| Community Tool Box

• What is conflict resolution?

• Why should you resolve conflict?

• When should you resolve conflict?

• How should you resolve conflict?

What is conflict resolution?

Conflict, disagreement, and change are natural parts of our lives, as well as the lives of agencies, organizations, communities, and nations.

Conflict resolution is a process through which two or more parties work to understand a disagreement and find a constructive way forward. The disagreement may involve personal, financial, political, organizational, or emotional concerns.

When a dispute arises, negotiation is often one useful way to address the disagreement.

The goals of negotiation are:

• To develop a solution or agreement that the parties can accept
• To use time and resources effectively while allowing enough time for meaningful discussion
• To preserve or strengthen relationships whenever possible

Conflict resolution through negotiation can benefit everyone involved. Often, parties can accomplish more by working through the disagreement together than by ending communication. Negotiation can also uncover shared interests, new options, and resources that may not have been visible at the beginning.

Why should you resolve conflict?

The main goal of negotiation is to reach an agreement or path forward that addresses the important interests of the parties involved as fairly as possible.

Some other good reasons to negotiate are:

• To better understand people whose ideas, experiences, beliefs, priorities, or backgrounds may differ from your own. Resolving a conflict often requires learning how the other parties understand the issue and what matters most to them.
• To maintain or strengthen relationships. A constructive resolution can make future communication and collaboration easier, even when the parties continue to disagree on some issues.
• To find constructive solutions to difficult situations. Prolonged conflict can use large amounts of time, energy, trust, and other resources. Effective negotiation can reduce those costs and sometimes create new partnerships or opportunities.

When should you resolve conflict?

Conflict resolution can be useful for many kinds of disagreement. Our daily lives offer plenty of opportunities for negotiation - between family members, co-workers, friends, organizations, and community groups - and you probably already use a variety of strategies for resolving minor conflicts.

More serious conflicts, especially those involving groups, institutions, significant power differences, or long-standing disagreements, may require additional planning and skills. How should you structure a meeting between the parties? When should you accept a proposed agreement, and when should you continue negotiating? How should you respond when conversations become tense or personal? Read on for more information on specific conflict resolution techniques.

Conflict resolution and negotiation are not appropriate substitutes for safety planning, accountability, or formal procedures when a situation involves violence, abuse, harassment, coercion, threats, discrimination, or another serious risk of harm. In those situations, protecting people's safety and rights may need to come first, and mediation may require specially trained professionals or may not be appropriate at all.

How should you resolve conflict?

There are seven steps to successfully negotiating the resolution of a conflict:

1. Understand the conflict
2. Communicate with the other parties
3. Brainstorm possible resolutions
4. Choose the best resolution
5. Use a third-party mediator when helpful
6. Explore alternatives
7. Cope with stressful situations and pressure tactics

1. Understand the conflict

Conflicts arise for many different reasons. It is important to define your own position and interests clearly while also working to understand the interests of the other parties. Here are some questions to ask yourself so that you can better define the conflict.

Interests

• What are my interests?
• What do I really care about in this conflict?
• What do I want?
• What do I need?
• What are my concerns, hopes, or fears?

Possible Outcomes

• What kinds of agreements or outcomes might be possible?

Legitimacy

• Is there a trusted third party who could help the parties evaluate whether a proposed agreement is fair?
• What objective standards might help us evaluate whether an agreement is fair? Examples might include law, research evidence, professional standards, community agreements, or market value.
• Is there a relevant precedent that might help us evaluate possible agreements?

Their Interests

• What are the interests of the other parties?
• If I were in their position, what might I care about most in this conflict?
• What do they want?
• What do they need?
• What might their concerns, hopes, or fears be?

Interests play an important role in understanding conflict. Groups sometimes spend so much time bargaining over fixed positions that they lose sight of the reasons behind those positions. Once people become strongly identified with a single position, changing it can feel like losing. Exploring underlying interests can create more room for solutions that address what each party actually needs or values.

