The Teen Mental Wellness (TMW) Facilitator Training is a professional development program designed to equip adults with the skills needed to lead our experiential mental wellness programs for teens. This training includes in-person and online instruction, group discussions, and skill-building activities. Once certified, trainers are eligible to become paid contractors for RBF facilitator workshops as part of after-school programs and evening and weekend programs for teens in and around Loudoun County, Virginia.
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Are 18 years or older.
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Live within driving distance of Loudoun County.
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Can commit to facilitating a minimum of 10 (paid workshops) after school, in the evenings, and on Sunday afternoons within 12 months of certification with 6 completed in the first 6 months.
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Have at least 3 years of experience working with teens (educators, coaches, counselors, specialists, youth leaders, therapists, etc.).
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Have a passion for promoting mental health and resilience in teens.
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Possess skills and interests that align with our workshops (yoga, fitness/movement, mindfulness, art, music, horticulture,, animals such as therapy dogs or equine, drama/theater, photography, etc.).
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Can attend all of the TWM program training events
We’re looking for passionate individuals who:
Training Program Includes:
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Youth Mental Health First Aid: Enhance your mental health literacy and skills for supportive conversations and crisis response.
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Grounding in RBF’s Mission: Learn our values and approach to incorporating protective factors into teen experiential mental wellness programs in a creative and engaging way. This includes using activities and workshops that explore mindfulness, expressive arts, nature, animals, physical activity, and social-emotional support as strategies to promote resilience in teens while using trauma-informed and culturally responsive facilitation techniques.
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Creating Safe Spaces: Foster acceptance, connection, resiliency, and hope in teens.
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Skill Development: Engage in supported practice, peer learning, feedback, and coaching to advance your teen facilitation skills.
FAQ
Why complete the TMW Facilitator Training? • To learn how to lead creative, resilience-based workshops that explore mindfulness, expressive arts, nature, animals, relationships, and social-emotional support. • To learn strategies to create a safe space for teens to be authentic selves that fosters acceptance, connection with teens and adults, resiliency, and hope. • To provide interactive resilience-based workshops to young people as a paid contractor in RBF’s community-based programs or partnership with RBF in your school or organization. • To join a cohort of professional colleagues passionate about youth mental health and benefit from peer-to-peer sharing of experiences, best practices, and connections. • To get supervised facilitation practice, feedback, and ongoing coaching and support from RBF staff. • To achieve a new professional credential to showcase on professional materials/platforms to differentiate yourself, complete with a certification to distinguish your commitment to building resilience in teens. • To contribute to the RBF mission of fostering a community of acceptance, compassion, and inclusion where all young people feel connected and hopeful and have the will to live.
How do you achieve TMW Facilitator Training Certification? 1. Complete the TMW Facilitator Training Application and submit a background check. 2. Participate in a virtual interview with RBF staff. 3. Attend the virtual orientation call on 9/17 from 7:30-8:30pm. 4. Complete all of the TMW Training Sessions: • Virtual Orientation: Sept. 24th, 7:30-8:30 PM • Self-Paced Online Content: 2 hours • Virtual Session: Friday, Oct. 4th 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM (virtual) • In-Person Sessions: Friday, Oct. 18th & 25th, 10 AM - 2 PM 5. Demonstrate the ability to present a FORT workshop to a group of RBF youth. 6. Sign the RBF TMW Facilitator Agreement, committing to facilitating ten (paid) workshops within 12 months of certification.
What do TMW Facilitators do? • Facilitators are critical to fostering a community of acceptance, compassion, and inclusion where all young people feel connected and hopeful and have the will to live. • Facilitators engage teens during THE FORT, a safe, healing community space for young people to connect. Facilitators lead creative, resilience-based workshops that explore mindfulness, expressive arts, nature, animals, relationships, and social-emotional support. • Facilitators help teens: - Learn coping skills to manage stress, anxiety, and depression. - Develop a growth mindset from exposure to new modalities for learning stress management - Practice healthy ways of communicating when life is challenging - Establish connections with peers and adults in a safe, healing, inclusive community. - Develop self-awareness of existing strengths • Facilitators lead FORT workshops for young people as paid contractors in RBF’s community-based programs. Facilitators may also be able to provide FORT workshops in partnership with RBF in their schools or youth-serving organizations.
How do you maintain your TMW Facilitator Training Certification? Once certified, Facilitators are expected to lead at least ten RBF mental wellness workshops (paid) during the 12 months (with six completed in the first six months) following their certification and will be eligible for additional contracted facilitator roles. Facilitators are encouraged to join coaching calls with RBF staff and colleagues to discuss challenges and opportunities during the year.