DC TRUST Guide 1023 - Children & Youth Investment Trust ...

e. Staff models the acknowledgment of strengths and accomplishments of different young
people.
f. Staff encourages young people to look beyond their own individual perspectives and
feelings to cultivate empathy.
6. Staff uses positive techniques to guide the behavior of children and youth.
a. Staff neither uses corporal punishment with its young people nor withholds food/water
as punishment.
b. Staff does not tolerate verbal or physical violence or abuse and intervenes appropriately.
c. Staff consistently uses a method of conflict resolution within the program.
d. Staff recognizes and highlights positive engagement and behavior of its young people.
e. Staff is forgiving and does not hold past behavior against young people.
f. Staff helps young people understand the immediate impacts and subsequent consequences
of their behavior.
7. Staff and young people share an environment of consistency around rules.
a. Staff consistently uses and visually displays a contract of behavior with rules co-created
by staff and young people, with clear expectations and consequences for breaking the
agreement, as well as incentives for abiding by it.
b. Staff communicates confidentiality guidelines with young people and scrupulously keeps
the commitments of confidentiality it makes.
c. Staff clearly communicates a procedure by which young people can resolve conflicts
with staff.
d. Staff fairly and consistently applies rules with all young people.
e. Staff models abiding by the program rules.
8. Staff interacts and communicates with each other to model positive behaviors.
a. Staff interacts with each other in a respectful and appropriately professional manner.
b. There is consistent communication between staff to ensure program stability and
continuity.
c. Program provides a clear and established procedure by which staff resolves internal
conflicts.
d. Staff works to resolve major differences outside the presence of young people.
9. When appropriate, program provides mentoring opportunities through internal
and external sources (e.g. college students, volunteers, and older youth in the
program).
a. Adult mentors are trained and mentoring sessions take place consistent with research
findings concerning effective practice (e.g. screening, matching, training and staff
monitoring).
b. Expectations in mentorships are clearly communicated and set between mentor and
mentee.
c. Program attempts to select mentors who reflect the diversity of the program population.
Field Guide to OST Best Practices / Youth Development Philosophy and Low Student-to-Staff Ratio / 6