Southwest Key Youth Mentoring Program

The Multi-State Mentoring Program provides funding to support established mentoring organizations in their efforts to strengthen and/or expand their existing mentoring activities within local chapters or sub-awardees in five or more states to reduce juvenile delinquency, drug abuse, truancy, and other problem and high-risk behaviors. FY 2014 funding will address the factors that can lead to or serve as a catalyst for delinquency or other problem behaviors in underserved youth, including youth in high-risk environments, children of incarcerated parents and tribal youth. The program is comprised of three categories: Category 1 for organizations implementing one-on-one mentoring programs, Category 2 for Group mentoring programs and Category 3 for a combination of both one-on-one and group mentoring.

The Southwest Key Youth Mentoring Program will provide a combination of one-on-one and group mentoring to youth between the ages of 10-17 years old who are involved in the juvenile justice system and are especially vulnerable to engaging in high-risk behaviors that jeopardize their futures because their life circumstances include the risk factors of poverty, lack of positive role models, and the negative influence of peers. The project goals are to provide quality mentoring services for targeted youth at sites in five states: San Jose, California; Atlanta, Georgia; Buffalo, New York; Austin, Texas; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin in order to reduce further involvement in the juvenile justice system, improve school attendance and reduce school disciplinary behaviors. Staff will utilize evidence- and research-based approaches for youth mentoring programs to increase the potential for a successful and rewarding mentoring relationship. Mentors will receive extensive training and ongoing support. Particular emphasis will be placed upon following processes and assessing the ongoing success of these additional research-and evidence-based practices: screen and match mentors and mentees based upon a thorough survey of the interests, backgrounds, and strengths of each; engage families in the mentoring program through an initial orientation and regular communication, and by connecting them to community resources; and engagement of external partners and community collaborations, so that they are able to refer families to additional opportunities for positive development for youth, and to strengthen families. Emphasis will be placed on enhancing current relationships with mentoring organizations and establishing new relationships. Connections will be made with local and national mentoring organizations to share lessons learned and best practices.

Performance measures include, but are not limited to: number and percent of mentors entering/successfully completing training; percentage increase in the number of mentors recruited; number of mentors added (ready for training); percentage of mentors with increased knowledge of the program; percentage and number of trained program mentors; mentor retention rate; number of youth enrolled/percent increase in number of youth enrolled; number of active community partners/percent of programs with active partners; number of program youth served; number of youth served with evidence-based practice or program; number of youth successfully exiting program; percentage and number of youth who offend or reoffend (tracked during grant period and 6-12 months post-program completion; and percentage and number of youth exhibiting desired change in targeted behavior (tracked during grant period and 6-12 months post-program completion). CA/NCF