There are people in your church who would make a really great mentor and we want to equip you to mobilise them to make a difference within the Out-of-Home Care space in your local community.
COACH Mentoring is a community-strengthening initiative that empowers individuals and families through one-to-one mentoring, breaking generational cycles of poverty and family breakdown.
COACH Community Mentoring partners with not-for-profits and churches to train volunteer mentors and match them with individuals who are in a tough situation but want to see their life move in a positive direction.
Prevent family breakdown.
Mentoring provides support to help a parent who is doing it tough and potentially at risk of family separation.
Improve outcomes for young people in care.
Mentoring provides positive adult role models for children and young people in Out-of-Home Care, supporting them to build resilience and achieve their goals.
COACH Mentoring has been externally evaluated and has been found to improve the health and wellbeing of families. It provides a credible and trustworthy program structure that your local Out-of-Home Care Organisation can have confidence in making referrals to.
“My whole family was embraced… Now my life is so different. My heart is open to new possibilities, I feel focused and strong and a part of the community. We can’t do it alone, no-one can.”– Ali, COACH Participant
“Not only have I become great friends with my mentor, I’ve also grown confidence in parenting and decision making, as well as achieving my goal of getting a job I really enjoy”– Mark, COACH Participant
What’s involved?
You will have access to tailored support to help you engage your local Out-of-Home Care Organisation to identify the best program option and approach based on your capacity and community context.
There is a COACH license fee and it is estimated that one-day worth of coordination is required for a COACH mentoring program of around ten mentor-mentee relationships (additional hours required for initial training).
Elements of running a COACH mentoring program include:
- Appointing a COACH Coordinator
- Coordinator orientation and training
- Identifying your target group
- Establishing referral pathways
- Recruiting and training mentors
- Matching mentors and participants
- Monitoring, supervision and support
Please be aware that if your COACH program involves working with individuals who are facing significant challenges and are at higher risk, this will require additional planning, screening and training of volunteers, as well as closer supervision and swifter feedback loops, which COACH Network will help you navigate.
Get in touch with Sam at COACH Network to start exploring the possibilities via sam@coachnetwork.org
Visit the COACH Network website at www.coachnetwork.org
The Homeward Project provides a whole range of ideas, resources and support for churches to make a meaningful difference for kids and families involved in the Out-of-Home Care space. Find out more at the link below.
