AYA Housing Mentor Job Grand Rapids area,Michigan USA,Social Work

Position Title

House Mentor - Grand Rapids

Reports To

Housing Manager

Compensation

Rent-free apartment

Position Summary

The House Mentor role is a live-in, highly relational, high-level supportive position (10-15 hours/week). House Mentors will be supporting young people ages 18-24 who have experienced homelessness, housing instability, couch surfing, or have recently aged out of foster care. Mentors live in a separate unit adjacent to 3-4 young people who will be in an apartment next door.

What is a House Mentor?

House Mentors seek to build relationships with youth 18-24 over a prolonged period of time (preferably a (two year commitment)). AYA House Mentors provide consistent support, guidance, and tangible help to the mentee as they work towards stability. House Mentors assist young people in the transition to adulthood, including building life skills and navigating relationships. They expose youth to information and opportunities that can help them make constructive choices about their lives.

Mentoring is about believing in the unlimited potential of each youth served. The mentor reminds the youth of the expectations they set for themselves, encourage them to set higher or more specific goals, and follow-up consistently to support and challenge youth in achieving their goals. Mentoring requires time, patience, and consistency.

The Program

AYA Youth Collective’s Supportive Housing program is a place where youth can rest, recharge, heal, take action steps towards their goals and achieve milestones along the way. In each home, Mentors act as the first point of contact for youth. Community is built through weekly house dinners, shared experiences, and daily interactions. AYA Youth Collective recognizes that having stable housing is only the start of long term stability.

It’s through community that youth begin to rebuild their circles of support and achieve interdependence.

House Mentor

Roles and Responsibilities

Intentionally plan and facilitate “House Dinners” offering youth living in the home opportunities to build community, resolve conflict, learn about a variety of different life skills including but not limited to laundry, cleaning, cooking, personal hygiene, financial literacy, health navigation, educational goals, relationships, and stress management.

Arrange weekly check-in with each youth and complete Engagement Forms.

Communicate with the Housing team as needed.

Co-create Community with and for youth living in the home: with a focus on youth voice, choice, and self-determination. Celebrating and supporting youth, welcoming new mentees into their new home after a lease signing, celebrating birthdays, holidays, and other accomplishments/milestones.

Responsible for general upkeep of youth and mentor unit:

Maintaining organization of common spaces
Trash and Recycling
Monthly Health and Safety inspections
Entering Youth Unit at least once a week
Restocking of cleaning closet in youth unit
Collaborate with Housing Team to turnover rooms in youth unit
Help maintain a clean, comfortable, and safe environment for youth

Provide Housing Orientation to new tenants which includes an overview of house culture, communication, and facilitating a conversation on shared roommate agreements and responsibilities.

Serve as the primary point of contact for any emergencies, informing the Housing Manager in a timely manner.

Knowledge of all housing policies ensuring policies are being followed by mentees

Establish healthy boundaries with each mentee

Organize one community event for youth each month. (i.e attending a local wellness class, visiting a museum, attending a local cultural event, coordinating with staff to arrange a social event at AYA, inviting positive influencers to house dinner (AYA staff, therapist, college…