Support Partners
Support Partner Responsibilities
- Attend any training classes or meet with the Program Manager for “on-the-job training” opportunities.
- Required to attend 3 Thursday evening sessions before working with a family.
- Commit to working with the assigned family for the duration of their time in the program (16 weeks, on average).
- Meet with the family every week at the Thursday evening session from about 6:15 pm-9 pm. This includes dinner, team planning time, and the support session with the family. Occasional absences are expected.
- Work as part of the direct Support Team and share responsibility for leading parts of the session.
- Guide progress of family by assisting them in setting and attaining realistic goals, creating and maintaining weekly budgets, and helping with time and other resource management.
- Enforce the disciplines of the program by ensuring the family is keeping receipts, completing the weekly budget, accomplishing goals, and being open and honest. The Support team provides “tough love”.
- Work with family as they develop a “plan for self-sufficiency” over the period they are in the program. Help the family gain skills and access resources to realize this plan.
- Encourage the family to set the pace for the support sessions– most families begin to lead the weekly sessions (with a completed budget sheet, goals, etc.) about one-third of the way through the program.
- Complete a brief report of each weekly session as a team. This report keeps the Program Manager informed of status and progress.
- Provide input to the Program Manager for the periodic reviews of the family’s progress.
- Recognize when it is appropriate to be tough and when to be flexible in order to support family appropriately.
- If necessary, recommend that the family not continue in the program.
Complete the Volunteer Form to get started.
