Mentoring Youth With Mental Illness

The Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative, Category 2 (Multi-State Mentoring Program) provides funding to support mentoring organizations in their efforts to strengthen and/or expand their existing mentoring activities within local chapters or sub-awardees (in at least 5 states but fewer than 45 states) to reduce juvenile delinquency, drug abuse(specifically opioid abuse), truancy, and other problem and high-risk behaviors. FY 2018 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. Programs are encouraged to target their mentoring services to American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth; children of parents on active military duty; children of incarcerated parents; youth with disabilities; youth with opioid/substance abuse problems; and youth in rural communities. This program is authorized and funded pursuant to Pub L. No. 115-141, 132 Stat. 348, 423.

Compeer, Inc. will provide mentoring support to youth younger than age 17 who are at high risk of involvement in the juvenile justice system due to mental health illness and related behaviors. Compeer Youth Mentoring will take place in eight states: New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, Indiana, Iowa, and Kansas. Funding will be used for outreach and recruitment, screening, training, matching and initiation, monitoring and support, and closure. Affiliates agencies will provide regular feedback to Compeer regarding mentor recruitment and engagement, the number of matches made and supported, and other data needed to address performance measures required by OJJDP. The Compeer Youth Mentoring model has been identified as an evidence-based mentoring model through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. CA/NCF