Training Notes This PPT was edited and finalized by group consensus 20 Dec. 2011. (Bhaskar,

Tate, Henderson, Burgess, Ulm) Trainers: Please do not make changes to this document. If you want to tweak items

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YFU USA SKILL BUILDING B

For use with WebinarAudience: New Area Representatives

One Hour

December 2011Kathy Ulm

With excerpts from work by M. Henderson, M. Burgess, T. Kilcoyne

Handouts needed for this training:

Communication Structure of YFU

District Communication

Information Gathering Form

Active Listening

Case Documentation

What to Report2

GOALS

At the conclusion of this training, volunteers should be able to:

Identify strategies for establishing personal relationships with student and host family

Identify the components of active listening Provide appropriate documentation and know when

and to whom to send it

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Assumptions

This is intended as the second part of new area rep training.

It is assumed that area reps will continue with “Skill Building C” as well as advanced training sessions.

Participants realize that a webinar training limits participant involvement, role playing, etc., and so should attend in-person trainings when possible.

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Communication Structure of YFU

Area Coordinator

Name: _____________________

City: ____________________

Email: _____________________

Phone: _____________________

Area Representative

Name: _____________________

City: ____________________

Email: _____________________

Phone: _____________________

District Office

Name: _____________________

City: ____________________

Email: _____________________

Phone: 817-444-7382

Natural Parents

Local Committee/ Area Rep

or Volunteer

Overseas National Office

YFU USA National Office

6400 Goldsboro Road Suite 100

Bethesda, MD 20817 (800) 424-3691

Student and/or

Host Family

Area Rep

and/or Area

Coordinator

District Office

Field

Director

Field Director

Name: _____________________

City: ____________________

Email: _____________________

Phone:_____________________

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Lines of Communication in YFU

•International Student / Host Family•Area Rep / Area Coordinator

•SSMConsults with Headquarters Consults with District OfficeConsults with Counselors Communicates with FD

•National Partner Office•Area Rep in Home Country•Natural Parents

Communication Hierarchy, con’d

The Support Services Manager (SSM) is responsible for all international communication.

Area representatives (ARs) can always call the District Office and speak with the District Director for assistance.

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Confidentiality

Information is shared on a “need-to-know” basis only, in order to meet responsibilities for support.

YFU prohibits any release of information about host families or students without their permission.

YFU considers it unethical to examine a student’s personal belongings.

We expect students and HFs to show each other mutual respect. This includes keeping silent about private matters that they know because of their family relationship.

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Establishing Personal Contact Imagine a scenario where an AR is repping a student living with

a family friend who lives close by. They see one another in passing at the grocery store, at church, at school activities. The AR and student always greet one another, exchange pleasantries, and smile, and the AR always asks how everything is going. The student always responds positively, and the AR knows that the HF is taking good care of the student, because that’s who her friends (the HF) are! During one such encounter, the AR notices that the std is avoiding standing near her host brother, but doesn’t think anything of it. Finally, two months later, in desperation, the student seeks out the AR and tells her that the HBro has been coming into the bathroom while she is showering and peeking around the curtain.

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Analyzing the Scenario

Has this AR established personal contact? Why has the std not told the AR about this (serious)

issue before? Was the AR wise to trust that all was well with the

std because she knew the HF as friends? In addition to the HP, who else in a family unit could

create an uncomfortable situation? Is it possible that the std may never have told the

AR about this issue? Why?

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Where Did This AR Go Wrong?

Never met with std alone Allowed herself to assume that the std was

fine because the HP were good people Never gave the std reason to trust her Never let the std know that her role was to

advocate for the std

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In Many Cases…

Students will do well with HFs who are friends with the AR.

But, this is never an assumption any AR can make.

Many things can happen behind closed doors that even close friends know nothing about.

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Dual Support

The AR supports BOTH the student and host family, but the primary concern of the AR is to advocate for the student.

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Establishing Appropriate Personal Contact

Meet in person with your std during the first week of arrival if possible; during first two weeks for sure.

A second contact during the first month is desirable.

It is easiest to develop friendly, easy, and open lines of communication soon after the student arrives.

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Establishing Contact, con’d

Speak with the student alone. Tell the student directly that you are his/her

advocate and explain what that means. Study the student’s application so that you

know things about him/her, and reference them in conversation in order to give the student the idea that the AR is really engaged.

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Establishing Contact, con’d

Listen carefully and respond in a way that the student knows s/he has been heard.

Check your own tone and body language so that the student does not feel threatened or that you are not really interested.

