Onboarding & The Match

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Thank you for your interest in becoming a Do For One Advocate. As an Advocate to one person living with a disability (Partner), your relationship holds profound potential for change, for both you and your Partner. We look forward to taking this journey with you. 

The purpose of this section is to lay out what you can expect in these initial stages of entering a one-to-one relationship and the support we provide as the relationship evolves. 

The Basics 

  1. Complete this involvement form. If you haven’t already, take 15 minutes to help us get to know you and to make sure we have all the necessary information we need. 

  2. Complete a background check. This should take about 5 minutes to complete and the cost is covered by Do For One. 

  3. Provide 2 Personal References. Your 2 personal references will help us to get to know you through people who have known you longer and in a different capacity. When you fill out this form, staff will email/text your 2 references to set up a 10 minute phone call with each of them at a time that works for them. 

  4. Attend a seasonal orientation session called “Intro to Do For One”. This is our gateway for anyone’s involvement and is a requirement for all Advocates. You will learn about Do For One’s history, philosophy, and how to get involved in the way that best matches your gifts, capacities, and interests. You will hear stories about how others have gotten involved in freely-given relationships. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to complete these tasks! Please let us know if any questions come up throughout the process. 

The Match 

Invitation, Introduction, Match, and Support 

1.) The Invitation

Once Do For One staff identifies a potential partner they feel could be a good match for you, they will set up a meeting with you to describe the person they have in mind and what your relationship with them might be like. After this conversation, if you and the staff agree that it sounds like a promising match, then there would be an initial introduction. 

2.) The Introduction

Do For One staff will make the initial introduction between the prospective Advocate and Partner. After the introduction, we will follow-up separately with the Partner and also with you to provide a private space to share how you are feeling about the potential match. In this stage, we want to establish open communication with you as we earn your trust. 

3.) The Match 

If there is mutual agreement that the match is suitable, staff will initiate a second meeting where you will be officially matched with your Partner. At this point, Partners and Advocates may choose to exchange personal contact information and begin to communicate one-on-one without staff. If necessary, staff is available to help arrange the first time you meet with your new partner. 

*We recommend not allowing for too much time in between the match date and your first time together, say, roughly within 1-2 weeks. This helps to build trust with the partner. 

As a follow-up, once the relationship has gained some momentum, you will receive a “Match Letter” from us. This is our way of restating and summarizing the conversations we’ve had with you so that you have all the information in one organized PDF that you can revisit over time.