CEHS Natural Helpers
TITLE: CEHS Natural Helpers
QUALIFICATIONS:
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Hold a valid State of Maine Criminal History Records Check Approval.
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CEHS teacher or staff member strongly preferred.
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An adult with strong organizational and communications skills who has a demonstrated ability to build strong, positive, trusting, appropriate relationships with young people and who has an exceptional grounding in understanding the psychology of adolescent development and pressures faced by developing adolescents.
REPORTS TO: Building Principal or Assistant Principal
SUPERVISES:
Group of approximately 15 students in grades 9-12 selected by their peers as positive role models with strong, empathetic listening skills who serve to help peers think through difficult, risky decisions and to channel information to helping adults.
JOB GOAL:
The goal of the Natural Helpers program is to serve as a peer channel to help students who themselves or whose friends are faced with difficult decisions involving sexuality, substance use and abuse, dating relationships, and other “red flag” behaviors. The program takes students who are identified as trusted peers with strong, empathetic listening skills and provides training through Day One program to enhance those skills even further so that they can assist their peers in thinking through difficult situations and decisions and channel concerns to adults who follow a tested protocol for addressing “red flag” behaviors. In the course of the Natural Helpers training and the day-to-day Natural Helpers activities, students’ leadership and communication skills are developed, which are vital skills in many other settings, including leadership positions in the future.
PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
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To prepare and oversee the Natural Helpers budget.
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To work with the Principal in gathering and sharing data related to the activities of the Natural Helpers in connection with an annual federal grant application that helps fund the Natural Helpers program.
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To coordinate and advise students during regular (usually every other week) meetings.
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To be available to Natural Helpers on an as-needed basis to listen to concerns that have come to their attention and problem-solve with the students regarding how to channel those concerns in a way most likely to gain cooperation from the students needing help.
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To debrief Natural Helpers concerning how they have handled difficult situations and further develop student skills and help them to think through options that they have in facing difficult situations.
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To coordinate all logistics regarding the annual “blind” Natural Helpers identification and selection process and regarding the annual training Day One.
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To attend the annual Day One overnight training for Natural Helpers.
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To communicate with staff members on a regular basis concerning the operations of the Natural Helpers program and build staff understanding and support of the program.
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To communicate with the Principal concerning matters connected to the Natural Helpers program.
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To communicate clearly, as necessary, with parents/guardians and with other members of the staff (custodians, community services, teachers, etc.) concerning issues connected to the Natural Helpers program.
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Other duties assigned by the Principal.
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT:
Twelve months per year with compensation in accordance with the fee structure of the negotiated Cape Elizabeth Education Association agreement.
EVALUATION:
The basis of the evaluation will be the extent to which the performance responsibilities of the job are successfully handled and the extent to which yearly action plans and job goals are met. The Principal or Assistant Principal will perform the evaluation.
NOTE:
The above job description reflects the general requirements necessary to describe the principal functions or responsibilities of the job identified and shall not be interpreted as a detailed description of all work requirements that may be inherent in the job, either at present or in the future.
Approved: November 9, 2010