Mentoring for Success: Essential Elements for and Models of Mentoring Programs

1. Mentoring for Success: Essential Elements for and Models of Mentoring Programs

2. Webinar Agenda • Introduction (15 minutes) (Greta Colombi, NDTAC) • Model of a mentoring program that serves youth who are incarcerated (30 minutes) (Dr. Roger Jarjoura, Aftercare for Indiana through Mentoring Program (AIM) ) • Model of mentoring program that serves youth who are neglected (30 minutes) (Laura Schleede, Molly Frendo, and Jamie Whipple, Journey 4-H Youth Mentoring Program) • Tools and resources (5 minutes) (Greta Colombi, NDTAC)

3. Essential Elements for Mentoring Programs Serving Youth Who Are Neglected or Delinquent Greta Colombi

4. Introduction: Mentoring Basics • Definition: structured and trusting relationship that brings youth together with caring adults who offer guidance, support, and encouragement aimed at developing competence and character. • A growing body of research indicates that when mentoring programs are implemented well, mentoring is an effective way to help youth who lack stable relationships and/or positive role models in their lives improve academic achievement, build a stronger sense of self-worth, improve relationships with parents and other adults, and decrease the likelihood of negative behaviors (Jucovy, 2003).

5. Common Elements for Successful Mentoring Programs, General • Development and implementation of a thorough volunteer screening process • Conduct a comprehensive mentor training program • Establish matching procedures that are based upon the needs and interest of students, not adult volunteers • Intensive supervision and support for each match

6. Special Considerations for Developing Mentoring Programs That Serve Youth Who Are Neglected or Delinquent • Characteristics of youth who are neglected or delinquent • Emotional and physical availability of youth to develop and maintain involvement in a mentoring relationship • The impact of gender and culture to match mentor-mentee pairs • Youth who live in institutions represent a captive audience for mentoring programs • Mentoring programs must be operated in accordance with the rules, regulations, and limitations of the institution if youth are living in a facility

7. Common Elements for Successful Mentoring Programs, Youth Who Are Neglected or Delinquent • Begin mentoring relationship while youth is living in an institution 2) Provide supervision and support for mentors that is customized for programs that serve incarcerated youth 3) Include mentoring in the reentry/transition plan 4) Establish a goal-setting process for the program 5) Make participation in the program voluntary

8. Common Elements for Successful Mentoring Programs, Youth Who Are Neglected or Delinquent • Establish a close relationship between mentoring program and the courts/child welfare system • A specific staff person should be designated to manage the mentoring program • Mentors should be required to make a minimum of a 1-year commitment to their mentee • Program should be developed based upon an understanding of the juvenile justice/child welfare system • Program outcomes are established and monitored

9. NDTAC Resources on Mentoring Programs The Mentoring Toolkit: Resources for Developing Programs for Incarcerated Youth NDTAC’s Mentoring Toolkit provides an overview of mentoring research, insight into the special needs of incarcerated youth, and practical strategies for designing mentoring programs to meet those needs. NDTAC Technical Issue Brief: Mentoring Youth Who Are Delinquent or High Risk The Center’s latest Technical Issue Brief explores the state of research on mentoring programs for youth currently in or at risk of involvement in the juvenile justice system and offers several ways in which programs have adapted mentoring best practices to successfully work with this unique population. NDTAC Innovative Practice Brief: Aftercare for Indiana through Mentoring (AIM) This Innovative Practice Brief offers an overview of the AIM program, which provides statewide mentoring support for delinquent youth.

10. NDTAC Resources on Mentoring Programs: The Mentoring Toolkit • Abridged and unabridged version • Includes the following: • Section 1. Mentoring: A Promising Intervention Strategy • Section 2. Characteristics of Juvenile Offenders • Section 3. Designing Effective Mentoring Programs for Neglected and Delinquent Youth • Section 4. Tools for Developing Mentoring Programs • Section 5. Program Overviews

11. NDTAC Resources for Mentoring Programs: Tools and Resources Section • The NDTAC Mentoring Toolkit provides links to specific tools and resource materials by issue area, which include: • Communications/information dissemination • Recruitment strategies • Guidelines for developing a program plan • Induction/orientation of mentors and mentees • The intake and screening process • Matching mentors to mentees • Supervision and support of mentors • Re-entry and transition planning • Evaluation of your program • Sources of funding for programs

12. Contact Information • Greta Colombi, NDTAC TA Task Leader, 202.403.5123, gcolombi@air.org • Your State Liaison • An NDTAC staff member has been assigned to each State to function as a point person for one-on-one technical assistance. You can identify your State liaison at http://www.neglected-delinquent.org/nd/direct_assistance.asp and contact him or her with questions or comments.