UMF Muslim Portal on TeenCentral.Net. Volunteer Application Packet

Transcription

1 UMF Muslim Portal on TeenCentral.Net Volunteer Application Packet United Muslim Foundation 2013

2 Salaam Alaikum, Thank you for your interest in United Muslim Foundation s Muslim Portal on TeenCentral.Net. We are very pleased that you have taken this first step in reaching out to others in need. In this application packet, you will find information in the form of a Frequently Asked Questions list. Please be sure to review the application packet in its entirety. To get started, please complete the volunteer application form available on the UMF website. At the end of this letter, you will find a link to the online training; you will need to review in order to participate in this volunteer opportunity. You should begin the general training as soon as you are ready. The general training consists of three parts, you must complete a quiz in each of the first two sections and notify Dr. Julius Licata (julius.licata@kidspeace.org) when you finish the third section of the training so that TeenCentral.Net can register you for the trial story and response. (Please specify UMF Muslim Portal when contacting Dr. Julius Licata and submit as well as all results to him directly.) Once you have received confirmation from Dr. Julius Licata, forward confirmation to Muslim Portal Communications Director (farha@unitedmuslimfoundation.org), who will guide you on how to proceed. Once you successfully complete all steps, you will become part of a unique and dynamic team, UMF Muslim Portal on TeenCentral.Net. Please realize that this requires a commitment of two hours per week. Our Muslim teens depend upon your being online to help them through difficult times. Please make sure you are willing to make that kind of commitment before submitting your application. If, for some reason, you cannot commit to that many hours, please contact me and let me know your availability. We also offer internships and can be used for volunteer service hours. Any internships or service hours that need to be verified must be approved and requested under reason for participation section of the application. It is important to know that if you request this after you meet your obligation, we will be unable to assist you. Thank you for your time. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon and working with you in the near future. General Online Training Link: Thank you, Farha Fazel Muslim Portal Communications Director United Muslim Foundation Tel: (407) farha@unitedmuslimfoundation.org Website:

3 What is TeenCentral.Net? UNITED MUSLIM FOUNDATION MUSLIM PORTAL Frequently Asked Questions TeenCentral.Net is an anonymous help-line website that has been developed by experts in teen counseling and psychology through KidsPeace. This professionally monitored website provides a password protected, safe cyber-space for teens to work out their issues. UMF Muslim Portal is a special Muslim portal on TeenCentral.Net where trained Muslim teens counsel other Muslim teens, under the guidance of Muslim administrators as well as psychology and counseling experts. Why do we need a UMF Muslim Portal on TeenCentral.Net? All teens face similar problems, however the guidance provided to one group of teens may not be suitable to all. As Islam is a way of life, it is necessary for Muslim teens to be recognized as a diverse group who may need unique guidance that aligns with Islamic values. Unlike other helplines, UMF Muslim Portal on TeenCentral.net allows Muslim teens to help other Muslim teens through relatable and religiously appropriate advice. Furthermore, this provides an opportunity for Muslims to learn from one another in addition to providing another venue to support interfaith and learning. Muslim administrators as well as experts in psychology and teen counseling monitor the site consistently for appropriateness and content. When will this UMF Muslim Portal be ready? InshaAllah, we intend to launch the UMF Muslim Portal by Spring 2013 What fees are associated with TeenCentral.Net? Is it free to use? TeenCentral.Net is free to use, review or even browse! No fees! What is a volunteer counselor? A volunteer counselor is a trained youth, between eighteen and thirty years old, who commits to providing guidance to teenagers in this portal.

4 How many hours does a volunteer counselor need to complete a week? A volunteer counselor commits to being on UMF Muslim Portal for 2 to 5 hours a week on a day of their choice to respond to posts. You can choose the time frame that fits your schedule and the minimum of two hours does not need to be completed in one bulk set. You can always volunteer more hours! Does TeenCentral.Net provide volunteer counselors training? Absolutely! TeenCentral.Net provides required training to get started and to learn the inner workings of TeenCentral.Net. United Muslim Foundation provides additional training to supplement training that addresses some major concerns of Muslim participants. For more information on the general training process, visit: Where do I go for training? Do I need to be in the United States to attend training? Training and participating in UMF Muslim Portal is fully online you do not need to visit any sites to attend training. UMF Muslim Portal and training is accessible internationally! You are welcome to contact our Muslim Portal Communications Director at any time with questions or concerns Can I see a copy of the general training manual? Absolutely! The TeenCentral.Net official training manual is provided as a PDF at the following link: SpecifictrainingfortheMuslimPortalisbeingdevelopedandwillbeavailableshortly. How is a 4-part training enough to counsel? Remember, you are not becoming a psychologist in these few hours. Your posts are monitored by professionals in psychology and teen counseling as well as a Muslim administrator for content and appropriateness! TeenCentral.Net encourages teens to solve their issues by utilizing our guidance and introspection questions. We always advise teens to turn to Religious leaders and mental health professionals when necessary thereby justifying a simple 4-part training process.

