CANADIAN ENGINEERING QUALIFICATIONS BOARD Model Guide for Constituent Associations IMPLEMENTING MENTORING PROGRAMS

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IMPLEMENTING MENTORING PROGRAMS

April 2013

CANADIAN ENGINEERING QUALIFICATIONS BOARD

Model Guide for Constituent Associations

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PREAMBLE

Provincial and territorial associations of professional engineers are the constituent associations that are responsible for the regulation of the practice of engineering in Canada. Each constituent association has been established under provincial/territorial legislation and serves as the

regulatory body for the practice of engineering within its jurisdiction. Engineers Canada is the national organization of these constituent associations. Engineers Canada provides a co-ordinating function among the constituent associations, fostering mutual recognition and encouraging the greatest possible commonality of operation in their registration functions. Engineers Canada issues guidelines on various subjects to achieve co-ordination among its constituent associations. These guidelines are an expression of general principles, which have a broad basis of consensus, while recognizing and supporting the autonomy of each constituent association to administer its engineering act. Engineers Canada guidelines enunciate the

principles of an issue but leave the detailed applications, policies, practices, and exceptions to the constituent association.

This guideline has been prepared by the Canadian Engineering Qualifications Board in consultation with the constituent associations, and adopted by Engineers Canada.

1 DEFINITIONS

Formal Mentoring Relationship: A structured relationship with set meeting times, expectations, and written records of goals and achievements

Goal: The long-term vision of what an individual would like to accomplish. Each goal consists of several objectives that are the smaller steps required to achieve a goal.

Mentee: A less-experienced individual who benefits from the guidance of a more-experienced mentor.

Mentor: A more experienced guide, counsellor or coach who fosters the development of a mentee.

Objective: The small steps required to achieve a goal. They should be specific and measurable.

2 INTRODUCTION TO MENTORING PROGRAMS

Within the engineering profession, the term “mentor” has several possible meanings:

1. An individual who takes technical responsibility for the work of an engineer-in-training when that engineer-in-training does not have a P.Eng. in their workplace;

2. An individual who guides an engineer-in-training towards licensure during their formation period;

3. An experienced individual who supports the professional and personal growth of a less-experienced individual (the mentee).

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This guideline considers the third and most general definition, in acknowledgement of the fact that mentoring can provide benefits at any point in an engineering career, not only during the engineer-in-training period.

The term “mentee” is also used in its most general sense. This refers to any individual who is looking for the guidance with their professional career. These may be engineers-in-training, professional engineers or any other type of licence holder.

The purpose of this guideline is to provide recommendations on how to implement and run a mentoring program, for the constituent associations who wish to introduce one. In particular, this guideline is focused on programs that support formal mentoring relationships: i.e. those which are structured and include written records of goals and achievements.

2.1 Purpose of Mentoring Programs

The purpose of the mentoring program is to encourage the development and growth of less experienced members. Mentoring appeals to a wide range of individuals, and offering such a program is one way of providing service to members and encouraging them to get involved with their association.

2.2 Benefits of Mentoring Programs

Mentoring assists the mentee in developing skills that would otherwise be learned through trial and error. This provides benefits to many parties including the mentee, their employer, the mentor and the engineering association. For the mentee this may include access to a network of professionals, or a confidante to share professional goals with. For the mentor it may provide confidence and an opportunity to give to the professional community.

For the constituent association, the mentoring relationship provides an opportunity for the mentee to learn about the constituent association and its role. In addition, the mentee learns the value and benefit of volunteerism within the engineering profession.

Within the context of professional licensure, in the case where the mentee is an engineer-in-training, the mentoring relationship can also be a place where the mentee learns about the real-life application of professional ethics and the role of the professional engineer at work and in society. Further, the mentor can provide guidance to the mentee on obtaining and reporting on acceptable engineering work experience.

3 KEY COMPONENTS OF A MENTORING PROGRAM

Before starting work on creating a new mentoring program, it is helpful to review the “best

practices” for the creation and maintenance of mentoring programs. The EMT Group, Inc.