Example:

Your parent group wants the local high school to revise the way U.S. history is taught. You are concerned that the current textbook and curriculum give too little attention to the histories and experiences of Black, Latino, Asian American, Indigenous, and other communities.

You might begin by saying, "The only acceptable solution is to replace the current textbook with The People of the United States, and that's final." That statement presents one fixed position rather than explaining the interests behind it. If the School Committee rejects that particular textbook, the discussion may quickly reach a dead end.

A more productive approach would be to state the underlying interest: "We're concerned that the current curriculum does not adequately represent the histories and experiences of the diverse communities that have shaped the United States. We'd like to work together on ways to address those gaps."

The same interest could be addressed in several ways. The School Committee might adopt a different textbook, add supplemental readings and primary sources, revise required units, include more local and community history, or make broader curriculum changes. Different solutions may address the same underlying concern.

2. Communicate with the other parties

Now that you have thought through your own interests and those of the other parties, you can begin to communicate directly. Here are some tips for productive conversations:

• Listen. If something is important to another party, you need to understand that even if you don't agree with it.
• Create meaningful opportunities for participation. People who are affected by the outcome should have appropriate opportunities to contribute to the discussion and understand how decisions will be made.
• Acknowledge strong emotions. Conflict can involve anger, frustration, fear, grief, or disappointment. Allow people to express concerns while maintaining expectations for respectful and safe communication.
• Don't automatically respond to escalation with escalation. If the conversation becomes heated, slow down. Clarify misunderstandings, take a break if necessary, and apologize when you have genuinely caused harm or made a mistake.
• Be an active listener. Rephrase what you're hearing as a question: "Let me see if I'm following you. You're saying that... Have I got that right?" You can listen carefully while still being clear and firm about your own concerns.
• Describe your own experience and concerns rather than assigning motives to the other party. In the textbook example, you might say, "I'm concerned that my children aren't seeing the histories of many communities reflected accurately in the curriculum," rather than assuming that the other party intentionally chose an exclusionary curriculum.
• Be concrete, but flexible. Be clear about your interests and needs while remaining open to more than one possible solution.
• Avoid early judgments. Keep asking questions and gathering information before deciding that you fully understand the other party's perspective.
• Look for shared responsibility where appropriate. Rather than treating the problem as belonging entirely to one party, ask what each person or group can contribute to a workable solution.
• Make it possible for people to reconsider or modify their positions without humiliation. People are more likely to move toward agreement when changing course does not require them to publicly admit defeat.

3. Brainstorm Possible Resolutions

Now that you better understand the interests of the parties and have begun communicating, you can start thinking about possible solutions. Look for shared interests as well as differences. Even groups in serious conflict often have some common goals, such as stability, safety, fairness, financial sustainability, community trust, or respect.

Before you hold a brainstorming meeting, think carefully about how you'll set it up. Write a clear purpose statement. Consider a group size that allows everyone to participate. Choose a setting that is accessible and where participants can communicate safely and comfortably. If helpful, use a neutral facilitator who can guide the process without advocating for one side.

Decide whether it makes sense to brainstorm together or for each group to develop ideas separately before meeting. In either case, establish some ground rules.

• Generate as many ideas as possible before evaluating them. Early criticism can make people less willing to suggest creative options.
• Try to expand rather than prematurely narrow your options.
• Look for solutions that address important interests of all parties where possible.
• Consider what would make an agreement realistic and acceptable for the people who need to carry it out.
• During the meeting, make the problem -- rather than the people -- the focus. Use a whiteboard, shared document, large pad of paper, or another visible method to record ideas. The facilitator can review the purpose and ground rules and make sure participants have opportunities to contribute.

4. Choose the best resolution

After brainstorming, review the possible resolutions together. Consider which options best address the interests of the parties, protect important rights and needs, are realistic to implement, and are likely to be sustainable.

The goal is not necessarily to split everything equally. A strong resolution is one that the parties can accept as fair and workable and that addresses the most important interests involved.

