Mentoring Juveniles Impacted by Opioids on the Eastern Shore of Maryland

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. 116-6, 133 Stat. 13, 115. Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Eastern Shore will provide professionally supported mentoring services to 166 juveniles impacted by opioids on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. This project will be focused on juveniles between ages 6 and 16 who fall into one of three categories: Category 1 – juveniles between ages 6 and 18 who have used and/or abused opioids at some point in their lives; Category 2 – juveniles between ages 6 and 18 who have a member of their immediate family who used and/or abused opioids; and Category 3 – juveniles between ages 6 and 18 who have a member of their extended family, friends, or associates who have used and/or abused opioids, or who live or go to school in an area of special concern. Mentoring programs will be offered as community-based mentoring, school- or site-based mentoring, and through Beyond School Walls, which is a business-based mentoring program designed to prepare high school students for the workforce. Mentors will work with juveniles for at least 1 year, meeting at least twice a month. Funds will be used to recruit, enroll, screen, and train the mentors; recruit, enroll, and assess mentees; match mentors and mentees based on shared interests and personality traits; provide ongoing support to the mentoring matches, and annual outcome assessments.