(www.emt.org) has published a list of Quality Assurance Standards for youth mentoring programs. These standards cover the major aspect that should be integrated into a mentoring program. Key components of these standards are equally applicable to professional mentoring programs. They state that every program should include:

1. A statement of purpose and a long range plan 2. A recruitment plan for mentors and mentees

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3. A training curriculum for mentors and mentees 4. A matching strategy

5. A monitoring process

6. A support, recognition and retention component 7. Closure steps

8. An evaluation process

This guideline attempts to provide input for each of these components, to help the associations build successful and sustainable mentoring programs. The complete copy of the EMT Group’s guideline on Starting a Mentoring Program is included in Appendix A. This example is general in nature, and may provide a good overview for those who are starting new programs.

4 PROGRAM RESOURCES

The following section details some of the resources that will be required in order to launch a successful mentoring program.

4.1 Program Guideline

The guideline should explain what the mentoring program is all about, and provide information for mentors and mentees on what to expect if they become involved. It should provide an overview of the purpose, the structure and expectations of the program and the expected outcomes.

Resources:

• Engineers Canada Guideline for Mentoring Programs

• APEGA Strategies for Success in Mentoring; a handbook for mentors and protégés

http://www.apega.ca/Members/Mentoring/handbook/index.htm

• PEO Mentee Guide and Mentor Guide, available on request

• Zachary, Lois J., The Mentor’s Guide: Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships, Jossey-Bass, 2000. ISBN-10: 0787947423, ISBN-13: 978-0787947422

• Zachary, Lois J., Creating a Mentoring Culture: The Organization’s Guide, Jossey-Bass,

2005. ISBN-10: 0787964018, ISBN-13: 978-0787964016

• Zachary, Lois J., The Mentee’s Guide: Making Mentoring Work For You, Jossey-Bass,

2009. ISBN-10: 0470343583, ISBN-13: 978-0470343586 4.2 Program Forms

For a structured mentoring relationship, forms are necessary to help the mentoring pair track establish goals, track their progress and document their successes. These forms should be readily available to any potential participants, for example through a website. Examples can be found in

the Engineers Canada Guideline for Mentoring Programs.

Resources:

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• APEGA Strategies for Success in Mentoring; a handbook for mentors and protégés http://www.apega.ca/Members/Mentoring/handbook/index.htm

4.3 Program Website

A public website should be established to providing general information about the program, such as the guideline, benefits of mentoring, time commitments, how to get involved, a registration portal, etc. In addition, it may be helpful to create a private website for those who are participating in the program. This would provide a place for the program coordinator to share general

information such as upcoming events, key dates for the program, or contact information, and could also serve as a place for mentor/mentee pairs to communicate online, if desired.

4.4 Personnel Support

The required budget and number of support personnel will vary based on the number of participants and the size and extent of the mentoring program. Normally one person will be

required to dedicate anywhere from 30% to 100% of their time to the monitoring and maintenance of the program. This could include time required to support any online tools that are used (as mentioned in Section 4.3).

It can also be an advantage to have a committee of member-volunteers who can assist with program direction and goals. There are several potential roles for such a committee:

• Initial assistance to plan and launch the program

• Ongoing assistance to help find mentors

• Ongoing assistance to help match mentors and mentees

• Ongoing assistance to plan mentoring-related events

What role the committee plays will depend on the size of the association and on the extent of the program itself.

In larger associations, regional coordinators may also be required to facilitate activities at a distance.

The majority of the time and effort are required during the up-front planning stage. After the program is running, each time the program is “opened up” and the process of matching mentors and mentees is initiated, there will be additional work, but monitoring established pairs should require less effort.

5 IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

5.1 Work Plan

As with any new undertaking, it’s helpful to have a list of planned activities and their status, to keep you on track. The following example work plan shows recommended activities:

# Activities Responsible Due Date Status

1.0 Program Planning

1.1 Decide on mentoring program type and purpose (formal

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licensure or not, length of mentoring round, etc.)