5. Use a third-party mediator

As you work toward a resolution, you may want to use a third-party mediator. A mediator is someone who is not part of either side of the conflict and whom the parties trust to help facilitate a fair process. A mediator can help clarify interests, structure discussion, identify areas of agreement and disagreement, and help the parties evaluate possible resolutions.

For example:

Suppose your community group and the school district disagree about materials for a new elementary school playground. Rather than relying on personal preference, a mediator could help both parties identify relevant safety standards, accessibility guidance, environmental considerations, maintenance requirements, and costs. The parties could then agree to evaluate the options using those shared standards.

Your mediator could also, for example, facilitate your brainstorming session.

Here are some other possible roles for a mediator:

• Helping the parties establish ground rules for communication
• Creating an appropriate and accessible setting for meetings
• Helping identify possible compromises or new options
• Creating space for both parties to express concerns and strong emotions constructively
• Listening to both parties and helping clarify what each is communicating
• Identifying the interests behind each party's positions
• Looking for solutions that benefit or are acceptable to all parties
• Helping the parties remain focused, constructive, and respectful
• Helping people modify positions without feeling publicly defeated or disrespected
• Helping draft an agreement that accurately reflects what the parties have decided

Suppose Harriet is considering leaving her job because her supervisor wants to transfer her to another office. Through discussion, a mediator may discover that the location itself isn't Harriet's main concern; she's worried that the transfer will reduce her responsibilities or professional standing. The mediator can help Harriet and her supervisor clarify that concern and explore whether the transfer can occur without changing her role, compensation, or opportunities.

6. Explore alternatives

There may be times when, despite serious effort, you cannot reach an acceptable resolution. Think about this possibility before negotiations begin. At what point would you decide that a proposed agreement is not acceptable? What alternatives are available if an agreement cannot be reached?

It is helpful to identify your alternatives early in the process and keep your strongest realistic alternative in mind as negotiations continue. Compare proposed agreements with that alternative rather than accepting an agreement simply because you have invested time in negotiating.

To identify alternatives, brainstorm several possibilities. Consider the strengths, drawbacks, likely consequences, and feasibility of each one. Think about whether any of them can be improved.

Also consider the alternatives available to the other parties. Understanding what they might do if negotiations fail can help you better understand their choices and interests.

Roger Fisher and Danny Ertel call your strongest alternative your BATNA -- Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement. You can read more about BATNA in their book Getting Ready to Negotiate.

7. Cope with stressful situations and pressure tactics

Negotiations do not always take place between parties with equal power, resources, influence, or willingness to cooperate. One party may have much greater authority, may refuse to meet, may create artificial deadlines, or may use other tactics that increase pressure.

When this happens, avoid making rushed decisions simply to end the discomfort. Slow the process down when possible, identify the pressure tactic, return to your interests and alternatives, and seek advice or support when needed. Significant power imbalances may also make a mediator, advocate, facilitator, or other outside support especially important.

Here are some possible situations:

The other party has more power or influence

A strong understanding of your alternatives can help you negotiate more effectively even when the other party has greater formal power. Consider what resources, relationships, evidence, public support, legal rights, policies, or other forms of influence are available to you. A mediator, advocate, coalition partner, or trusted advisor may also help strengthen the process.

The other party won't change its position

If another party appears unwilling to move, avoid responding by becoming equally rigid. Ask questions. Listen to the reasoning behind the position. Try to identify the underlying interests, concerns, constraints, and fears. Understanding why someone is holding a position may reveal options that neither side initially considered.

In Summary

Conflict resolution works best when the parties move beyond fixed positions and try to understand one another's interests, concerns, and needs. The strongest outcome is not always a perfect "win-win," but a fair, realistic, and sustainable resolution that the parties can accept and carry out.

Successful conflict resolution requires listening, clear communication, creativity, attention to power differences, and a willingness to consider more than one possible solution. When necessary, neutral mediators or other trusted third parties can help people work through difficult disagreements while protecting relationships, rights, and community well-being.

