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Blue Mountains
Blue Mountains



Presenting Pathways to Positive Parenting
MENT  50 minute unit
No Charge for Cancellations or No-Show Appointments      
The Mentors' Role in the Life of a Child
GRCC Mentors shall diligently work to earn the trust of the child they mentor.  They shall show and elicit respect from the child they mentor, and will be certain that the child feels no obligation to interact, but at the same time, understands they can speak freely with the assurance that they are accepted unconditionally, and are genuinely cared-for and understood. With the earned-position of influence these efforts create, it is likely that the Mentor will be able to detour the child from unacceptable peers, dangerous behaviors such as substance abuse, reckless activities such as dare-devil pursuits, and from engaging in illegal juvenile behavior such as truancy and acts of aggression.  Should the child get him/herself into trouble in these or other areas, the Mentor will address the child with a positive approach focused on accepting the resulting consequences, feeling good about self for serving and learning from them, and moving past his/her wrong-doing with determination to make better choices in the future.
Scope of Service
The Mentor shall engage the child in specific activities which facititates him or her to personally achieve the goals of their treatment plan set by their Worker in the following ways:   The Mentor:
  • Will not have supervisory duty but rather guide the child through example;
  • Will create  opportunities or take advantage of existing opportunities  for the child to realize personal achievement as well as meet the goals set by the CD Worker;
  • Will report on the child's progress by:  Providing written documentation to the CD Worker of each mentoring session, and attending each Family Support Team meeting to verbally report progress toward the set goals;
  • Will encourage the child to also set personal goals for self and help him/her develop a plan of action and a reasonable time-line  for realizing them. 
  • Will develop a plan of accountability  for the identified goals so the child can identify his/her progress and recognize areas in which more diligent effort is needed.
  •  Will  help the child regain focus and come back to a positive view self by reviewing progress to date and reassuring the child that his goals are within his/her reach through consistent effort if the child at some point becomes discouraged as he/she strives to reach his/her goals. 
  • Will help the child address obstacles which present a hindrance to him/her in reaching the identified goals by introducing the "SOCSs Model" of problem-solving:   *Identify the Situation, brain-storm multiple Options, consider the Consequences of each option, and Simulate the outcome* to allow the child the opportunity to overcome the obstacle and gain the self esteem and self confidence that results from one solving his/her own problem.
(of Identified Mentoring Goals)
  • Raise academic performance
GRCC  Mentors  shall take a genuine interest in the academic progress and success of child they are mentoring.  This shall involve the Mentor being aware of the child's school projects, activities, and class-room studies.  The Mentor shall be available to attend and when acceptable, assist the child with preparing for extra-curricular activities in which the child participates such as debates, science fairs, sporting events, drama or musical productions, or field-trips attended by the parents of class-mates.  The Mentor shall point out the correlations between the child's  area of academic interest, their personal investment in it, and their persistence to achieve excellence and their quality of life as an adult.  The Mentor shall paint a realistic picture of the child's abilities and guide him/her toward areas where he/she shows the highest aptitude.  The Mentor shall help the child set goals as soon as possible for scholarships in his/her field of interest.  During times of discouragement with school, the Mentor shall help the child to re-focus and re-frame the issue to create a positive attitude.  The Mentor shall usher the child into their academic future by facilitating plans for higher education, trade school, or shadow-programs.  This may include introducing the child to academic counselors at colleges; helping him meet guidelines and dead-lines for various application forms for admittance, for financial aid such as grant and/or scholarships, or for entrance testing; and facilitating tours to various schools, attending college, trade school, or job fairs, or looking on-line to review offerings for higher education and order catalogs for review. 
  • Achieve a higher degree of acceptable social functioning:
GRCC Mentors shall maintain and encourage in the child they mentor to develop and maintain a positive attitude toward self and others.  The Mentor shall guide the child to socialize with peers at or above his/her level of achievement, and teach him/her how to "fit-in" with peers who are making good life choices.  The Mentor shall be accepting of the child's peers and show  a positive attitude toward them .  Since trust is both critical and fragile, the Mentor shall teach the child how to discriminate wisely on what to look for when deciding whether or not to trust someone, and the degree of trust that might be indicated.  The Mentor shall teach assertive-communication skills so that the child can approach difficult life situations with confidence and be able to express negative feelings in a manner that resolves rather than intensifies problems. 
  • Raise Self Confidence Gain Self Esteem
GRCC Mentors shall encourage the child they mentor to recognize and embrace their own talent, achievement, and ideas as important to self and others.  Also, in this process, teaching the child to keep a positive attitude with which to  address life-challenges will be an on-going quest.  During times of vulnerability, the Mentor shall instill hope and acceptance in the child and provide positive reinforcement and support as needed.  Confidence that he/she can contribute to his/her life in a positive way, as well as bringing positive experiences into the lives of others is the foundation of a strong sense of self esteem. With this achievement, a child is more likely to maintain a pattern of making positive choices in their life through adulthood. 
  • Develop a specific area of Personal Achievement
GRCC Mentors shall participate in the child's areas of interest, and when needed, shall introduce the child to activities so that the child can develop new interests.  Again, this criteria indicates the importance of carefully  matching Mentor and child for the highest probability of success.  Interests such as sports, fine-arts, and  technology shall be developed, pursued, and applauded.  This effort shall involve the Mentor supporting the child by attending practices, involvement in appreciation of the interest such as going to museums and libraries, attending live performances, and aiding the child in applying for future placement in his/her  areas of pursuit.
  • Pursue Career Goals
GRCC Mentors shall encourage the child they mentor to explore career  options in his/her areas of interest.  If or when the child selects a career path, the Mentor shall help the child pursue their career choice by identifying the options for further education or training.  The Mentor shall encourage and facilitate the child getting involved in their area of choice by applying for and visiting trade school and/or higher education options; and/or facilitating shadowing situations for the child.
  • Raise Cultural Awareness, Acceptance,  and Appreciation
GRCC Mentors shall open up for the child they mentor an understanding and appreciation for world culture. This goal is especially applicable for children-of-color as they try to understand and adjust to Americal Culture, for children who hold discrimitatory values which interfere in their social adjustment, and for children to experience human similarities as more defining than individual diversity.  Attending cultural events such as cultural art shows, race-unity-day events, cultural fairs, and community celebrations of diverse cultures shall be offered by the Mentor.  Also, introducing the child to other socio-economic group activities, situations, and life styles shall be pursued by the Mentor.  For example, the Mentor shall introduce and teach proper etiquette and attitude to the child they mentor to participate in a wide range of life situations such as: black-tie affairs such as fine dining and theatre to visiting and volunteering time during a natural disaster, or to visiting the elderly in a nursing home, or volunteering to help the more unfortunate by helping at community resource centers.
  • Shadowing
GRCC Mentors shall be available to shadow the child they mentor for the child's safety, support, and direction.  Mentors shall approach this task with a positive rather than an punitive attitude and shall take these kinds of opportunities to encourage the child to make good life choices and to gain self esteem from doing so. 

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