1.2 Appoint a Mentorship Coordinator

1.3 Mentorship Coordinator to contact the other program

coordinators for “lessons learned”

1.4 Determine program costs considering staff time, matching

software (if any), training events, recruitment, social events.

2.0 Buy In

2.1 Obtain approval to implement the Mentorship Program

2.2 Form a Mentorship Committee of volunteers

3.0 Program Development

3.1 Develop list of mandatory session and documents for the

program (if launching a formal program)1

3.2 Develop program guide (a generic explanation of the

program and its purpose)

3.3 Develop forms for mentors and mentees (see Guideline

for Mentoring Programs)

3.4 Develop agenda and materials for training workshops for

mentors and mentees

3.5 Develop criteria for participation

3.6 Develop a communication plan

3.7 Develop public website to publicize the program and its

objectives, including a registration portal

3.8 Develop private website for mentors and mentees to

exchange information, and for the association to provide guidance and forms

4.0 Pre-launch Planning

4.1 Identify potential dates/places:

• Social event to solicit potential Mentors (optional)

• Training workshop for mentors and mentees

• Initial “meet and greet” between mentors and

mentees

4.2 Recruit participants (email, phone calls, newsletter,

networking, website, outreach events, etc.)

4.3 Monitor number of mentor/mentee applicants, and start

initial matching process

5.0 Launch the Program

5.1 Schedule the training session

5.2 Match mentors with mentees, sign agreements2

5.3 Email to inform the matches, include next steps

5.4 Hold the training session

6.0 Post-launch Activities

6.1 As per request from mentors/mentees – reassigning of

1

In a formal program mandatory items could include self-assessment, goals and objectives, etc. See

examples in the Guideline for Mentoring Programs

2

This could include a mentoring agreement between the mentee and mentor as well as a mentoring plan.

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mentors and mentees

6.2 Mentor/mentee mid-point feedback request

6.3 Mentor/mentee mid-point feedback review

6.4 Mentor/mentee feedback/appreciation meeting

7.0 Program Evaluation

7.1 Summarize feedback from feedback sessions, lessons

learned or surveys, etc. (adjust program as required)

7.2 Share feedback with other coordinators

7.3 Keep statistics regarding participation rates,

mentor/mentee satisfaction, feedback, etc.

5.2 Communications

When the program is being initially advertised, a variety of communication channels should be considered for communication from the program coordinator to the membership. This includes newsletters, the association website, e-blasts, outreach events and personal communications by phone and/or email.

Once the program is up and running, email is typically the most efficient form of communication to the mentoring pairs. It may also be effective to set up an online forum or message board where program participants can exchange information, look for tips or guidance and ask questions. For the actual mentoring relationships, most mentors and mentees prefer and receive the most benefit from face-to-face communication.

5.3 Training

Face-to-face training is beneficial for both mentors and mentees, and mandatory training is recommended at the beginning of each mentoring round in order to get best results from the mentoring program. In general, both mentors and mentees will need training regarding:

• Program purpose

• Code of conduct for mentoring relationships

• Expectations: required reporting, meetings and time commitments

• Roles and responsibilities

• Tips for a successful relationship and common pitfalls to beware of

More specific and detailed training is useful for the mentors. This training should focus on two areas:

• facilitation of the mentoring sessions: the interpersonal communication skills required to get the most out of a mentoring relationship

• content of the mentoring program: the discipline- or program-specific knowledge required to meet your program’s purpose (e.g. how does the licensure process work?)

Interpersonal communication skills might include information on:

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• identifying barriers to communication

• building rapport and empathy

• active listening

• asking appropriate questions

• strategies for the initial meeting

Some mentors are likely to find these skills relatively easy. Others will require more guidance, and may appreciate specific wording of what to say during their first contact with their mentees. This section of the training could also include some case studies or example scenarios to provide practical advice on how to act as a mentor.