What is conflict resolution?

___Conflict resolution is a way for two or more parties to find a peaceful solution to a disagreement among them

Why should you use conflict resolution?

___You want to come to an agreement that benefits all parties

___You want to understand more about those whose ideas, beliefs, and backgrounds may be different from your own

___You want to ensure that your relationships with opponents continue and grow

___You want to find peaceful solutions to difficult situations

___You want to save your energy for more productive activities than battles

___You know when you should resolve the conflict

___You have decided if the conflict is between individuals or groups (or an individual and a group)

What are the seven steps to resolving conflict?

___You understand the conflict:

• You understand both sides' interests
• You have considered the possible outcomes of the negotiation
• You have considered possible mediators and objective standards to help resolve the dispute

___You are ready to communicate with the opposition:

• You are willing to negotiate with the opposition in order to find a resolution
• You want to learn from your opposition
• You want to turn your opposition into an ally

___You are prepared to brainstorm for possible resolutions

___You have selected the best resolution

___You have found a third party mediator and/or objective standard

___You have set a best alternative for yourself if negotiations fail

___You are ready to identify and cope with stressful situations and pressure tactics

Tool: Determining interests of both parties

This tool will help you access what is important for you and what is important for your opponent. Filling in the questionnaire you can examine your best alternatives to find a solution to your conflict.

My Interests

• What are my interests?
• What do I really care about in this conflict?
• What do I want?
• What do I need?
• What are my concerns, hopes, fears?

Possible Outcomes

• What kinds of agreements might we reach?

Legitimacy

• What third party, outside of the conflict, might convince one or both of us that a proposed agreement is a fair one?
• What objective standard might convince us that an agreement is fair? (a law, an expert opinion, the market value of the transaction?)
• Is there a precedent that would convince us that an agreement is fair?

Their Interests

• What are the interests of my opposition?
• If I were in their shoes, what would I really care about in this conflict?
• What do they want?
• What do they need?
• What are their concerns, hopes, fears?

Exploring alternatives

What's my best alternative to negotiations?

• Pros
• Cons:

Ways to make my alternative even better:

What's their best alternative to negotiations?

• Pros:
• Cons:

Ways to make their alternative less appealing:

 

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

• How can community builders communicate with parents about prevention issues?

• What can parents do to support their children's health, safety, and well-being?

As community builders and health care workers, we need to think about how to support families in helping children and adolescents stay healthy and safe. Families may be navigating many concerns, including substance use, sexual health, violence, tobacco and nicotine use, unhealthy eating or weight-control behaviors, and other situations that can affect young people's health and well-being.

Parents and caregivers care deeply about their children and often want reliable information, practical strategies, and supportive resources that can help young people make healthy and informed choices.

As community builders, we can help. We can develop prevention education programs that are useful, accessible, and responsive to families. We can reach out to families throughout the community, build on their strengths and knowledge, and connect them with information, services, and support when needed.

However, no matter what we do, we have to start with the basics. In order to work effectively with parents and caregivers, we need to communicate respectfully about important and sensitive issues. Families may have different levels of access to reliable information and may have previous experiences with schools, health care systems, social services, or other institutions that affect their trust. Community builders should take those experiences seriously and focus on building respectful, transparent relationships rather than assuming that mistrust is something families simply need to overcome.

Additionally, we can help parents and caregivers identify ways to support their children's healthy development and decision-making. For example, what can adults do so young people feel comfortable coming to them when they need to talk or ask for guidance? How can families establish clear and reasonable expectations? How can they talk openly and accurately about relationships, sexual health, substance use, violence, and other sensitive issues?

How can community builders communicate with parents about prevention issues?

As community builders, we are eager to support families. But working with families around prevention issues is not always simple. Some parents and caregivers may have had experiences in which professionals or service systems approached them with criticism, assumptions, or unwanted advice rather than listening to their knowledge and priorities.

