TEAMWORKS

Our Mission

TeamWorks connects job members from Cincinnati Works - one of the most successful chronic unemployment placement agencies - with professional and caring mentors in order to support job placement, retention and self sufficiency.

Who We Are

  • An adult job mentoring initiative of Cincinnati Works and OneCity 
  • Cincinnati Works:
    • 600 – 700 job placements per year
    • 84% job retention
    • 50 preferred employers
  • OneCity:
    • Builds city-wide collaborative programs based on best-in-class research
    • Increases the impact of the local Church (churches working collectively)
    • Mobilizes and empowers volunteers and mentors toward positive life change

What We Do

The TeamWorks program trains and pairs mentors with Cincinnati Works job members who are seeking to secure employment. TeamWorks provides personal advancement coaching and support for job members who are graduating from the program but want continued assistance in moving towards self-sufficiency.

The Need

Poverty is a significant problem in Cincinnati:

  • 23.5% of residents live in poverty
    • 10th poorest city in the U.S.
  • 1/3 of children live in poverty
    • 60% have low cognitive scores and other learning disabilities

    [US Census Data 2007]

The Impact

  • Poverty is usually situational
  • Poverty is most often a result of a lack of emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual support systems and resources
  • If the poor could access these resources, they could move into self-sufficiency and:
    • Stay off welfare, secure stable employment, provide for their families and build new, healthy relationships

    [Source: Framework for Understanding Poverty, Dr. Ruby Payne]

How It Works

Who Can Mentor?
 Mentors are people who care about the poor, have had steady job experience and are at least 22 years of age.

Role Description
Work with job members on job-related matters (job/interview prep, applications, workplace expectations, etc.) and foster mentee's personal growth, confidence and sense of personal responsibility.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and sustain a positive relationship with a Cincinnati Works job member
  • Work together to set and achieve job member personal goals
  • Submit quarterly goal update sheet to small group leader

Time Commitment
Mentors meet personally with job members one to two times per month and connect via phone/e-mail weekly
Total time: 3-5 hours per month

Pairing
Mentors are paired based on age, life stage, personal interests and job background and after the initial mentor training.

Training
TeamWorks training utilizes strategies from A Framework for Understanding Poverty, by Dr. Ruby Payne, and an overview of the program and the components of mentoring.

Support
All TeamWorks mentors will be placed on a sub-team of four to six people and a leader to offer help and support. The team will meet quarterly and connect periodically via e-mail. Each mentor will receive a resource binder and local service provider information.

How To Get Started

  1. Email: teamworks@onecity.org
  2. Fill out an application
  3. Attend a training (TBD monthly)
  4. Meet your job member and sub-team
  5. Begin mentoring