It is imperative that both mentors and mentees are provided with written material (guides) that build on the training session. This way they will have material that they can refer to between initial training and their first meeting. It may also be beneficial to provide ongoing training to help

participants gain new skills and techniques that could improve the outcomes of each mentoring relationship.

Resources and examples of mentoring program guides are listed in Sections 4.1 and 4.2.

5.4 Matching Mentors and Mentees

Matching mentors and mentees is a time-consuming process that needs to consider many inputs. Typically, mentees are asked to provide preferences for a mentor profile. This could include things such as gender, age ranges and/or years of experience, culture, physical proximity, preferred meeting times, field of practice, other interests, etc. Research indicates that mentoring

relationships are most successful when mentees have some say in choosing their mentors. This can be accomplished through a statement of preferences or even more directly, by allowing mentees to choose between a few options, pre-selected by the Mentoring Coordinator. Three possible ways to accomplish the matching are:

• The program coordinator can be responsible for this task

APEGA has had positive experience with this approach. Contact them directly for more information.

• The committee can assist the program coordinator with this role

APEGBC has had positive experience with this approach. Contact them directly for more information.

• Software can be used which will match pairs based on criteria provided by the individuals PEO has had positive experience with this approach. Contact them directly for more information.

It is normal for mentors to be in short supply, so some may be asked to work with more than one mentee. The recruitment of mentors is best supported by a formal plan, but many times simple networking and word-of-mouth yield the best results.

It is important that mentors are recognized and thanked through an appreciation event, mentoring awards or even simple things like credit towards their continuing professional development

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5.5 Success Measures and Continuous Improvement

Success for a mentoring program can be measured on two levels: the success of individual mentoring pairs and the overall success of the program.

At the individual level, success is defined by each pair. It could include: licensure, developing a network, having a sounding board, getting support/guidance. The most clear way to measure this is through program reports and final feedback (surveys, face-to-face, etc.).

At the program level, it is possible to measure things such as: licensure (if this is the purpose of the program), number of participants, length of relationships, time to match, or others. Measuring these criteria is a much simpler process of pure information gathering.

For both types of success measures, improvements can only be made if good records are kept from year to year, and these statistics are tracked and analysed. Monitoring the program allows for the continuous improvement that is necessary for a sustainable program. This is facilitated by having fixed timing for the mentoring rounds and structured reporting from each mentoring pair.

6 CONCLUSION

In the end, the specifics of any mentoring program will be dictated by the purpose that the association sets for its program, the resources available to run the program, and the number of members in participating in the program.

Mentoring programs with varying purposes and or varying sizes have been launched at APEGBC, APEGA, PEO, OIQ, Engineers Nova Scotia and PEGNL. Contacting the program managers at these associations will be the best source of information and guidance.

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Best Practices from

The EMT Group Inc.

www.emt.org

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by Dustianne North, Jerry Sherk and Judy Strother

Congratulations on your interest in creating a mentoring program for the youth in your community! Many organizations like yours have recognized the value in mentoring, and thousands of children across the state have benefited from their participation in mentoring programs. But what distinguishes a mentoring program from other youth programs, and what exactly is involved in

launching one?

WHAT IS MENTORING?

Mentoring occurs when an older individual engages in building a healthy, trusting relationship with a younger person. Mentors provide support, guidance, friendship, role modeling, assistance, and an attentive ear. Informal (or non-structured) mentoring takes place in all types of youth programs and services. Teachers, coaches, tutors, counselors, scout leaders, other professionals, and even family members all regularly provide mentoring to young people. Such contact may be valuable and it may be “mentoring” but it is not always a “mentoring program.”

WHAT IS A MENTORING PROGRAM?

A formal or structured mentoring program strives to match older volunteers with younger participants for the specific purpose of building a relationship of trust and respect. At the same time, mentors and program staff often provide support and guidance to the mentee, and this is sometimes accomplished by integrating a variety of program themes such as conflict resolution, preg- nancy prevention, goal setting, tutoring, career development, involvement in sports, computers, camping or a number of other areas.