To be truly helpful to parents and families, we need to approach them as partners. That means recognizing their knowledge and strengths, understanding the circumstances they are navigating, listening to what they identify as important, and offering useful information and support without assuming that professionals always know best.

Trust develops through respectful and consistent relationships. When parents and caregivers feel heard and valued, they may be more comfortable asking questions, sharing concerns, and working collaboratively with community organizations.

Parenting can be demanding, and families may be balancing work, caregiving, financial pressures, housing concerns, health needs, transportation, and many other responsibilities. Some families have strong extended-family and community support networks, while others may have fewer people or resources available to help. Communities can support parents more effectively by recognizing these different circumstances rather than placing responsibility for every challenge solely on individual families.

Parents and caregivers bring important strengths to their children's lives. They know their children in ways that professionals and community organizations often do not, and many are continually learning, adapting, and working to support their children's growth and well-being.

At the same time, parents may not always have access to all of the information, time, resources, or support they would like. Community organizations can help close those gaps without suggesting that families themselves are deficient.

As community builders, our goal is therefore to communicate in ways that build trust and draw on the expertise and knowledge of parents and caregivers. Here are some steps you can take.

How do you communicate with parents about prevention?

Treat parents with respect

It's simple and essential, but easy to forget. Respect is fundamental to building trust. Approach parents and caregivers as people with knowledge, strengths, experiences, and genuine concern for their children's well-being. If communication conveys disrespect, judgment, or superiority, people are less likely to see the relationship as useful or trustworthy.

Listen without judgment

Listening is one of the most important elements of building trust. Parents and caregivers may not always have enough time or space to talk through concerns about their children. Listening carefully and without judgment can help people reflect on what is happening, identify strengths and challenges, and decide what kind of support or information might be useful.

Listening also helps community builders understand what families actually need rather than making assumptions. Parents may be balancing stress, uncertainty, competing responsibilities, or strong emotions, and giving them space to explain their experiences can lead to more useful conversations.

Emotions may surface during these conversations. If someone becomes sad, frustrated, angry, or overwhelmed, allow space for those emotions without rushing to stop them or immediately trying to solve the problem. Listen, acknowledge what the person is experiencing, and ask what kind of support would be helpful.

Appreciate parents and the job they are doing

Parents and caregivers often benefit from having their efforts recognized. When you notice something a parent is doing well, acknowledge it sincerely and specifically. Strength-based feedback can reinforce effective parenting practices and help create a collaborative relationship focused not only on problems, but also on what families are already doing successfully.

Build on the expertise of parents

As you begin to share information about prevention, start with what parents and caregivers already know. Ask what they have noticed about their children, what has worked in the past, and what concerns or questions they have. A parent may know, for example, that their adolescent communicates more openly after having time to decompress after school than immediately upon arriving home.

No parent has all the answers, and neither does any professional. Parents do, however, bring extensive knowledge of their children, family relationships, culture, routines, strengths, and circumstances. Connecting new prevention information with that existing knowledge can make strategies more relevant and practical.

Offer useful information about prevention to parents

Parents and caregivers often want dependable, current information about substance use, tobacco and nicotine products, sexual health, healthy relationships, violence prevention, mental health, eating behaviors, and other issues that may affect young people.

Whenever possible, respond to the questions families are actually asking and provide information in clear, accessible language.

Remember, less is often more. Detailed information can be valuable, but parents do not need to become experts on every issue before they can support their children. Practical strategies -- such as communicating openly, setting developmentally appropriate limits, recognizing warning signs, and knowing where to find reliable help -- may be more useful than overwhelming families with facts and statistics.

Avoid using fear unnecessarily. Prevention messages are generally more useful when they are accurate, realistic, and focused on helping families make informed decisions rather than frightening them.

Offer opportunities for parents to get together

Bringing parents and caregivers together for a meal, forum, discussion, workshop, or support group can provide valuable opportunities to share experiences, learn from one another, and build supportive relationships. Connecting with others who are navigating similar challenges can reduce isolation and strengthen community networks.

