Mentoring and Community Access Activities
Overview of Mentoring and Community Access Activities
BTS offers individual mentoring programmes through out MMSSP aimed at enhancing personal and social skills through community participation activities and building social networks. MMSSP's can be offered in conjunction with in home interventions or other clinical support or as a stand alone activity.
BTS also offers on demand small group community access activities such as the Road Runners Cycling Group to support young people in challenging themselves, comparing experiences and meeting others on weekend and school holiday adventures.
Participants said:
"This bike riding is harder than it looks, I didn’t think I could go all the distance."
"Cool, this was sick!"
"I have not been real camping before, how cool was it with those animals in the bush."
Mentoring, Modelling and Social Support Programme (MMSSP)
The Mentoring, ModelLing and Social Support Programme (MMSSP) offers individual opportunities to young people experiencing family and social challenges with a chance experience a positive, consistent and purposeful, goal oriented relationship with a non parental figure. The MMSSP is offered to individuals and may be offered in conjunction with or following other therapeutic interventions.
The MMSSP time frame is negotiated with funding bodies and the young person. Generally an individual MMSSP will be not less than twelve months in duration and can vary in hours and frequency as needed.
Aim of the MMSSP to reduce the impact of developmental and social deficits often expressed through challenging and dangerous behaviours, the impact of family trauma and possibly mental health issues and increase constructive and productive social and life skills. This will be achieved through the provision of a consistent and pro-social relationship with a non parental figure. In cases where the MMSSP is provided in conjunction with a BTS In-Home Intervention adaptive and functional assessments will also guide the MMSSP's goal development. In this way the MMSSP can be both naturalistic in experience and targeted in nature.
The Role of the Mentor is to support young people to develop new skills and help compensate for inadequate or dysfunctional socialization and/or give psychological support for practice of new skills and behaviours. BTS's mentors create opportunities for young people to move successfully in new arenas of education, work, and social life. Mentoring is substantially undertaken in the community and incorporates social, emotional and pragmatic supports aimed at achieving the agreed goals. The Mentor works under the guidance of our clinical staff in the delivery of the service. When provided in conjunction with a BTS In-Home Intervention this supervision and service integration supports the translation of therapeutic endeavours into the social context.
Road Runners
ROAD RUNNERS is a cycling group that is offered on a fee for service and on demand basis. BTS offers this group activity to young people who like outdoor activities and need or want to burn off some extra energy. Participants will attend a series of rides over an extended period of time (up to 12 months) and involving up to 6 rides of between 20 and 35kms in length. These rides will be on weekends or school holiday and follow designated cycle paths where ever possible. This activity is usually offered in partnership with community based agencies. Rides are conducted in the Western Sydney and Illawarra region with a meeting point in the Campbelltown area.
In providing these cycling opportunities Brief Therapy Solutions is aiming to create new opportunities for young people to experience themselves, their skills and abilities including working with others in a cooperative and mature and safe fashion. These rides are not race and team support is practiced along the way. There are age and group size limits for this activity.
Participants on these rides will be required to provide their own lunch and bicycle in good condition as well as an Australian standard helmet, ssistance will be given to ensure bicycles are in an appropriate condition for the ride. Participants must follow all directions and road rules and complete some paperwork prior to the events. Numbers are limited and an invitation is necessary to attend. Some previous rides have seen Roadrunners ride the Harbour Bridge, explore both the Parramatta River and Homebush Bay as well as some dirt track south of Sydney.