LUK Mentoring for Youth Impacted by Opioids

The Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative, Category 4 (Project Sites and Mentoring Strategies for Youth Impacted by Opioids)supports youth mentoring organizations that have a demonstrated partnership with a public or private substance abuse treatment agency. The focus of this category is to provide mentoring services as a part of a prevention, treatment and supportive approach for those youth impacted by opioids. This program is authorized and funded pursuant to Pub. L. No. 115-141, 132 Stat. 348, 423.

The LUK Mentoring Program pairs caring, concerned role models with youth from Worcester County, MA, who will benefit from additional support. This program will enhance and expand services with funding from OJJDP. They will match youth younger than age 18 who have family members who are currently using or have used opioids, are at high risk for using opioids, and who are currently using or have used opioids. LUK Mentoring will work with LUK’s Behavioral Health Services division to train staff and mentors on relevant topics. LUK Mentoring integrates Elements of Effective Practices for Mentoring into the delivery of services. Mentors will provide support to each youth as they move toward success in school, at home, and in life. LUK Mentoring will recruit, screen, train, and match appropriate mentors to youth. Both site-based and community-based 1:1 mentoring will be used. A volunteer mentor will spend at least 1 hour a week with a youth for at least 1 school year or calendar year, participating in activities together at designated sites or in the community. Mentor matches will also join together for group activities. Over the 3-year project period, LUK Mentoring will support mentoring matches for 150 youth (50 per year) to increase protective factors (i.e., developmental assets) and prevent offending. The objectives/outcomes for youth include the following: 100 percent of youth will participate in an evidence-based practice, 75 percent of youth will improve social competencies and academic engagement, 70 percent of youth in matches will successfully complete the program, 75 percent of youth will improve social competencies and academic engagement, no more than 5 percent of youth will offend within the previous 6-month period, and no more than 10 percent of youth will offend in the 6–12 months after exiting the program. Youth’s progress will be measured using the Search Institute’s Developmental Assets Profile and reports of offending. LUK Mentoring will not use any portion of the project budget to conduct research. CA/NCF