Mentoring teenage girls at a homeless shelter
Abstract
Teenagers who come from dysfunctional family situations do not usually have the skills necessary to live on their own. For those whose path leads them to a homeless shelter, dedicated volunteers can make a difference in helping them turn their lives around. Foster grandparents who serve at the Booth Brown House in Saint Paul, Minnesota, provide academic help through classroom tutoring, and emotional and psychological support through mentoring. This program was highlighted in the National Service News, Issue No. 187, June 23, 2003, published by the Corporation for National and Community Service.Issue
Providing emotional and educational support to at-risk who youth live in shelter housing is a challenge for adults who can be seen as authority figures and unsympathetic or out-of-touch with their concerns and needs.Action
Booth Brown House is one of two Ramsey County shelters that serve 13 to 17 year olds who are homeless. Although teens can live at the Booth Brown House for up to 90 days, the average stay is 16 to 17 days. Most of the residents are court appointed and stay anywhere from overnight to 90 days.
Effective practices for serving youth include:
Life Skills:
- Once a new resident comes to the shelter, the staff takes a few days to assess that person's need and to figure out a stabilization plan for his or her life.
- The Shelter Care Program for adolescents operates on a Level System that determines the responsibilities and privileges a resident may have. Increasing or decreasing within the Level System is dependent on the resident's attitude and behavior.
- Appropriate behavior within the Level System includes waking up and going to bed on time, cleaning one's bedroom, completing unit chores, maintaining good hygiene, attending school and active participation in daily groups. Appropriate attitude includes being cooperative and considerate of staff and other residents.
- The St. Paul Public School System provides an on-site school program at the shelter. All teachers are certified to work with youth who have emotional and behavioral issues. The curriculum includes: English, Social Studies, Mathematics and Remedial Reading. The program is designed to return the student to a mainstream public school setting. Residents may attend school outside of the on-site school unless prohibited.
- Guest speakers address a variety of psycho-educational, cultural and life skills topics. Groups are conducted weekly on wellness, cultural diversity and independent living skills. An expansive variety of arts and crafts are offered in-house for creative expression.
- Residents attend many educational, recreational, and cultural events and programs, such as attending various professional and college sporting events, visits to area museums, zoos, theaters, operas, plays, amusement centers, circuses, parks, community centers, YWCA, educational tours of historical sites, landmarks or businesses, government facilities and numerous cultural events.
- Foster Grandparents and other volunteers come to the facility to teach a variety of subjects—from weight lifting and aerobics to ceramics, needlepoint, crochet and other skills that will enhance their lives.
- Perhaps even more importantly, Foster Grandparents provide mentoring and emotional support through these hands-on activities and by giving the youth someone to talk to. Foster Grandparents listen to concerns and problems with compassion and understanding.
- In 2002 the on-site school run by the Saint Paul Public School system moved from providing a half-day of school to a full school day for the shelter residents. The Foster Grandparent for the school program now spends four hours a day, four days a week acting not only as a grandmother to the class, but also as a tutor in the girls' program.
- One Foster Grandparent leads an informal support group where the girls can discuss issues that are important to them with someone they don't identify as a staff member.
- Another Foster Grandparent decided to share her love of gardening with her students from the Booth Brown House. When gardeners were ready to begin planting flowers for the Minnesota State Fair at the Como Park Conservatory in the spring of 2003, the Foster Grandparent got permission from the fair administrators and the Booth Brown House staff to allow the girls access to the fairgrounds twice a week to plant seedlings in the gardens. With the fairgrounds only one block from the Booth Brown House, the girls were able to enjoy their gardening success on their way to and from activities and outings.
- Foster Grandparents and other volunteers are invited to Booth Brown House staff meetings and trainings that are approved for their ongoing service education, in addition to the forty hours of required orientation and training. They also attend quarterly Foster Grandparent Program in-service trainings that are held for all program volunteers in the service area.
Context
The Booth Brown House is a shelter care program of the Salvation Army, designed for adolescents, ranging from 12 to 17 years of age, whose behavioral and emotional needs require around-the-clock supervised care, in a highly structured environment. Placement in the Booth Brown House can be as a result of a variety of reasons including: truancy, self-injurious behavior, minor criminal behavior, suicide attempts and ideation, sexual acting out, emotional/physical/sexual abuse, anger and aggression control problems and other mental health problems. These clients may be awaiting a court hearing, placement in a foster home, a residential placement or may return home. Other clients may be placed for observation and assessment or for respite care.
The mission of Booth Brown House is to meet the human needs of its residents, provide stability and aid them in transitioning back home or to their next placement. "Human needs" include physical, emotional, social, spiritual, cultural, educational, and recreational needs.
The Salvation Army operates a variety of outreach services from shut-in visitation to thrift stores, but is probably best known for assisting the homeless with meals and shelter.
Outcome
The Booth Brown House is able to assist young people in many ways, from helping them with basic living skills to attitude awareness and learning anger management.
One Foster Grandparent who has served at the Booth Brown House since 1995 said that, "by working with the girls and being honest with them, they really open up and start talking."
According to Patty Bronson, a classroom teacher at Saint Paul, "The Foster Grandparent's presence, influence and support have been extremely valuable to the school program here. She is a 'behavior intervention' just by being in the classroom."
According to Jeff Strickler, Booth Brown House administrator, "We really appreciate the Foster Grandparent volunteers. Many kids who come to Booth Brown House come from families that are very dysfunctional. Many of the kids do not have the skills necessary to make it in the world and often don't care if they do or not. The encouragement of the Foster Grandparents help the kids see that someone does care about their future and if they will make it when they get out."
Evidence
The girls' classroom instructor at Saint Paul and the Foster Grandparent Program Director are presently (fall 2003) working on a plan to quantitatively measure the impact that the Foster Grandparent has on the youth she serves in the classroom.Posted On
September 19, 2003For More Information