Therapeutic Mentoring

Therapeutic Mentoring Program was created to assist youth and young parents to find, nurture and exercise their strengths, while acquiring life and coping skills. These gains are measured by their improved adjustment in the community, home and/or school, stronger community and family attachments, and enhanced vocational or educational interest.

Therapeutic mentors are positive adult role models who assist youth to find, nurture and exercise their strengths. They seek to increase youths' positive social behavior, decrease their involvement with the legal system and to help youth become more interested, connected and responsible members of their communities.

Therapeutic mentoring requires an awareness of factors within the individual, family, school and community that contribute to behaviors. Extensive research defines resiliency as the ability to thrive when faced with unpromising situations, and identifies protective factors within the individual, family, school and community. Such factors are proven to reduce the effects of exposure to life difficulties that are associated with delinquency, substance abuse, school dropout, and violence. Therapeutic mentors enhance resiliency through understanding individual and community strengths and by helping to create positive community support networks.

Therapeutic Mentors are selected based on their ability to connect with and provide positive role modeling and direction for youth, thereby creating a bridge between young people and their communities. The program serves children, adolescents and young parents in need of additional home and/or community supports.

Therapeutic Mentoring is available in Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Maine, Florida, South Carolina, Delaware, and California.