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Show hear new ideas, and this is all frustrating and makes me feel like I need to help the families on my own" (FG 1). 5.3 .1.4 Some of the family mentors are familiar with the activity log but do not use it, nor do they feel that the activity log connects them to a resource of information that will help their families. Family mentors are not making a connection between giving feedback to IRC and receiving support from IRC. Because of this, family mentors do not necessarily seek out IRC as a resource to help their families (FGs, Is, and 5 of 12 surveys). Refugee families are comfortable expressing their needs to family mentors but this break in communication keeps family mentors from relaying useful information to IRC. As a result, the mentors simply attempt to fulfill the needs of the families on their own. This can be very frustrating for both family mentors and case managers. 5. 3.1. 5 Case Managers are also interested in developing a working relationship with family mentors. They see the value in family mentor feedback regarding refugee families and understand that mentors can be a helpful resource because they offer a oneon-one connection with the refugee families that the case managers do not have time to maintain (CMFG). Throughout my discussion with case managers, it became clear what information case managers would like to have from family mentors. First, they would like to be aware of the activities, ongoing or not, that the family mentors are doing with their families. Second, they would like to be aware of any progress or barriers that the mentors are seeing with their family's process. Third, case managers want to know about any accessed community resources by the refugee families, so that they might be able to gauge whether the family receives services for its needs through IRC. Fourth, case managers would like to know about any emergencies with the family. While case managers feel that the activity log could fulfill the need for information on mentor to family activities, they do not think that the activity log could possibly convey to family mentors the need for all of the other more important information that case managers are looking for. One case manager stated, "Famity mentors can actually help the families in overcoming some of these barriers. But, we would like to know about them because maybe as an agency we could address them. It would be really nice to have more information from mentors" (CMFG). 5.3.1.6 With regards to feedback on the Family Mentor Program, as already discussed in Goal 2 - Objective 3, one-third of the mentors with whom I worked with expressed that they were frustrated, because when they have offered suggestions to IRC in the past relating to training, they have not been heard. These mentors are not interested in volunteering more of their time to give feedback on the program because they believe IRC will not be consistent or willing to make suggested changes. One family mentor remarked, "I would actually like to be able to tell !RC what would have been helpful about the program like we are right now but, I just haven 't felt like they would care or at least do anything about it. I mean, they've never asked me about my family or the Family Mentor Program" (FG2). 5. 3 .1. 7 Returning to unofficial mentoring, specifically with mentors who remain working with their families beyond the six-month drop in services by IRC, family mentors do not understand that if they are working with a family unofficially they are not offered the same resources as mentors who are working officially and this includes the opportunity to share information with IRC staff. Case managers expressed their frustration with this. 24 of24 |
