Families And Children Together’s Volunteer Program Office located in Bangor, Maine Copyright 2012

Maine Kids-Kin Volunteer Program In 2011 we had 100 volunteers who worked 1500 hours They serve in a variety of roles – both ongoing and one time volunteer opportunities Learn more about the Maine Kids-Kin program by visiting

Benefits to volunteers Giving back and helping others Being part of a group or team Making new friends and being with old friends Gaining new skills and maintaining skills no longer in use Meeting a challenge Fostering good health Having fun

Policies and Procedures Equal Volunteer Opportunity Prohibition Against Discrimination Sexual Harassment Mandated Reporting Leave of Absence Termination Client Rights to Confidentiality and Informed Consent Boundaries Conflict of Interest Representing Families And Children Together to the Media or Other Groups Drug Use Policy Workplace Safety Blood Borne Pathogens Workplace Injury Volunteer Forms Job Descriptions Access to staff Maine Kids-Kin policies and procedures related to volunteers are written in a volunteer handbook. It includes information on the following:

Volunteer Handbook Volunteer Handbook Cover About the handbook… Developed by a team of volunteers Used to share policies and procedures with volunteers Available by contacting Anna Libby at Guiding Principles are also available in the Handbook

Civic Engagement Civic engagement involves traditional volunteerism and much more. It is about creating ways to utilize the strengths, skills, and passions of individuals and groups to help serve families in need. It is about building a supportive community that strengthens our agency.

Building Family Services Through Civic Engagement: A Guide for Expanding Your Agency Through Volunteer Programming Waiting To Be AskedAbout the manual… Relates history of civic engagement with the Maine Kids-Kin program, as well as specifics about programming, tips for replication, and stories about the program Contact Anna Libby at for a copy of the manual

WisdomWorks Teams Developed by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) WWTs are self directed teams of volunteers, aged 55 and older, who bring the skills and experience needed for success in a particular project Working with WWTs has grown the Maine Kids-Kin volunteer program in a variety of ways. WWTs have: Developed the Volunteer Handbook Developed volunteer fundraising roles Considered models for grandfamilies to share childcare Researched dual relationships Developed training

Grandfamily to Grandfamily Volunteers

Development of the G2G Model Due to the rural nature of the State of Maine, access to support groups is challenging. Maine Kids-Kin created a statewide phone mentoring support for families called Grandfamily to Grandfamily (G2G) With funding from Brookdale and Fostering Connections funding from the US Department of Health and Human Services

What is G2G? To assist another Grandfamily caregiver by listening and supporting his or her situation by phone Experienced Grandfamilies are matched with an interested Grandfamily member who is looking for support G2Gs… Use nonjudgmental listening skills Provide emotional support Help Grandfamilies prepare for events by encouraging them to identify hopes and concerns Provide options, not advice Maintain confidentiality Report suspected abuse and neglect to DHHS

Qualifications to be a G2G Must have experience raising a relative’s child Must be currently in a healthy, stable environment Must be available as scheduled with the client Must complete an application process including a background check and references

Training and Support for G2Gs Maine Kids-Kin staff provides training on a variety of topics including Appropriate responses to caregivers Staff provide support at mandatory monthly peer support and supervision meetings Staff are readily available by phone to G2Gs G2G volunteers are welcome to request additional training G2Gs have access to clinical supervision For more information about Maine Kids-Kin G2G program, contact Tracy Cooley

G2G Refresher Training Session WisdomWorks team assisted staff in developing a refresher training course for G2G volunteers All G2G volunteers were required to take this refresher training session Training included confidentiality, role of G2G, mandatory reporting, and sample scenarios to develop problem solving skills

Dual Relationships and Boundaries

Dual Relationships and Volunteers Definition of Dual Relationship A dual relationship occurs when a person occupies two roles at the same time. These relationships occur in many volunteer roles including Grandfamily to Grandfamily In the case of a G2G, the roles would be volunteer and client, or former client. WisdomWorks Teams Court Volunteers Advisory Committee Members Fundraising volunteers Outreach Volunteers Clothing Exchange Volunteers … and more

Positive Outcomes of Dual Relationships Sharing experiences and wisdom about raising relative’s children with other clients, volunteers, and program staff Creates ambassadors to educate the community as to the issues that relative’s face when raising children Allows the client to participate in Paying It Forward

Challenges of Dual Relationships Boundaries Issues including Conflict of Interest Clients may want to pursue a friendship with the G2G Self disclosure (how much a G2G wants to share with a client) Managing boundary issues Maintaining Confidentiality

Tips for Dual Relationships Provide quality training to volunteers on confidentiality, boundaries, etc. Have clear job descriptions and expectations (volunteer handbook!) Attend supervision meetings Show responsiveness to family needs (Guilt Free Passes, Stipends, Leave of Absence) Use wisdom of clients when developing programs Acknowledge the importance of paying it forward Allow staff opportunities to discuss DR (trainings, clinical supervision) Make sure volunteers know who to contact and what to do