WellStone is North Alabama’s most comprehensive behavioral healthcare provider serving over 13,000 persons a year in Huntsville and Cullman. We are a non-profit community organization that offers a wide range of services for every phase of life, from children to older adults.

We are hiring a Therapeutic Mentor (Part Time)

The Therapeutic Mentor’s role is to provide structured one-on-one interventions to a youth and his/her family that are designed to ameliorate behavioral health-related conditions that prevent age-appropriate social functioning. The Therapeutic Mentor helps to ensure the youth’s success in navigating various social contexts, learning new skills, and making functional progress. The Therapeutic Mentor offers supervision of these interactions and engages the youth in discussions about strategies for effective handling of peer and adult interactions.

What we are looking for :

• Support, coach and train the youth in age-appropriate behaviors
• Train, coach and support the youth to demonstrate problem-solving and conflict resolution skills
• Provide linkages to recreational and social activities

Qualifications:

• Excellent Oral/Written Communication
• Must have High School Diploma or G.E.D- 2 years’ experience with the target population
• BA or Associate’s degree (in human services - 1 year experience with the target population)
• Must be at least 21 years of age or older
• Must be able to pass a background check . Must have a valid driver’s license, dependable transportation, and proof of automobile insurance
• Read, understand, and abide by agency Policies and Procedures, Employee Handbook and Training Expectations
• Attend at minimum bi-monthly individual supervision with Program Manager and monthly group supervision sessions with Clinical Director
• Meet all training requirements within expected timeframes as determined by Clinical Director
• Perform all other duties as assigned
• Must have capacity to work flexible hours including evening/weekend availability based on the needs of the youth
• Must be able drive to youth’s homes, community events, and meetings at service provider offices or schools as needed

What you will be doing :

Establish therapeutic relationship with the youth:

• Must be able to introduce yourself to the youth and parent/ primary caregiver and explain your role as a Therapeutic Mentor
• Use a positive relationship with the youth to build skills, knowledge and confidence related to the youth’s goals
• Ability to focus on the needs of the youth
• Ability to demonstrate active listening skills, empathetic responses and validate the youth’s experience
• Must be able to use person-first and strength based language in every interaction with the youth and parent/primary caregiver

Coach and Support the Youth’s Acquisition of Skills:

• Address daily living, social and communication needs
• Help the youth navigate social contexts, learn new skills and make functional progress
• Support, coach and teach developmentally-appropriate behaviors, interpersonal communication, problem-solving and conflict resolution, relating appropriately to others in recreational and social activities
• Teach skills through “structured, one-to-one support services” (across life domains and settings) in order for youth to remain at home, prevent out-of-home placement, or to transition “home,” to include the following interventions:
  • Supervise youth’s practices of new and enhanced skills and engage the youth in discussions about effective strategies for handling “everyday” social situations
  • Help ensure the youth’s success in navigating various social contexts, give feedback, coach and support use of effective strategies
  • Ability to communicate a sense of respect that the youth’s voice matters and deserves to be heard
  • Ability to identify, extract and utilize the youth’s functional strengths and family culture to develop individualized support plans
  • Ability to communicate a sense of cultural humility in connecting with each youth
  • Ability to identify unmet needs as a key to establishing understanding empowerment
  • Ability to model a relational stance of respect and acceptance in all interactions with the youth
  • Strategically use own knowledge and life experiences to empower others to suspend their own bias about youth

Link with Others in Collaboration & Problem Solving:

• Build collaborative partnerships with others demonstrating a non-adversarial advocacy approach
• Participate as needed in team meetings
• Ability to model a strength based approach and utilize collaborative problem solving techniques with others
• Utilize youth’s strengths and resiliency traits in problem solving and brainstorming solutions

We care for those impacted by behavioral health disorders, we are committed to one another through collaboration, and we are optimistic problem solvers who do what it takes to get the job done. We look forward to having you on the WellStone team.