Although these themes may be important elements to mentoring programs, it’s good to remember that the main goal of a formal mentoring program is the devel-

opment of the relationship. In service of supporting

these relationships, well-managed mentoring programs have expert staff who screen and train their volunteer mentors, and they also consistently monitor each match throughout the mentoring cycle.

Considerations

before you start

Starting a youth mentoring program for your community or agency is one of the best things you can do to support children, and it is one of the few cost-effective means of providing individualized support to youth. However, mentor program development also comes with three important warnings!

✦Programs need planning and structure.

Safe and effective mentoring has quite a bit more to it than simply matching any adult with any child. Quality mentoring programs need a carefully conceived structure, which includes clear and comprehensive program guidelines. You can’t start a program with little structure, thinking you’ll add guidelines later on; participants will likely reject your attempts at “reeling them in” by adding new rules and procedures.

✦Programs need resources and support.

It is not possible to operate a successful mentoring program without proper resources. To begin with, funding is needed to hire one or more professional program staff. In addition, if you are part of a larger agency, your mentoring program will need the support and endorsement of your organization.

✦Many programs take on too much, too soon.

The lack of experienced staff combined with the difficulties (and the expense) of designing an effective program structure and of recruiting, screening, training and monitoring program participants, often requires agencies to begin by developing a smaller “pilot” mentoring program.

A change in thinking is often needed in both funders and program staff to avoid unrealistic expectations of a new mentoring program. In fact, before you consider implementing a mentoring program within your organization, it is best to check out what mentoring programs already exist in your neighborhood. Perhaps a partnership with an already established and successful program will prove to be a better option than starting from scratch.

Finally, program managers of new programs often need to inform their directors, administrators and staff of the resources, program structures and processes needed to implement a safe and effective, quality mentoring program. The following FAQs will help you to do so.

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Frequently Asked Questions

about mentoring

Here are answers to some of the

questions most frequently asked by

new program managers.

✦ What TYPES of mentoring program models exist?

Several models of mentoring exist among current programs. Some match only one-on-one, others do group, team, or peer mentoring. There are even programs that use the Internet as a means for mentors and mentees to connect. Different program models vary in the level of risk and thus, the level of required supervision. For example, programs in which volunteers have unsupervised contact with mentees require more training and screening than those that only have mentors and mentees meet under constant supervision.

✦ What is a reasonable NUMBER OF MENTOR/ MENTEE

MATCHES that one supervisor can adequately monitor and support in order for mentoring to be safe and effective?

The number of matches one supervisor can manage will depend on the expertise of the supervisor(s), the time commitment mentors can give, whether or not mentors have unsupervised contact with their mentees, the type of mentoring model used, and the level of “at-risk factors” of the mentee population. It is extremely important that mentors receive strong training and support and that the matches are properly monitored.

A good rule of thumb for traditional (one-to-one) mentoring is that there should be no more than 20-25 matches per supervisor. For group mentoring, it is likely that a single program manager can effectively support 5-8 groups (serving 50-80 mentees and 15-25 volunteers). The key here is that a supervisor needs to be familiar with and understand the needs of each one of

his or her mentees. A supervisor begins to become less effective when numbers in a one-to-one program approach 30 or 35 matches.

In addition to the mentee, the supervisor needs to develop a relationship with each mentor, and with the mentee’s parents. One can see that if a program has 25 matches, the supervisor could be in contact with up to 100 individuals.

✦ How MANY mentors can I expect to recruit, train, and supervise in a NEW program?

As there are so many unknowns when starting up a new mentoring program, when possible, the first cycle should be treated as a pilot program. A pilot program should start with no more than five to fifteen matches. Starting small makes it much easier to manage any problems that may arise and to keep the program responsive to its participants as issues are addressed. Once the first group of matches are completed, staff will have a much clearer picture of what it takes to run their program, and they can then decide on how many matches to make during the next cycle. As the program begins to expand, it will be important to hire additional staff to maintain a reasonable match-to-supervisor ratio.