5 What if my Internet is down and I can t get onto the site on my scheduled day? Computer problems happen! If you are unable to get onto the website or are traveling for an extended time, please contact our Muslim Portal Communications Director. The Director will find you a replacement for that day. I live outside of the United States, can I still volunteer? Absolutely! Simply be mindful of the rules of living in country of the teen user and specify international volunteer when on your application (Check box for living outside of US/Canada). But, I m not a Religious expert or a trained psychologist! Can I still counsel? No problem! You can still become a counselor! While you are recommended to use Qur anic text and Islamic history to relate Islam to teenage users, it is not required. Furthermore, a Muslim administrator as well as an expert in psychology and teen counseling reviews your posts before publishing. I don t know if I will be a good counselor! You will be! Don t let fear keep you from perusing this opportunity. TeenCentral.Net and UMF will work with you and help you feel comfortable in your counseling. Also, remember, your work is always checked and approved by administrators before posted to the teen user. I am a Psychology student. Can I use this volunteer opportunity as an internship? Yes! Simply contact our Muslim Portal Communications Director before beginning training. We will advise you as to how to proceed. Can I get a letter of recommendation? Absolutely! Contact our Muslim Portal Communications Director to complete a waiver of confidentiality. A letter of recommendation will be drafted and sent within a week of receiving the waiver.

6 Will anyone know I m a counselor? Will I be contacted by TCN? In efforts to remain confidential, counselors contact information is kept private from cocounselors. Only our Muslim Portal Communications Director and Director of TeenCentral.Net are aware of your contact information. You may be contacted by TeenCentral.Net or UMF Muslim Portal for two reasons: 1) We need additional help on a select day to answer posts or 2) Your posts have a consistent error that needs to be addressed directly. Can I give a teen user my contact information? In efforts to remain confidential, counselors are not permitted to provide any identifying characteristics or contact information to users, including but not limited to: name, phone number, or even school name. This protects the identity of teen users and volunteer counselors. Are users truly anonymous? Absolutely! Users are not required to provide any specific information to log-on to our site and post stories. We do not maintain any database of users and cannot correspond with our users at any time. The only information we collect is demographical and is utilized to help provide appropriate responses. (For example, our demographic data may indicate that user lives in a rural area, therefore suggesting taking a local bus to attend a lecture downtown, may not be appropriate.) If a teen provides specifics about themselves within a story, counselors are to remove self-identifying data from story. It is part of a counselor s responsibility to protect the identity of the teen user. Sounds great! How do I get started? Begin by completing the volunteer counselor application form available on our website. Once you have completed the application in its entirety, you may begin Steps 1 & 2 in the general training. Please remember to submit quiz results as well as quiz results to Dr. Julius Licata. When you are ready to proceed to Step 3, Dr. Julius Licata who will set up your username and password for your trial story and response. Once you have been approved by Julius Licata, forward your confirmation to Farha Fazel at farha@unitedmuslimfoundation.org who will guide you on how to proceed.

7 I can t commit to being an online counselor, how else can I help? Spread the word! In order for our portal to become successful, we need to let teenagers know that they have an opportunity to post anonymously and get advice from their fellow teens. Also, monetary donations are welcome! Support United Muslim Foundation s initiatives for the youth by visiting I m a Muslim professional or Muslim organization, how can I help? Of course! Professionals in mental health, medicine, legal, and religious disciplines, etc., are encouraged to join as affiliates. UMF Muslim Portal Affiliates are individuals and organizations that are listed as additional resources for teen users. Please contact Muslim Portal Communications Director for more information on joining as an affiliate. We also welcome mental health professionals and religious leaders to join our UMF Muslim Portal advisory board. What is United Muslim Foundation? United Muslim Foundation (UMF) is a registered non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization and a recognized public charity based in the USA. UMF serves to Promote Unity, Education and Community Service. To learn more, visit Who do I contact for more information about TeenCentral.Net? Contact our UMF Muslim Portal Communications Director: farha@unitedmuslimfoundation.org phone/text: