Question from Peer TA

With over 95 percent of people in the nation's State prisons expected to be released at some point, officials at all levels of government recognize the need for initiatives to support the successful reentry of these individuals to their communities. The program snapshots released in this publication by the Council of State Governments illustrate the positive impact reentry initiatives can have by focusing on areas vital to successful reintegration back into the community, including employment, education, mentoring, and substance abuse and mental health treatment. Also highlighted are programs that address the needs of a particular population, such as women, youth and their families, and Tribal communities. Representing a wide range of populations served, these programs also demonstrate the diversity of approaches that can address recidivism and increase public safety.

New York City’s Human Resource Administration designed and implemented the WeCARE program to assist the high number of TANF participants on their caseload with clinical barriers to work; the model has since been successful in moving clients with mental health and other needs off of cash assistance. This 2010 webinar provided TANF stakeholders with information on the program’s creation and implementation. Also available on PeerTA are reports from two site exchanges to WeCARE, with Wisconsin and Hawaii.

From Public/Private Ventures, this resource brief is designed to provide program operators and researchers with advice about how to assess a program's implementation and impact with a focus on mentoring programs, in general. However, the information can be applied across social programs. Authors provide an overview of issues that can arise in implementation as well as evaluation of a program.

Mentoring programs can often provide positive youth development similar to the support a youth receives from caregivers. This issue brief, from the National Human Service Assembly, offers information on how greater family engagement in youth mentoring programs can lead to better outcomes for mentored youth and how mentoring principles be applied to help connect isolated families to resources and supports to achieve self-sufficiency.

Mentoring programs have a positive affect on improving outcomes for youth; however, there are few programs available for youth with disabilities. This article outlines the benefits of mentoring and reviews accommodations that can be made to existing mentoring programs to include youth with disabilities.

In 2002, 2.3 million youth were arrested for committing crimes. Specifically, low-income urban neighborhoods experience higher rates of juvenile delinquency. These high-risk youth experiences problems in school, in the workforce, and developing healthy relationships. To reduce the impact of delinquency on youth, this article reviews mentoring as a deterrent to high-risk youth engaging in risky behaviors.

The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania provides resources to mentoring programs and supports mentoring programs by presenting best practices and delivering training and technical assistance to staff of local programs.

This FASTEN mentoring manual is designed as a guide for those who have chosen to take the incarceration of a child's parent as a point of intervention, with mentoring as a vehicle. The manual uses the Amachi program as a model to show how faith-based organizations, secular nonprofits, and public organizations can work together to provide caring and trusting relationships for these children.

It is estimated that nearly two million children have an incarcerated parent. This article reviews the challenges that these children face and potential psychological and behavioral implications. Due to the disruption in the child's life, mentoring can be a critical factor to encourage positive outcomes, and the article concludes with reviewing relevant mentoring programs.