✦ What are the INITIAL COSTS needed to get a program

off the ground?

The resources needed to start a new program would ideally include one full-time staff person to undertake the majority of planning and implementation of tasks. Typically called a “program coordinator” or “program manager,” this individual’s salary is often the single largest expenditure in any mentoring effort.

The program manager should be supported by an opera- tional and governance structure that provides credibility and organizational support. The organization needs to help the mentoring program obtain insurance, office and meeting space, supplies, clerical assistance, communications equipment, refreshments, program incentives, event support, etc. Funding for these expenses, added to the costs of recruitment, fingerprinting and criminal background checks, and access to human relations expertise to help train and support mentors can cost between

$400-$2,000 per match per year.

Generally the higher the at-risk factors that a mentee population has, the more money it takes to run the program. Efforts for high-risk youths need more thorough screening procedures, more comprehensive mentor training, and more intensive monitoring.

Programs commonly seek about $100,000 per year for a first-time mentoring grant; however, less may be needed if the program is being implemented in an already- established agency, or if program personnel (for example, counselors) can be “borrowed” from a school site. It is also possible to acquire other necessary resources and services on an in-kind or pro bono basis; however, locating such resources also takes time and energy.

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✦ Can a program be OPERATED BY A VOLUNTEER or a minimally paid program manager?

Many programs are run by program managers or coordinators that either volunteer or agree to a minimal salary. In either case, those who are considering becoming

program managers need to be very careful — what may appear to a newcomer to be a three-hour-per-week commitment can actually turn into a 50+ hour-per-week job. Unpaid or low paid staff can quickly become burned out, and the program will suffer; frequent turnover in the program manager position can create turmoil within the program.

✦ How do I utilize “BEST PRACTICES” for youth mentoring

programs?

Before major time and resources are invested in creating a new program, you should familiarize yourself with the industry’s “best practices.” A key tool for learning these practices is the ten Quality Assurance Standards (QAS) for youth mentoring programs. These standards were

developed in 1989 by the National Mentoring Partnership, and they serve as a framework for developing safe and effective programs. In fact, the standards cover every major aspect that should be integrated into your program. The Quality Assurance Standards focus on 10 areas that must be carefully developed for a mentoring program to effective. After working with this tool for any period of time you will begin to understand that each and every standard is useful in promoting the safety and the

personal growth of the mentee population. The standards

are as follows:

1. A statement of purpose and a long range plan 2. A recruitment plan for mentors and mentees 3. An orientation for mentors and mentees 4. Eligibility screening for mentors and mentees 5. A readiness and training curriculum for all mentors

and mentees 6. A matching strategy

7. A monitoring process

8. A support, recognition and retention component 9. Closure steps

10. An evaluation process

Quality Assurance Standards, along with a detailed explanation of each point, can be downloaded by visiting EMT Group’s website at www.emt.org.

To implement the QAS, it is important that clearly written policies and procedures be established for mentors, mentees and their families, referral sources and program staff. To this end, many new programs begin the design process by focusing on a mentor training manual. It’s much easier for a new program during the initial design process to develop their program by taking excerpts from manuals of one or more existing quality mentoring programs. (Of course, you must obtain permission from each program before doing so.)

✦ How LONG will it take to develop the program? How SOON can my first group of youths be matched with mentors?

A good estimate of time needed to design a program, establish a training system, recruit and screen the first group of volunteers, and train them is about six months. This process could take longer if staff needs to be hired or funding needs to be acquired. Again, programs that don’t allow for sufficient planning in this area often fail. The implementation of the program should be synchronized with the organization’s calendar of operation. For instance, school-based programs often determine their matches in September and then have their formal kick-off in early October.

✦ How much and what kind of TRAINING do

volunteers need?

