling skills (e.g., active listening, empathy, communication, relationship development), behavioral interventions, ethics, confidentiality, professional boundaries, safety, responding to crisis situations, and mandated reporting. We will also provide booster training throughout your service period.