Greetings!
At some point, you inquired
about volunteering with us so I wanted to invite you to our next volunteer
training sessions on October 4 & 5, 2016.
Please address all
responses/questions/RSVP to :
There are two parts to volunteer
training. The first part is for everyone doing anything for CDS Family
& Behavioral Health Services, Inc. The second part is an additional
training for those of you planning to volunteer at CDS Interface Youth
Shelters. Most of our volunteers do work at the shelter, so most of you
will need to attend both trainings. There will be no make-up trainings
offered if you miss one. The next training sessions will be at the
beginning of February, 2017. You may take the first training now and the
shelter training later, but you will have to wait until both are complete to
start volunteering at CDS Interface Youth Shelter. (NOTE: we
are doing the trainings out of order this time – second part at the shelter is
offered first on Tuesday, and the first part is being offered on Wednesday.)
*NOTE: You must take the
shelter training just before you start volunteering (no more than 30 days
before). (Part 1 training is still just 3x a year – usually 3-6
weeks after the start of each semester. If you are planning a practicum
or need to do a lot of hours, plan to take part 1 training the semester BEFORE
you start the practicum and part 2 just before you start volunteering.
Shelter staff is willing to do an extra training right at the start of a
semester if needed.) Be sure to let me know your intentions if you are
required to do a certain number of hours for school.
To volunteer
at Interface, you need to:
· complete both trainings,
· complete an application packet,
· get electronic fingerprints taken
· pass a background screening (materials included in the packet - copy of driver’s
license and social security card are required), and
· read the Volunteer Handbook and NASW Code of Ethics (The Handbook and Code of Ethics have a form that
needs to be signed and a little quiz to take to show you did read them – when
you RSVP for training, I will email these to you)
When everything is completed,
you can start volunteering. If you are eager to get started, I strongly
recommend picking up the application packet at my office soon, getting your
fingerprints done, and turning in the completed packet before
training. It takes about a week to get a background screening
run. If we take care of all of this prior to training, you can start
volunteering at the shelter immediately after the 2 training sessions.
Those of you with a set number of hours to complete for school credit should
take care of the application process as early as possible to avoid trying to
complete all your hours at the end of a semester.
NEW POLICY – As of August, 2016, the price for background
screenings has tripled. The good news is that the screening is now
good for 5 years and can be used by other employers related to Department of
Juvenile Justice and Department of Children & Families. So if you want
to volunteer or become employed with any of our partner agencies, you will
already be cleared for the next five years. We are now asking all
our volunteers to contribute half the cost of the screening since it will be to
your benefit for the next five years to be a part of what is called the
“Clearinghouse.” Your cost will be $31.
It
will need to be paid when you turn in your initial paperwork prior to
fingerprinting. If you are unsure about volunteering, come to
training first and see if this is what you want to do. If you do wish to
volunteer, we’ll run the background screening when you are ready to
commit. With the Clearinghouse, it is a lot quicker to get screening
results as compared to the old way with fingerprint cards.
To pick up
an application, please come to my office
and ask the office manager in SUITE 4 to get a packet out of the mailbox
for you. My office is located at 3615 SW 13 Street, Gainesville 32608
(next to IHOP). The CDS office has variable hours depending on the needs
of those receiving counseling services. There should always be
someone at reception between 11:30 and 4:00 pm, but we are usually open earlier
and stay open as late as 7:00 pm. Monday – Friday. You
can call the office manager, Joy Brown, at 352 244 0628 x3822 before making a
special trip here just to be sure. If Joy is out and the door is
locked, please ring the bell. If someone else is in the building, they
will answer it.
If you need something signed for
school, let me know. We will work out a way for you to get the form to me
and returned. I am often not in the office so please don’t wait until the
last minute!
Training
venue details:
(Part 2)
Tuesday, October 4, 1-3 pm at CDS
Interface Youth Shelter located at 1400 NW 29 Road, Gainesville 32605
(behind McDonald’s across from the old Sam’s Club/ Burlington/Ross on NW 13th
Street, about 3 miles north of UF). This session covers procedures and
protocols for volunteers at Interface and an overview of the social skills
development program that youth in shelter follow. Park in the old
Sam’s Club lot as the shelter lot cannot accommodate all the cars. This
training is required by everyone interested in volunteering at Interface Youth
Shelter.