The level of volunteer training depends on the at-risk factors of the mentee population being served, what mentors will be doing with their youth, and the level of support and supervision mentors will receive once they’ve been

matched. Typical mentor programs that have mentees with a moderate level of at-risk factors usually have trainings that range from three to six hours in length. Many professionals recommended that mentors receive at least six hours of training if they are to have unsupervised contact with youth. Mentor trainings typically include subjects such as:

background and history of mentoring, mentoring con- cepts and practices, program policies and procedures, confidentiality and child abuse reporting, crisis manage- ment, communication skills, beginning the match, enrich- ment activities, plus modules of training that focus on understanding the specific population being served. For example, mentors who will work with youth in foster care should be educated to work within that system in addition to working with youth in general. Any program working with specialized populations, such as children in foster-care,

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on probation, or with disabilities, require much more extensive training. Trainings for programs such as these tend to range from 10 to 25 hours.

✦ How much SUPPORT do participants need from

program staff during the course of the mentoring relationship?

To ensure safe and effective matches, programs need to provide regular supervision and monitoring.

MENTORS: Mentors need to be able to talk about their mentees with program staff and other mentors in order to receive support and guidance; this can occur during ongoing training sessions, in mentor roundtables, or by phone or face-to-face supervision with program staff. Ideally, program staff should be meeting with mentors at least once a month, especially during the early phase of the relationship.

MENTEES: In well-run programs, supervisors also check in with mentees regularly to ensure their safety and to respond to any questions and concerns that they may be having. This can be done over the phone, face-to-face, or during group activities.

PARENTS: Programs should keep in frequent contact with the mentees’ parents; not only should they make themselves available to answer questions or to find resources, but program staff needs to be ready to step in and mediate should conflicts arise between the mentor and the family.

REFERRAL SOURCES: Some programs are able to enhance their support and monitoring processes by exchanging information with therapists, school counselors, teachers, etc.

DOCUMENTATION: It’s imperative that programs document the progress of each relationship in detail. Every match should have a file of its own, and files should be kept under lock and key. The documentation process is accomplished in various ways, including observing and/or writing down any contact that was listed above. In addition, staff can gain valuable information by utilizing mentor/mentee logs, and by having all participants

(mentors, mentees, parents and referral sources) turn in “satisfaction surveys” at various intervals during the program.

NOTE: Don’t forget that all participants need to know what to do and who to call during crisis situations. These procedures should be covered during the initial trainings.

✦ What is the minimum TIME COMMITMENT for mentors in

terms of hours per month and length of the match?

As a general rule, the more time a mentor can spend with his mentee, the better it is for the young person. But, as most mentors are extremely busy with their jobs and families, the needs of the mentee have to be balanced against the availability of the mentor. Most programs ask mentors to spend one to two hours per week with their mentees and this is a sufficient amount of time for the relationship to develop. It usually much less effective if the match meets, say, once a month.

Length of mentor commitment can vary greatly. Some programs with high-risk populations (such as minors who have had court contact) require only a six-month commitment, as they know the relationship may be a relatively intense experience for the mentor. While most school-based programs have a mentoring cycle of anywhere

from 7 to 9 months, many other programs ask their mentors for a 12-month commitment. No matter the length of the mentoring relationship, most programs encourage the match to continue on beyond the minimum time frame. If the relationship continues on beyond the initial cycle without being supervised by the program, for safety and liability reasons staff should develop an official process for “signing off” on the match.

✦ Are mentors ever PAID?

A few programs offer stipends or other forms of compensation for their mentors. They may do this to facilitate the

recruitment of quality mentors, or because they recognize that community members are sacrificing valuable time to be with their mentees. However, there is still a distinction between a mentor and, say, a paid case manager or counselor. Regardless of stipends and other compensation, mentors generally do not make their living via mentoring; therefore, mentoring is considered a volunteer-driven intervention for youth.

✦ What RESOURCES are available to assist in the

process of creating a mentoring program?

EMT Group is funded by the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs to provide technical assistance for new and existing mentoring programs in the state of California. Programs and individuals interested in receiving no-cost technical assistance in mentoring program

development may contact: The EMT Group,

391 South Lexington Drive, Suite 110, Folsom, CA 95630 (916) 983-9506 www.emt.org