Basic Confidentiality Policy

Keep confidential any personal or sensitive information about your mentee shared either by LOTF Mentoring program staff or by your mentee, unless your withholding the information might endanger your mentee or others. LOTF keeps all mentor and mentee screening, interview, and case note information in a secure location that is only accessible to appropriate program staff.

 

Reporting Child Abuse Policy

Mentors are to report immediately any indications of abuse involving their mentee to a LOTF staff member. LOTF staff member will then report it to the proper authorities.

LOTF’s obligations to respond to allegations of abuse go beyond the State’s requirements:

• take the allegations very seriously, respect victim’s privacy, provide sympathetic concern, don’t blame the victim, absolutely do not imply that the victim was in any way responsible

for causing the abuse.

• Remove accused abuser from position as a worker with youth/children until allegations are fully investigated and resolved.

 

Mandatory Reporting Policy

It is the policy of the Leaders of the Future Mentoring Program that all staff, mentors, and other representatives of the program must report any suspected child abuse and/or neglect of agency clients or program participants immediately.

 

All such suspected reports must be made to appropriate state and/or local authorities. Program staff must follow the mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect procedure.

 

All employees, volunteers, and mentors of the LOFT Mentoring Program are required to undergo training as to what constitutes child abuse and neglect, what the state statutes are, and how to properly report such cases. Any staff, volunteers, or mentors accused of child abuse or neglect will be investigated by the agency. Contact with program youth will be restricted or constrained and/or the person in question suspended from employment or program participation per the decision of the executive director and board of directors until such investigation is concluded.

 

Code of Behavior

LOTF aims to conduct our program in a way that promotes the safety, social, and educational growth of all our mentees, as well as that of the adults who also participate in LOTF.

 

The Abuse Prevention Policy and its provisions apply to all paid staff and volunteers who participate in any way with the program of LOTF. Adults working or volunteering for LOTF must behave in a way that reflects “Code of Behavior”:

• Adults engaged in LOTF mentoring program related events or activities with mentees present should never engage in sexually suggestive behavior or inappropriate touching.
• Any inappropriate behavior, including that which is sexually suggestive, by an adult toward any fellow worker or child where an imbalance of power exists between the acting adult and the other person, constitutes an abuse of power. Consent is not a defense for an abuse of power.
• Sexual harassment is prohibited. Sexual harassment is any unwanted sexual advance, physical or verbal demand, or sexually suggestive behavior, which is perceived as demeaning, intimidating, or coercive. Prohibited

behavior includes unsolicited and unwelcome contact that has sexual or coercive overtones, including sexually suggestive or coercive communication of any kind such as obscene letters, notes or invitations, comments, threats, slurs, epithets, jokes about gender-specific traits or sexual orientation, sexual propositions.

• Any bullying or intimidating act whether physical or verbal is prohibited. Such acts include but are not limited to intentional touching, pinching, brushing against another’s body, impeding or blocking movement, assault, coercing sexual intercourse, visual contact, such as leering or staring at another’s body, sexually suggestive gesturing, displaying sexually suggestive objects or pictures, cartoons, posters, or magazines, verbal threats, name-calling, or any unwanted gesture.

 

Transportation Policy

Anyone transporting the mentee during a mentoring outing must be 21 years or older and have a valid driver’s license and valid insurance. The adult transporting must also have a driving record which conforms to any standards that are required by LOTF. Vehicles that are used for and during events shall meet all legal requirements. To protect our mentees, our mentors, and for liability purposes, only screened mentors may transport their mentee unless:

• The person transporting the mentee is another LOTF mentor of the same sex
• The person transporting has been screened by LOTF and is of the same sex of the mentee
• The mentor is with the mentee during the transportation process (i.e., mentor’s spouse, bus, taxi, church vehicle,

etc.)