An ongoing parent meeting or support group may be especially helpful over time. Participants can discuss the successes and challenges of parenting, exchange ideas, and support one another. As trust develops, people may become more comfortable discussing difficult or sensitive issues.

Support groups can also give parents a place to process stress and frustration so that they have more emotional capacity for their children. Groups should promote respectful communication, confidentiality, and constructive ways of managing difficult emotions.

Parent groups can help people recognize their strengths, think through challenging situations, and learn from the experiences of others.

You can also encourage informal peer-support relationships in which parents or caregivers check in with one another regularly. These relationships might involve sharing experiences, listening, exchanging practical ideas, or simply offering encouragement.

Encourage parents to advocate for their children when necessary

Although families can do a great deal within the home, some challenges also require changes in schools, health systems, community organizations, or other institutions. For example, if a parent believes their child is experiencing racial discrimination at school, addressing that concern may require action within the school or district rather than expecting the family or child to resolve the problem on their own.

Parents and caregivers may face barriers when raising concerns with schools, school boards, health systems, or other institutions. These barriers may include unfamiliar procedures, language access, previous negative experiences, time constraints, concerns about retaliation, or uncertainty about how to begin. Community builders can provide information, accompany families when appropriate, connect them with advocacy organizations, or offer leadership and advocacy training.

So, now you are better prepared to communicate with parents and caregivers about sensitive issues. What information and strategies can help them support their children's health, safety, relationships, and decision-making? Read on.

What can parents do to support their children's health, safety, and well-being?

Below are some general strategies parents and caregivers can use to support healthy development and reduce the likelihood of harmful outcomes. Many of these steps do more than prevent problems -- they can also strengthen relationships, confidence, communication, and resilience.

• Stay connected with your children and adolescents
• Talk with children about your values and expectations
• Give your children reliable, age-appropriate information
• Help your children build decision-making and communication skills
• Get the help and support you need

Stay connected with your children and adolescents

Staying connected with your children is an important part of supporting healthy development. Young people benefit from relationships with parents, caregivers, and other trusted adults who listen to them, care about them, and are available when they need support. This doesn't mean families will never disagree. Conflict and changes in closeness are normal parts of family relationships. What matters is creating ongoing opportunities for communication, trust, and reconnection.

Children and adolescents vary in how they show closeness and how much independence they want at different stages of development. Even when a young person seems less interested in family interaction, maintaining a respectful and dependable relationship can provide an important source of support.

Here are some ways to stay connected with your children and adolescents:

Listen

Just as parents need people who will listen to them, children and adolescents also need opportunities to be heard. Listening carefully can build trust and help you understand what your child is experiencing.

Listening isn't always easy. Concern can lead adults to interrupt, lecture, solve problems too quickly, or ask more questions than a young person is ready to answer. Sometimes the most useful first step is simply giving them time to speak.

Children also communicate in different ways. Younger children may communicate through play, behavior, drawings, or emotions. Adolescents may prefer talking while doing another activity, communicating by text, or waiting until they feel ready. Pay attention to the different ways your child communicates.

For example, a younger child may reveal what's on their mind while playing, while an older child may begin talking during a car ride, while listening to music, cooking together, or spending time in the same room. Let communication happen in ways that feel comfortable and appropriate for your child.

Appreciate your children

Children and adolescents benefit from knowing that the adults who care for them notice their strengths, effort, growth, kindness, creativity, persistence, and other positive qualities. Specific and sincere encouragement can strengthen connection and confidence.

Appreciation does not mean ignoring problems or pretending everything is going well. It means making sure your relationship includes recognition of who your child is and what they are doing well, not only correction when something goes wrong.

Spend enjoyable time with your children

Shared activities are a valuable way to stay connected. What those activities look like will vary by age, interests, culture, ability, and personality. You might play a game, cook, read, exercise, watch a show, work on a project, go for a walk, listen to music, or simply spend time talking.

Parents and caregivers are often tired and busy, so this doesn't have to involve large amounts of time or elaborate activities. Short, consistent opportunities for positive interaction can still matter.

