Jan. 24, 2022: January is National Mentoring Month, and the Colorado Department of Human Services, Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) wishes to celebrate the work of a few of our grantees who are invested in creating and expanding opportunities for youth through mentoring. The OBH Community Substance Use Prevention and Early Intervention team offers five-year grants through a competitive application process for Substance Abuse Block Grant Prevention Funds to support mentoring efforts in Colorado communities. Mentoring has been proven to increase protective factors such as connection to trusted adults and community. Today we spotlight the work of Gunnison Valley Mentors (GVM) by featuring a submission from GVM Executive Director Tina McGuiness.
Mentoring during a pandemic
The ability to maintain relationship-based programming during a pandemic required a great deal of scrambling. Initially, mentors, mentees and families were advised to plan digital meetings rather than meet in person. We stocked the office with crafts, games, baking kits and other activities that mentors could pick up, deliver to mentees, and they could do them together through their social media links. Our mentees were definitely unhappy with the upheaval in their lives early on in the pandemic. They couldn't see friends. They felt stuck at home. They couldn't hang out with mentors. They were confused about school expectations.
We were especially concerned about safety as 74% of the youth we serve are referred because of violence in the home. Case managers almost tripled the number of contacts to mentoring pairs from a normal total of about 400 a month to over 1000 per month. "We set up a series of online "Mental Health Moments." We sent weekly stress management tips to families. Some of our mentors deemed themselves essential, and with Public Health consent and guidelines, continued to meet in person.
Once local case counts became manageable, partnerships were encouraged to meet outside. Mentors delivered outside activity bags to their mentees during sidewalk talks. Our schools returned to in-person in the fall of 2020 and have stayed open. We've kept our group activity sizes limited, so it's definitely been more work for case managers as they're running considerably more, but smaller groups. Really, we are so very lucky to have experienced staff, an established program, and access to amazing outdoor opportunities. I don't know how we would have survived if it hadn't been for the complete dedication of case managers and mentors.
Data and Evaluations
As an affiliate of the Partners Mentoring Association, we administer a pre-post assessment called the PMSEI. This evaluation instrument measures change on a variety of scales. Our mentees are demonstrating statistically significant increases in adult-bonding, resiliency, social communication skills, and from the Federal Youth NOMS, increased perceived risk of harm of substance use.
Our mentors describe their experience as "rewarding," "exciting," "never a dull moment," "inspiring." Our mentees say things like, "He's the best friend I've ever had, "My mentor has helped me try so many new hobbies, "I learned to swim," and "I can always talk to my mentor."
Positive Outcomes
In 2021, 273 youth were matched into one-to-one partnerships with 170 volunteer mentors and five school-based InSpire mentors. Another 71 youth participated in organized life skills and recreational activities while waiting to be matched.
How to get involved
We are always on the look-out for mentors, and you can find us recruiting at just about any public space or event, in local media outlets, at school functions, in Western Colorado University clubs and classrooms, and our favorite—coffee shops. Our board members recruit for us too! We are listed on the national mentoring organization's mentor recruitment site. You can find more information about Gunnison Valley Mentors at www.gunnisonmentors.com or call directly at 970.641.5513. |