Second Chance Participants
Serve Our Youth Network is committed to providing resources and relationships to youth needing a second chance and their families. We provide mentors for young men and women currently incarcerated who need support as they reenter back into the community.
We understand that the youth’s safety and well-being are a top priority for you. Because of this, and our shared concern for kids needing a second chance, we have a thorough screening process for our mentors before they are approved and assigned to your youth’s/client’s support group.
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Initial orientation with SOY.
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An application process.
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Criminal background check (state & national)
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Child Abuse Background check
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Driving Record check
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Four written references
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A initial three-hour training and at least four-hours of follow-up training.
Our mentors are never expected to take the place of a parent or guardian, but provide support for the parent or guardian and juvenile court officer who is assigned to the young person’s case. What you can expect from our mentors:
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Weekly contact with program participants in support groups at a designated program site or activity location.
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Monthly contact with individual program participants in person or by phone.
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Communication with the parent/guardian regarding the activities they will be engaged in.
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All information shared by participants will be held in confidence by our mentors (with the exception of threat to harm themselves or somebody else, plans to run, or ongoing or past abuse).
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They will not take sides between parent/guardian or JCO and child.
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The encouragement of positive parent or guardian/child relationships.
Here are more details on what our T.E.A.M. Mentoring model looks like:
- Teams of four mentoring four mentees.
- The mentoring is site-based
- Group meets every week for an average of 1.5 hours (can meet for an hour of group time with ½ hour of one-on-one time.)
- With 4×4 group of boys there should only be 1 female mentor, and vice versa.
- Each mentor will have a role assisting mentee in either employment, education, social/recreation, and felt needs
- S.O.Y. provides training and curriculum.
There will be a team leader within each group as a point person.
If you like to refer a young person needing a second chance to our program you can call our program office at (515) 875-5532. You can also complete the form below.
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