Set aside one-on-one time with your children

Family life can be busy and full of interruptions. Setting aside even a short period of focused time with an individual child can help strengthen your relationship.

Depending on your family's schedule and your child's age, you can:

• Spend uninterrupted time together doing something your child enjoys
• Let your child help choose the activity
• Take an interest in activities that matter to your child, even when they aren't activities you would choose for yourself
• Focus on enjoying time together rather than using every interaction to correct behavior or discuss problems

Help children understand and express their emotions

Children and adolescents experience a wide range of emotions. Helping them recognize, name, and express those emotions in safe ways can support communication and emotional development.

When a child becomes upset, avoid assuming that you immediately know why. Ask what happened, listen, and help them identify what they are feeling. Some children may want to talk right away; others may need time to calm down first.

Laughter, play, quiet time, movement, conversation, creative activities, and crying can all be ways people respond to emotion. The goal is not to eliminate difficult feelings, but to help children learn ways to express and manage them without harming themselves or others.

Anger can have many causes, including frustration, fear, embarrassment, disappointment, feeling misunderstood, or experiencing unfair treatment. Stay curious about what may be underneath the anger while also maintaining appropriate limits around threatening, destructive, or harmful behavior.

Be affectionate and show your caring

Children and adolescents benefit from regular reassurance that they are cared for. Affection can take many forms, including hugs when welcomed, encouraging words, time together, checking in, helping with something important, or simply saying that you love and appreciate them.

Respect your child's preferences and boundaries around physical affection. As children grow, the ways they prefer to receive affection may change.

Don't give up when you and your child temporarily disconnect

Stress, disagreements, changing developmental needs, and everyday pressures can sometimes create distance between parents and children. A temporary disconnection does not necessarily mean the relationship is damaged permanently.

Reconnection may take patience. Rather than pressuring a child to talk before they're ready, continue offering calm, low-pressure opportunities for connection.

• Do something enjoyable together without immediately returning to the conflict
• Take care of your own stress so you can approach your child calmly
• Let your child know you're available when they're ready to talk
• Look for ordinary opportunities to reconnect through shared activities
• Return to the disagreement when both of you are calm enough to communicate constructively

If you and your child have felt disconnected for a long time, rebuilding trust may take time. Continue showing interest, reliability, and respect. If the relationship remains difficult or there are serious concerns about communication, behavior, safety, or mental health, consider seeking support from a family counselor, health professional, school professional, or another trusted resource.

How to stay connected with pre-teens and adolescents

As children become more independent, their relationship with parents and caregivers often changes. They may share less immediately, spend more time with peers, or want greater privacy. These changes don't necessarily mean they no longer value their relationship with you.

Adolescents may communicate more easily while doing something else together rather than during a formal conversation. Driving somewhere, making food, watching a show, exercising, gaming, listening to music, or simply spending time in the same room may create natural opportunities for conversation.

Take an interest in the people, activities, music, games, sports, causes, and other things your adolescent cares about without pretending to know everything about them. Respectful curiosity can help you stay connected while also recognizing their growing independence.

Talk to children about your values and expectations

Communicate and model your values

It can be helpful to talk openly with children about your values, beliefs, and expectations. As children grow, they encounter different viewpoints from family, peers, school, media, online communities, and the broader world. Clear conversations about what your family values can give them a foundation for thinking through difficult choices.

At the same time, ask children what they think and why. Helping young people examine information, consider different perspectives, and develop their own reasoning can strengthen their ability to make thoughtful decisions.

Children also notice whether adults' behavior matches what they say. Parents do not need to present themselves as perfect. When appropriate, acknowledging mistakes, apologizing, and talking honestly and age-appropriately about challenges can model responsibility, reflection, and growth.

Tell your children what you expect from them

Clear, age-appropriate expectations can help young people make decisions when they encounter situations involving alcohol and other substances, nicotine products, sexual activity, violence, driving, parties, online behavior, and other issues.

