Social Promoter

Qualifications

• Adult member of the community, preferably 30 years old or older.

• Interest in and commitment to the purposes of the project.

• Resident of the community for at least six months, with some evidence of involvement in community activities and demonstrated awareness of community characteristics and social relations.

• Outgoing, adaptable, persistent, and not easily provoked or angered.

• Literate, at minimum, in Spanish.

Duties
To serve as an indigenous community resource aimed at reducing family alienation and cohesion issues, by 1) serving as a go-between or facilitator of communication between parents/guardians and youth; 2) serving as a go-between or facilitator of communication between parents/guardians and schools, where there are problems or issues with respect to their youth; 3) providing information on and referring families to community support and social services where needed, and in some cases assisting individuals to access those services; and 4) assisting families in planning or carrying out social activities that would increase interaction within their family, or between community members in order to increase social support networks. Social Promoters will and cannot intervene directly (except to refer) in situations of domestic violence or where illegal/criminal activity is involved. Promoters will not take direct referrals for: 1) domestic violence cases; 2) drug abuse cases; 3) child abuse cases; or 4) situations where there is clear evidence beforehand of illegal activities such as drug sales, trafficking/prostitution, or other similar activities that would put the Promoter in danger or expose him/her to legal liability. If requests or referrals are come with respect to any of these situations, the Promoter or staff member taking the referral will refer the individual to an appropriate service (domestic violence unit, child protective services, etc.).

Referral Paths
These duties will be carried out via several referral channels: 1) direct request from families, using a call number (Drop-In Center) provided on flyers and other information regularly distributed in the community; 2) by suggestion or informal referral from other community sources – for example, if a church or other program knows that a family is having difficulty in communicating or interacting with a youth in middle or high school, they may ask the family if they would like assistance from a Promoter, and provide them the referral information; or 3) through formal referrals from social and community services.

Training
Social Promoters will participate in a training period that will include extensive role playing activities and cover the following topics:

1. Background on the study, goals, process.

2. Role and duties of Social Promoters.

3. Communication, facilitation and mediation skills.

4. Outreach methods.

5. Available community and social services, how to contact and refer.

6. Limits of Promoters’ duties, exclusion criteria and procedures, confidentiality, and safety.