So you're going to be a mentor...

Thank you for your interest in becoming a mentor through the Safety Net Mentor Program. Mentors are able to help youth in many ways. Their influence can improve attitudes, increase high school graduation rates, and abstinence from drugs, alcohol, and crime. In fact, a study of mentoring done by Public/Private Ventures (Tierney et al., 1995) found that mentored youth:

• earned higher grades
• skipped fewer classes
• felt more competent in schoolwork
• were 46-70% less likely to initiate drug use
• 27% less likely to initiate alcohol use
• less aggressive
• had better relationships with their parents

The Safety Net Mentor Program began serving Utah County youth under the name Slate Canyon Mentor Program in January, 1999. It is the only area mentor program which partners volunteer adults over 21 years old with youth and adolescents in a one-on-one relationship. The program currently supervises over 150 mentor-mentee matches in the community. These include referrals under case management with the Division of Child and Family Services, Wasatch Mental Health, the Provo and Alpine School Districts and children of parents and guardians.  Youth qualifying for the program range in age from 6 years to 18 years of age. Requirements of the mentoring program include:

• Completion of application form
• Provision of copy of driver's license
• Provision of Social Security Card or Passport
• Provision of proof of automobile liability insurance 
• Two reference forms, available at orientation
• A fingerprint card, which can be done in campus security offices or local Police Station
• Personal interview
• Orientation and attendance at inservice training
• Minimum of one direct contact with youth weekly, plus a mentor report, sent on the web site mentor report form
• Minimum commitment of one year

We know you will find this experience to be a challenging, yet rewarding one. Please click here to contact Karla Sedillo to schedule an interview, or click here to apply online.