 

Travel and Special Activities Policy

Mentors are allowed take their mentee on a variety of activities, but need a “Special Permission Form” completed for their mentee for these types of events:

• LOTF Hosted Event
• Travel event outside the Tri-Cities Area
• Special event that involves more risk (i.e., skiing, rock climbing, gun shooting event)

Special permission includes the following rules are adhered to:

• Mentors must disclose time and activity schedule, as well as contact information, in advance.
• The mentee’s legal guardian must grant permission in a timely manner before the event occurs. An email or written approval by the guardian must be sent to FYM staff prior to activity.
• The parent and supervisor sign a release form allowing the mentor to take the child and authorize medical care if needed.
• In the case of a firearms event: Possession of illegal explosives or other weapons are forbidden unless shooting of firearms takes place at an established gun shooting business where proper training/instruction/guidelines are given to each participant.

 

Child Visiting Volunteer’s Home

Mentors may not bring their mentee for home visits

 

Relative and Organization Policy

To protect our mentees, our mentors, and for liability purposes, mentees should not be left alone with any person other than the mentor unless the other person qualifies according to the transportation policy, or the child is being left in a group setting sponsored by LOTF or the mentee’s parent/guardian. (i.e., LOTF/ NDLC group activity, educational setting, etc.)

 

Gifts / Money Policy

Mentors should focus on participating in activities with mentees that are free of cost to the child/family. Special occasions may occur when an activity involving money is involved. If this is a costly activity, mentors should help mentees plan for how they can share in the cost.

• It is program policy that mentors do not give money to families. If a special need arises, and the mentor feels led to support the family, the money should be given through LOTF or another agency and not directly from the mentor.
• Mentors should limit gift giving to birthdays and holidays. These gifts should be low in cost.

 

Conflict Resolution / Grievance

If there is conflict or a grievance, the mentor, mentee, and family have access to assistance from LOTF Advisory Committee support personnel. If a conflict arises with the match support personnel, the mentor, mentee, and family have access to LOTF administrative staff to help resolve the issue.

 

Alcohol and Drug Use

Breaking any of the following guidelines will lead to immediate suspension:

• Mentors are prohibited from using illegal drugs at any time during their participation in the mentoring program.
• Mentors cannot partake in any alcohol, tobacco, e-cigarettes, or drugs during their match meetings.
• Mentors should be free from the influence of alcohol and or drugs when mentoring.
• Alcohol, tobacco, e-cigarettes, or any drugs (legal or illegal) should not be accessible to the mentee

 

Rescreening Policy

• Volunteers will have a new background check completed by LOTF/NDLC every year.

 

Photo/Media Release

• I consent to the use of any tapes, photographs, slides, tape recording, or any other visual or audio reproduction in which I may appear for LOTF/NDLC use, as they see fit. I understand that the photographs, or voice may be used by LOTF/NDLC as part of a program to recruit volunteers and to provide information to the community about LOTF/NDLC, and we release LOTF/NDLC from any liability connected with the use of the pictures, or voice recording as part of any such recruitment program. Initial ___

 

Social Media Policy:

• Mentors and students are encouraged to use and post on or to our social media tools – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. We love to hear from our youth and mentors and have the chance to see how our work is impacting lives!

 

But when posting, please adhere to the following policies:

• Please refrain from use of profane or inappropriate language – any vulgar or inappropriate language will be promptly deleted, the offending user will be blocked from contact lists, and participation in the LOTF/NDLC program may be revoked.
• Please do not make disparaging comments or post images or text that reflects poorly or negatively on LOTF/NDLC.
• Please tag or post LOTF/NDLC only in photos and posts that are directly related to the organization and its mission – unrelated content will be removed from our site immediately and the user may be removed from our followers and/or contact lists. Initial ___

 

I agree to follow the following Program Standards:

• Meet with my mentee weekly for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour, for minimum of 1 year
• Communicate regularly with my mentee and inform parent/guardian of all activity details.
• Connect monthly with my LOFT/ Support Coach for encouragement, tools, and feedback.
• Refrain from any activity that may cause any physical, sexual, or emotional harm to my mentee and to report any said activity that I may have knowledge of, to the staff of FYM.
• Attend at least TWO “Mentor Connect” Workshops each year

 

I have read and agree to abide by the above Program standards throughout my involvement as a mentor. If there comes a time when I cannot fulfil this, I will notify my mentor supervisor. I understand that my role as a mentor is volunteer and that I will receive no pay or reimbursement for my service to Leaders of the Future Mentoring Program from Nino de la Caridad Inc.