Utah Youth Mentoring Program

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 proposed Utah Youth Mentoring Program, operated by Volunteers of America, Utah, seeks to increase mentoring for youth in Salt Lake County, UT, and address factors that lead to or serve as a catalyst for delinquency and other problem behaviors. The program will provide services to youth ages 12–17 impacted by opioids in Salt Lake County, UT. The program will strengthen existing mentoring activities and further reduce substance use and juvenile justice system involvement among youth using evidence-based practices in order to address the needs of youth who are at risk for opioid misuse, are misusing or have misused opioids, and/or have a family history of opioid misuse. The organization currently provides group mentoring services in 12 schools from the Murray and Salt Lake City school districts and at 5 community sites, and will expand to include Cornerstone Counseling Center, an organization that provides substance abuse treatment programs.

The Utah Youth Mentoring Program will leverage and build on these services by serving additional youth and matching them with independent one-on-one mentors. It is estimated that 1,080 youth will be served and 360 volunteers will be recruited and trained as mentors during the project period. The program goals are to (1) provide expanded access to one-on-one mentor opportunities to Salt Lake County youth at risk of juvenile delinquency and (2) reduce substance use and juvenile justice system involvement among youth impacted by opioid misuse. These goals will be measured through collected data, including pre- and post-tests, the number of youth served, hours/number of youth participating in group mentoring, and number of youth served by one-on-one mentoring. Output data will be put into a monthly success report and reviewed monthly to ensure program goals are being met. Outcome data collected through pre- and post-tests will be reviewed on a yearly basis by the Prevention Services Director. No funds will be used to conduct research. CA/NCF