(Part
1) Wednesday, October 5, 1-6 pm
at CDS (my office). This will be held in the SUITE 2 CONFERENCE ROOM
at 3615 SW 13th Street, Gainesville 32608 (just north of Williston Road
& IHOP and about two miles south of UF). This training is
required by everyone volunteering at Interface Youth Shelter AND anywhere else
in our CDS programs. This session covers:
· Crisis Communication Skills
· Overview of CDS Family & Behavioral Health Services,
Inc., Human Trafficking and Runaway Youth, CARF standards and PREA guidelines
· HIV Safety
Please bring $2 to contribute toward the cost of healthy
snacks that I will provide.
RSVP!
I do need to know who is
expected to attend the trainings. My conference room can fit about 30
comfortably so if you are planning to come, please let me know. You may
need to make special arrangements with employers or teachers to attend but
hopefully you’ll be able to take time off. I can send you a letter
to ask professors to excuse you from class if requested in advance.
RSVP via email with your
name, phone number, and email address. I will respond with your reading materials.
Please share this email with
anyone else you know who may be interested in volunteering. CDS relies on
the help of volunteers to give the at-risk youth in our shelters more one on
one attention than can be provided by staff alone. We also utilize
volunteers in our Safe Place program and to help with outreach and
administrative work.
Frequently
Asked Questions:
·
How are my volunteering
hours scheduled? CDS Interface Youth
Shelter volunteers are needed any time after school or weekends, generally 3-9
weekdays and 9-9 on the weekends. Summer volunteers can work 9-9
weekdays as there is no school in session. You schedule your own hours in
coordination with the volunteer supervisor, Mr. Zeke Whitter. You can
volunteer around your work or school schedules – ideally a minimum of at least
once or twice a week for several months.
·
What if I can’t attend
the full training sessions? Come
to what you can and complete the rest this winter. The only thing that
can be made up is the HIV training 10/5, 5-6 pm) as that is a DVD. If you
bring your own laptop, you can sit in my office and watch it at a time that is
mutually convenient.
·
What if I don’t have a
driver’s license and/or a social security card? These items are required to run a background check.
A state ID can substitute for the driver’s license. A passport is NOT
sufficient for ID for background screening purposes. If your parents have
your social security card, have them mail, scan/email, or FAX a copy of the
card to me. If you are an international student without a social security
card, speak to your advisor about obtaining a card. There are some
special non-citizen social security cards available for international students
who need them to do volunteer work. I don’t know how that works but have
had volunteers do this before. If you have lost your social security
card, you can get a new one by visiting the Social Security office located at
4562 NW 13 STREET, Gainesville, FL 32609. 1-877-219-8323
M,T,Th,F 9-4, Wed 9-12
·
What if I have a
criminal record? Not all offenses
disqualify you from working with at-risk youth. Please contact me
privately to discuss the nature of the offense and I’ll let you know if I think
you will pass the background screen. Some of the best volunteers are
people who have learned from their mistakes and want to help at-risk kids NOT
make those kinds of mistakes.
·
Do you have an MOU with
my school? We maintain a
Memorandum of Understanding with University of Florida, Santa Fe College,
Gainesville Job Corps, Florida State University, St. Leo’s University, and City
College. This means that we are an authorized volunteer site for those
colleges. If you are interested in getting credit for your hours and are
attending another school, please contact your school first about what they
require. Then contact me and we’ll make the arrangements to have the
paperwork done for you.
·
What if I don’t have a
car? Both training venues are on
RTS bus routes. Bus 13 stops at my office on SW 13 (next door at
IHOP). Buses 6 & 15 have stops close to the Interface Shelter.
Bus 8 stops a few blocks away from Interface.
·
What if I’m under 18
years old? You can attend training
but will need to wait until you are at least 18 years old and out of high
school yourself (even if you are dual-enrolled) to begin volunteering at
Interface.
·
What if I’m NOT a young
college student? Volunteers come in
all ages and from all walks of life. We’ve had retirees volunteer
alongside 19 year old college students. We welcome anyone who has a heart
for working with at-risk youth.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST AND SUPPORT
OF
CDS Family & Behavioral Health Services,
Inc!!
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