Community Partnership Spotlight: How Training Enhances Youth Mentoring
When Angela Hipp, Mentoring Coordinator at Community Connections, secured grant funding for mentor training, she laid the groundwork for an innovative partnership that is showing promising results in youth mental health support. The collaboration between Community Connections and the Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring at UMass Boston has introduced an exciting approach to mentor preparation through the Mindful Mentoring course, led by clinical psychologist Dr. Alex Werntz.
The impact of this partnership is already evident in the data from two cohorts of trained mentors. Mentors reported significant improvements in their perceived ability to support their mentees’ mental health and increased confidence in fostering emotional well-being. Six months after completing the course, mentors continue to actively implement key lessons, particularly focusing on understanding thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, youth mental health challenges, and motivational interviewing techniques.
“What is exciting is that this gives mentoring relationships direction,” explains Dr. Werntz, who emphasizes that incorporating mental health skills doesn’t diminish the personal connection between mentors and mentees. Instead, this structured approach provides mentors with tools to better support youth while maintaining the fundamental relationship-building that makes mentoring effective.
About Community Connections
Community Connections’ Mentoring Program empowers youth in Lincoln County, Nebraska through one-on-one mentoring relationships that foster personal growth and resilience. Mentors and mentees meet 4 to 8 hours per month at flexible community locations, supporting youth through guidance, positive role modeling, and group activities. Under the leadership of Executive Director Jayna Schaaf, and in partnership with Angela Hipp, the program secured funding for Mindful Mentoring training, enhancing mentors’ skills to support youth’s emotional well-being. Community Connections remains dedicated to connecting people and enhancing lives, building a stronger, more supportive community.
About the Mindful Mentoring Training
Mindful Mentoring is a customized version of the Mentoring for Youth Mental Health course created by Dr. Werntz. It is a 12-week, virtual, live training that teaches mentors the critical skills necessary for connecting with youth. Although mentors come to the course with a variety of backgrounds, this course focuses on training them in evidence-based principles for motivating young people, listening with empathy, and guiding towards healthy habits. Lessons adapt core psychotherapy skills for mentors, including motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy skills, in a way that fosters young people’s well-being and thriving. An asynchronous version of a similar course is available on MentorPRO Academy and is taught by Fordham University’s Dr. Liz Raposa.
Looking Forward: Key Takeaways for Mentoring Programs
For organizations seeking to enhance their youth mentoring initiatives, several insights emerge:
- Structured training can coexist with and enhance relationship-building
- Paraprofessional volunteers can effectively learn and apply evidence-based mental health support skills
- When mentors are empowered with the skills to listen and provide support, mentoring relationships can provide a safe context for mentees to explore their thoughts and feelings
The success of this partnership demonstrates how community organizations can leverage evidence-based practices to create more impactful mentoring relationships that support youth mental health and well-being. As Dr. Werntz notes, this approach “doesn’t take away from the power of the relationship between the mentor and the mentee” – it enhances it.
