Volunteer Orientation Manual

YOUCAN VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION MANUAL 2014 Table of Contents Staff and Contact Information………………………………………………………………… Hours of Operation and Holiday Closures……………………………………………………. Directions to the Centre………………………………………………………………………… Parking…………………………………………………………………………………………… About the Organization………………………………………………………………………… Emergency Procedures………………………………………………………………………… Why We Value Volunteers……………………………………………………………………. Policies Involvement…………………………………………………………………………………… Defining a Volunteer…………………………………………………………………………… Clients as Volunteers………………………………………………………………………… Safety/Risk Management……………………………………………………………………… Multiculturalism………………………………………………………………………………….. Sexual Harassment……………………………………………………………………………… Access to Information…………………………………………………………………………… Confidentiality…………………………………………………………………………………… Affiliation………………………………………………………………………………………… Communications with the Media……………………………………………………………… Volunteer and Staff Relations………………………………………………………………… Resignation………………………………………………………………………………………

Contact People Executive Director Kyle Dubé [email protected] Fundraising/Marketing Coordinator Bethany Toth [email protected]

Hours of Operation Monday - Friday Summer Monday - Wednesday Fall/Winter/Spring Monday - Wednesday Saturday

8:30 A.M. – 4:30 P.M. 8:30 A.M. – 6 P.M. 8:30 A.M. – 7 P.M. N/A

Program Holidays Sample Holidays and Closure Days: New Years Day January 1 M. L. King Birthday Third Monday January Presidents’ Day Third Monday February Memorial Day Last Monday May Independence Day July 4 Labor Day First Monday September Remembrance Day November 11 Thanksgiving Fourth Thursday and Friday November Christmas Day December 25

YOUCAN Edmonton is located 11124-130 ST Edmonton, AB T5M 0J2 T: 780-444-3348 F: 780-444-3349 [email protected] The building is located next to the Westmount School on 111 Ave, between 130 and 131 street. Parking Parking is limited; two hour parking is available on 130 Street. Untimed parking may be availble on 131 Street. Vehicles can not park directly in front of YOUCAN as this is a staff parking for Westmount School and YOUCAN staff.

We Value Volunteers Welcome Thank you for Volunteering with YOUCAN, we hope your experience with our organization will be a mutually satisfying one. With your help we can reach a variety of youth in need and provide them with meaningful relationships and support. You are an essential part of our team when you assist with important programs and events.

About the Organization YOUCAN Youth Services is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to empowering youth so they have the knowledge, support and skills to remove themselves from harm's way. We assist young people in transitioning into employment or back into education, reducing youth violence and participating actively in youth issues. We believe in a 50/50 attitude and approach when working with young people: we will work very hard for them, but we expect them to workvery hard for themselves. Our focus is to make sure that all youth in our programs leave with a sense of pride and ownership of the skills and experiences they have gained while with us. On a daily basis our outreach staff are dealing with youth homelessness, transient lifestyles, school issues, lack of employment, court support and criminality, addictions, gang involvement, and mental health. Our Relentless Youth Workers strive to restore family connections and social inclusion. Our staff are committed to building relationships with youth that create a sense of belonging while advocating ways to successfully navigate the complexity of high risk lifestyles.

The work we do is crucial in the lives of the youth we work with. We will impact our world one youth at a time and the difference that is made in their lives will stay with them always. YOUCAN Youth Services' Youth Work Strategy is based on our four pillars of youth work and is integrated into all of our programs: 1. Intense One to One Relationship Building 2. The Circle Process 3. Facilitated Workshops 4. Relentless Youth Work The Verto Project (Latin for “turn around” or “change”); This program, which begins a new intake each month, brings 10 at-risk youth together for a unique 12 week groupbased employability skills program, which gives them the skills necessary to transition back into school or employment from the harmful lifestyles they currently live in. During their training, the youth will be empowered to identify the risk factors that have promoted and enabled their current choices, as well as be able to identify and implement ideas that will assist in decreasing those same behaviors. The project will also include employment development, personal development, technology training, conflict resolution and communication as well as health and wellness, volunteerism, life transition and leadership development. Step Up and Step In Project; This is a initiative that focuses on youth engagement, youth leadership and youth empowerment and is geared toward the prevention of youth violence and criminal activity in Edmonton. To accomplish this, Relentless Youth Outreach Workers work with youth on a diverse variety of activities and events designed for three streams: community, schools and cross-cultural. Relentless Youth Outreach Worker Project; Like the name states, our Outreach Youth Workers are relentless. We strive on the outreach work that fosters long-term relationships that assist in guiding a young person at-risk through the Stages of Change. We will do what it takes in a relentless fashion (and an appropriate fashion) to walk beside a young person and build a strong trustworthy relationship that will help young people at risk go from living a very harmful lifestyle into a healthy and safe lifestyle. YOUCAN Mentoring Program; In this National Crime Prevention pilot project we work with two high schools and two elementary schools and train youth to mentor children in the areas of conflict resolution and the prevention of youth violence.

