TUTOR/MENTOR PROGRAM

Training Survey Questions

Feel free to use another sheet of paper or adjust the formatting of this document to answer these questions. All questions must be answered before you can be matched. When you have answered all of the questions, please email or mail them to me at , or 1112 West Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ 85013. Also, please let me know your thoughts on the training experience. We are always looking to improve. Thank you for your participation.

Psychology of the Foster Child: The Attachment System

  1. What are four things that the caregiver in the attachment example did to promote a healthy attachment? How about un-healthy/lack of attachment?
  2. What are three traits or symptoms related to healthy attachment? How about unhealthy/lack of attachment?
  3. What are four messages that the infant/child in the attachment example internalized as part of his/her experience with secure attachment? How about unhealthy/lack of attachment?
  4. Why is it important to challenge an internal working model? How might you do this for a child who interprets ambiguous signals negatively?
  5. How might you handle a child who shows oppositional/defiant behavior (do not worry if you are not sure, we will cover this in communication strategies)?
  6. Why is it important to keep your composure when a child gets angry or defiant?

Role of the Mentor I

  1. Why is consistency so important when you are working with foster youth?
  2. Can you think of an example when you honored someone’s right to determination?
  3. Does honoring someone’s right to self-determination mean that you can’t help guide them?
  4. How would you guide someone keeping in mind their right to self-determination (hint: think about the difference between punishment and consequences)?

…Role of the Mentor I

  1. What should you do if the child’s placement cancels a meeting because of your mentee’s behavior?
  2. Why is it important to not “jump in” and fix the problem?
  3. It is difficult for most of us to avoid “imparting our values” on others, but can you think of some acceptable situations in which you could share your beliefs and values in a constructive way?

Role of the Mentor II

  1. What does it mean to be the first one to care and the first one to validate?
  2. What is the medium though which everything is exchanged between you and your mentee?
  3. Can you think back to a time when you had fun and were able to let your guard down because you were sharing an activity that you really liked with someone else? Think of a time when someone really tuned into your interests. How will you try to do this with your mentee?
  4. What are three strategies that you will use to foster the idea of teamwork?
  5. What does it mean to take the responsibility of keeping the relationship alive? Are there limits to this commitment? How will you use the idea of consequences to help even out this commitment?

Relationship Cycle I

  1. What might the child be looking for or preoccupied with in the relationship in the beginning of the match? Think of a relationship in your life and how you tested its boundaries in the beginning.
  2. Which phase of the relationship will you spend the most amount of time in? Why?
  3. When will you most likely see difficult feelings or emotions from your mentee?
  4. Which two phases will you move in and out of?
  5. Why might your mentee pull away during the ending/closure phase?
  6. What should you reinforce during the ending/closure phase?

Relationship Cycle II

  1. What type of body language do you want to use in the beginning of the match?
  2. What is the difference between empathy and sympathy?
  3. Why is empathy more appropriate for foster youth than sympathy?
  4. What is the most fundamental message that you need to communicate?
  5. When should you raise sensitive issues during your time with your mentee?
  6. Can you think of an example in your life when it would have been helpful to separate the intentions or worth of a person from their choices?
  7. What are three examples of appropriate, helpful things to disclose to your mentee in the authentic mentoring phase?
  8. Why shouldn’t you come into the relationship with narrow goals aimed at trying to change their behavior?

Effective Communication

  1. Think of a time when you could really tell that the person you were talking to was listening to understand.
  2. How do "I" statements function in your workplace? How would they function differently if you were speaking with your mentee?
  3. How would you approach your mentee if they were very angry and yelling?
  4. What if you are reflecting and validating and your mentee gets more upset about the problem in question? What steps would you take?
  5. Think of an example where someone reflected and validated your thoughts and feelings.
  6. Keeping this communication style in mind, how would you approach one of your family members if they told you about a recent promotion?
  7. What are three specific things that Ginger could have said or done to kill the conversation with Sharon?
  8. Please copy down three specific examples of Ginger's exact language in either reflecting, validating, or listening to understand.

Please put your name on each page and send back to Annie Ansell Thank you.

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