Our mentoring program focuses on the needs of adopted BIPOC youth, or youth in care who would benefit from the support of a young adult who has had similar experiences. Mentoring is a different experience than counselling, because of this, the goals and outcomes will also be different. There is incredible power in sharing experiences with someone who has already been through what adoptees are currently going through. This allows for an empathic time together involving valuable stories about what they have learned along the way. Particularly for young people growing up in bi-racial families with limited access to racial mirrors, the mentoring experience can introduce an opportunity for this important connection to someone who looks like them. Mentors share many of the same lived experiences in the world and can connect them with a wider community that they can access long after the mentoring relationship has ended.
Our mentors are adoptees or former youth in care who have had some post secondary training in psychology, social work, or child and youth care. They are motivated to connect with young people who are struggling with their daily experiences and relationships that center around school, family, and community. Mentors will engage youth in discussion by also including a variety of sensory and visual modalities such as music, video clips, games, drawing, painting, physical activities, and storytelling. Youth are welcome to bring content, questions, and ideas to each 1-1 experience.
Over the years, we have witnessed incredible connections between youth and mentors that encourage and support healthier choices, foster a greater understanding of self, development of self-advocacy skills, and improved relationships between youth and family members, as well as positive community engagement.
Mentoring sessions are the same time frame as a counselling session (50 minutes) and can be held online to ensure that youth have access from wherever they are located. In some cases, in person mentoring can be arranged at one of our office locations. Parents are welcome to request an initial session with the mentor to provide background information, concerns and hopes or wishes.
