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William O' Leary, MSW
People Talk - Training and Consulting
135 Marcus Blvd., Hauppauge, NY 11788
516-231-6261
www.peopletalkconsulting.com
Mentoring is a valuable tool in the proactive intervention of crisis. A mentor in the mental health and educational setting is
someone whose involvement is tailored to the structure of the setting. By developing a deep and professional relationship
with a client it is possible to prevent many of the crisis situations that client may normally get into. When utilized properly,
a mentor should know a client well enough to know his / her normal patterns of behavior and when there are any breaks in
it. They should then be able to intervene at the earlier stages of escalation thereby eliminating the peak crisis stage.
A mentor should be involved in the preparation and implementation of any treatment plans a client may have. They should be the one a client goes to when they are in crisis (but the mentor needs to ensure that they do not reinforce dependency or try to replace a family member). When this relationship is developed, the client is able to work on any issues relevant to their treatment as well as learn how to develop healthy, independent relationships. It is not possible for any staff member to be able to have this type of relationship with more than a handful of clients. It is also crucial that a mentor program is planned before being implemented and used by all members of the treatment team who have regular contact with the clients. Staff must also be trained on how to be a professional mentor to avoid building detrimental relationships.
In residential settings a mentor should be someone who sees the client on a regular basis (several hours a week) in the normal scale of their position. There is opportunity in residential settings to have a higher level mentoring program.
In a daily setting (schools, BOCES, etc.) a weekly session is sufficient but it should be tailored to have a fit between mentor and mentee instead of being a match of convenience. In either setting, someone needs to be responsible for monitoring the development of the relationships and make adjustments as needed.