Policies Involvement Volunteers are an important part of the organization because their experience and skills can improve the delivery of programs and events and make a difference to the youth. They are a valuable community resource that we, as an organization, value and want to promote as an integral part of our service delivery. We aim to provide them with support and feedback in order to help them further develop their skills and want to insure their continued involvement. Defining a Volunteer A volunteer is an indiviual who is officially enrolled with an organization to perform tasks under the organization’s supervision without payment, expectation of compensation, or reimbursement. A volunteer is not considered an employee unless otherwise stated. He/she will be expected to make a time commitment and provide valuable services for the organization. Communications with the Media Volunteers should act as a represent the organization and must consult with supervisors when uncertain as to their role. Volunteers should be aware that only the Executive Director and Program Managers have the authority to speak as a representative of the organization to media and outside organizations/businesses. Social Media Volunteers are welcome to promote events and programming on their personal social media accounts. Volunteers are not be friend or link to participants through social media on their personal accounts. There is a social media policy that all volunteers will be required to review and sign. Conflict of Interest In some situations, the personal and/or business activities and interests of an employee or volunteer may be perceived to be in conflict with those of YOUCAN Youth Services. There is a conflict of interest policy that all volunteers will be required to review and sign. Access to Information Volunteers will have access to any information pertinent to them and the completion of their work including notes, memoranda, and minutes. Confidentiality Volunteers are required not to share information regarding the organization, clients or staff. Information that volunteers are exposed to should be kept in strictest confidence.

Volunteer and Staff Relations Participants as Volunteers A participant or past participant can become a volunteer so long as there is no conflict in service provision and the organization sees fit to allow it. Multiculturalism This organization seeks to eliminate racism and promote racial equality. Volunteers need to be sensitive to the diversity of the community and actively promote equality. Discriminatory behaviour by volunteers will not be tolerated. Sexual Harassment YOUCAN seeks to provide an environment that is safe and supportive and will not tolerate or condone behaviour that is considered harrassment. Sexual harassment includes any unwanted sexual attention which includes: jokes, touching, leering, sexist remarks, kissing, innuendoes, or insults. It is not gender specific and can be directed at someone of the same sex. Resignation Even though the organization wants to encourage continuued involvement from its volunteers, we understand that there comes a time to move on and volunteers should feel free to come and speak with supervisors regarding any resignation.

Emergency Procedure Please note that volunteers/students will be supervised by a YOUCAN Youth Services staff member who will lead you in these safety procedures: -

When a threat is called to the Westmount school office: school will sound a Security Alert school will call 911 school will announce “lockdown, lockdown, lockdown” YOUCAN will announce “lockdown, lockdown, lockdown” All office doors are to be left YOUCAN STAFF will: hear alert check all the rooms in YOUCAN and grab any youth/volunteers/students in the halls and bring into kitchen lock and close the kitchen door lights off in kitchen area move to back corner of kitchen area get onto floor

If for any reason, you are not part of a YOUCAN staff and/or youth group go to the kitchen immediately when you hear the alert -

do a head count manage silence ensure everyone keeps their cell phones off do not leave the kitchen area until you hear “secure, secure, secure”. do not move if the fire alarm activates

-

if anyone gets antsy think about quiet games nobody leaves – physically restrain if necessary if anyone bolts close the door behind them and do not let them back in

-

Youth/Volunteers/Students will: follow instructions of staff if in the hall head immediately to the kitchen area

-

If Anyone is Outside they will: if you hear the alert or are sent a text message do not head back into the YOUCAN Youth Services offices

-

End of Lockdown the end of a lockdown can be done by a City of Edmonton Police officer or school staff will inform YOUCAN Staff that the situation has ended and all areas are clear