The AR may be the only YFU person with whom the student has contact.

Use the Information Gathering Form (see handout.) Practice Active Listening at all times.

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Active Listening

Do focus your attention fully on the speaker. Don’t talk about yourself.

Repeat your understanding of the speaker’s words. Avoid interjecting your own reactions at this time.

Feedback feelings as well as content. Avoid advising, diagnosing, criticizing.

Reflect back so the speaker can hear his/her communicated meaning. Avoid parroting speaker’s words or saying only, “Ah,

ha.”

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Active Listening, con’d

Allow for silence so the speaker can think or form thoughts. Resist filling every space with your thoughts.

Pay particular attention to body language – and respond to changes, i.e., is speaker becoming uncomfortable? Do not neglect non-verbal content of conversation; it’s often

more important than words.

Try again if your reflection seemed inaccurate. Don’t pretend to have understood if you haven’t.

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Active Listening, con’d

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Be as accurate as possible in your summary of meaning. Avoid letting the speaker drift because you haven’t

shown you’ve understood. Challenge powerlessness and hopelessness subtly.

Avoid fixing, changing, or improving what the speaker has said.

Other Basic Listening Skills

Make eye contact with the speaker; encourage speaker to make eye contact with you.

Don’t interrupt the speaker. Stay on topic as much as possible. Limit ambient distractions as much as possible. Use non-verbal ways to encourage the speaker to

elaborate when possible. Ask questions to clarify meaning when necessary.

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Please Note

This is intended as a brief overview of active listening.

YFU occasionally offers an entire training on this topic; all ARs should avail themselves of this opportunity to refresh and enhance their listening skills.

Active listening is a very important component of being an effective AR.

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Appropriate Documentation

• Why is documentation so important?• If problems continue, YFU may not be able to act

appropriately if an issue was not properly reported and documented.

• YFU must follow a process in “disciplining” students. This requires a “paper trail” of efforts made to resolve issues, and the appropriate people notified.

• Documentation is defined as a report made to the SSM; the volunteer talking with the student; possible follow-up with a warning letter, probation or referral to a counselor; and information being sent to the sending country by the SSM.

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Significant Problems Can Occur When…

A student has exhibited inappropriate behavior or “bent” a rule and this is not reported to the SSM.

HFs do not report problems to the organization. No follow-up by the AR has occurred. If there is no formal report the first time

something happens, a repeat incident cannot be considered the second time; it is as though the first time never happened.

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How to Report and To Whom

The on-line contact report is primarily for US Dept of State auditors.

All issues must ALSO be reported to the SSM by email (so there is a paper trail.)

Copy the FD and/or AC on any such emails. The AR should also keep copies of all emails

so that reference can be made to what has been reported.

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How to Report, con’d

The SSM will contact the AR, ask for more information, clarify what has been reported, suggest follow-up, etc.

The SSM reports issues to the sending country SSM who then notifies natural parents.

The AR sends follow-up progress reports (or lack thereof) to the SSM by email.

A phone call to the SSM is fine, but leaves no paper trail; issues must also be reported in writing.

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How to Report, con’d

When reporting, use objective language that describes situations or behavior, using examples.

Do not say for example, “the HF home is messy.” Specifically give examples of what the mess is, e.g., the kitchen always has dirty dishes lying about for days; the hallway is dangerous because of so many things piled up there, etc.

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What to Report

When in doubt, report. This puts the issue on file for possible future consideration. Consumer protection laws abroad force us to be very thorough in documenting any early return situations.

Must-be-reported situations: Std or HF request that a student be moved School issues: poor grades, discipline, tardiness Medical issues: accidents, hospitalization,

persistent medical conditions, infections

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What to Report, con’d Adjustment issues: continual rule breaking,

indication by student that s/he wishes to return home early, reports by student that serious problems occurred at home prior to arrival, problems within the host family, any student behavior that is hard to understand or is alarming.

Any YFU policy violation The AR is uncomfortable with anything seen or

heard. Whenever the AR feels s/he needs help or can

no longer remain objective.

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What to Report, con’d

On-going behavior such as sibling rivalry or homesickness

Too much contact with natural family Too much time on computer unrelated to

school Any behavior that interferes with the std

or HF having a successful experience

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SUMMARY

Effective support involves establishing personal relationships with stds and HFs whereby all parties develop a sense of trust and confidence in the AR and his/her role.

Active listening is key and implies a clear understanding by the speaker that s/he has been heard.

Proper documentation implies that any troublesome issue is reported in writing to the SSM to be relayed to the sending country as appropriate.

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