ICHANGE

Interfaith Chaplaincy Affirming a New Generation of Excellence

An interfaith community offering healing-centered spiritual care and mentoring that assists justice-involved youth and young adults as they become the change they want to be!

ICHANGE Opportunities
for Service

ICHANGE seeks caring people of faith interested in working in partnership with youth and young adults involved in the juvenile justice system.  Training based on best practices in healing-centered spiritual care and mentoring enables volunteers to draw upon their own compassion, spirituality, and life lessons as they encourage and assist youth and young adults during commitment and as they prepare for reentry into the community.  

The evidence-based foundations of our healing-centered spiritual care and mentoring practices offer compassionate adults the training they need to support youth and young adults who have been involved in the justice system during their commitment and as they reenter the community.

 

Our Mission is to offer youth and young adults:

  • Healing-centered spiritual care that is culturally sensitive and responsive, trauma-informed, strengths-based, and grounded in restorative practices.
  • Guidance as they explore values, engage in activities, and develop critical reflection and social/emotional skills that will enable them to explore new possibilities, fulfill their goals, and avoid further justice involvement.
  • Connections to community support systems that will provide the services they need to sustain them as they become responsible adult citizens in the community.

Our Goals:  to support youth and young adults as they develop:

  • Confidence:  A sense of self-worth and belief in their capacity to succeed
  • Character: A connection to and an ability to embody personal principles and values
  • Caring:  Sympathy and empathy for others; commitment to community
  • Contribution:  Active participation and leadership that makes a positive difference
  • Competence:  The ability to act effectively in different settings
  • Connection:  A feeling of safety and belonging; positive bonds with people and social institutions

Becoming a Volunteer/Mentor: 

Volunteers who will be meeting with youth/young adults in Juvenile Hall must be 21 years old or older and be willing to complete the following required by ICHANGE and the Department of Probation.

  • Complete forms required for volunteer screening by the Department of Probation.
  • Complete orientation and training required by ICHANGE and online training in Child Abuse Reporting
  • Complete orientation and tour of Juvenile Hall.
  • Provide proof of immunization and receive quick response testing when visiting youth/young adults.

ICHANGE Volunteer Training:

ICHANGE volunteers receive training from the Interfaith Chaplains serving youth and young adults at Juvenile Hall and ICHANGE volunteer staff with experience in the juvenile justice system. Training includes background in the issues and challenges faced by youth, introduction to practices of healing-centered spiritual care and mentoring, and for individuals working with small groups, guidance in working with and managing groups of young people.  Continued support and training are offered.

 ICHANGE Mentor Training

Training is offered via Zoom sessions.  Each session is recorded and slides are made available in order to accommodate individual needs.  Mentors must complete all components of the training listed below.  These components are available to any volunteer, but requirements depend on the ICHANGE service being delivered.

Orientation – 1 hour

Orientation and overview of program; background in issues and challenges that can lead to justice involvement; introduction to practices of healing-centered mentoring; and logistics of training and mentoring program

Session 1 – 1.5 hours

Trauma and mental/emotional health; trauma-based practices; and creating safe space and utilizing compassionate listening skills

Session 2 – 1.5 hours

Cultural humility and responsiveness; race, class, gender/sexuality, and cultural issues for youth involved in the juvenile justice system; and strengths-based practices and communication skills

Session 3 – 1.5 hours

Principles of restorative justice; restorative mentoring practices; and non-violent/restorative communication skills

Session 4 – 1.5 hours

Issues of reentry – Reentry Planning Toolbox; identifying personal assets and the community support services, education and training opportunities; and resources for developing he workforce readiness and communication skills that support decision making and change.

Continued support and training are offered.

For more information or to arrange a presentation for your congregation or organization contact us at:   WeAreICHANGE@gmail.com

Join us as we companion youth and young adults experiencing injustice within the juvenile justice system. 

Rev. Dr. Charles D. Tinsley, IV
Chaplain Emeritus*
Contra Costa Probation, Spiritual Care Department

We honored Dr. Tinsley with this honorific at the Annual Meeting of 2022.

See this article where he is quoted about his decades of work with young people:

https://bailproject.org/stories/parental-incarceration-leaves-kids-without-the-care-and-stability-they-need/

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