Talk through realistic situations in advance. For example, what should your adolescent do if the person who is supposed to drive has been drinking or using other substances? Can they call you for a ride without fearing an immediate punishment? What are your family's expectations about alcohol, vaping, relationships, consent, curfews, parties, and checking in? Clear expectations are most useful when children also understand the reasons behind them.

Give children reliable information about substance use, sexual health, relationships, body image, and other health issues

Children and adolescents need accurate, age-appropriate information. They receive information from many sources -- friends, school, social media, websites, television, videos, influencers, and others -- and the quality of that information varies. Parents and caregivers can help young people evaluate what they hear and know where to find trustworthy information.

You may need to educate yourself as well. Health care providers, schools, public health agencies, evidence-based prevention organizations, and other credible sources can help.

When choosing books, websites, videos, curricula, or other prevention materials, consider who created them, whether the information is current, whether credible evidence supports the recommendations, whether they are appropriate for your child's age, and whether the material respects the experiences and identities of the young people using it.

Often, the best conversations begin with listening. Ask what your child already knows, what they have heard from friends or online, and what they think about it. Then clarify misinformation and provide additional information as needed. Try to create an atmosphere in which young people can ask questions without immediately feeling judged or punished.

Give accurate information without exaggerating risks simply to frighten children. When young people later discover that a warning was misleading, they may become less likely to trust other guidance. Honest, realistic information is more likely to support informed decisions.

Help children build skills in making decisions

Encourage thoughtful decision-making

Children and adolescents need opportunities to practice making choices. Decision-making develops over time through experience, guidance, reflection, and increasing responsibility.

One way to build these skills is to give children developmentally appropriate choices and allow them to experience reasonable consequences when it is safe to do so.

For younger children, choices might include selecting between two activities, choosing what book to read, deciding how to organize a project, or choosing among parent-approved after-school activities. Older children and adolescents might take increasing responsibility for schedules, budgeting, extracurricular activities, schoolwork, or other decisions appropriate to their age.

When possible, use everyday decisions as opportunities for learning rather than deliberately creating situations likely to make a child sick, frightened, or unsafe. Natural consequences that arise within reasonable boundaries can teach valuable lessons without exposing children to unnecessary harm.

As children make decisions, stay available to help them think through their options. Ask questions such as: What matters most to you? What might happen if you choose this option? Who else could be affected? What would you do if things don't go the way you expect?

For example, an adolescent deciding whether to continue a dating relationship may benefit from questions such as, "How do you feel when you're with this person?" "Do you feel respected and safe?" "Are your boundaries respected?" and "What do you want from this relationship?" Whenever safety permits, the goal is to help them build their own judgment rather than making every decision for them.

At times, parents and caregivers do need to intervene or set limits, particularly when a decision could create serious or immediate harm.

Set sensible limits

Children and adolescents are still developing judgment and may not always recognize risks or understand the consequences of a decision. At other times, they may act in ways that could harm themselves or others. Clear and developmentally appropriate limits can help protect safety while also teaching responsibility.

Limits are generally most effective when they are explained clearly, connected to the behavior in question, applied consistently, and combined with respect and care.

Strong emotions may arise when limits are set. A child or adolescent may feel angry, frustrated, disappointed, or misunderstood. Those emotions can be acknowledged without allowing threats, physical aggression, harassment, or other harmful behavior. Parents can communicate, "I understand that you're angry, and we can talk about that. It's still not okay to hurt someone or destroy things."

Whenever possible, choose consequences that relate logically to the situation and help the young person practice the behavior you want them to develop. For example, if an adolescent repeatedly misses an agreed-upon check-in time, you might temporarily adjust the curfew and create a plan for demonstrating reliability before extending it again.

Keep your child's environment safe

Parents and caregivers can reduce unnecessary access to potentially harmful substances and products. Store medications, cannabis products, alcohol, firearms, nicotine products, toxic chemicals, and other potentially dangerous items securely and in ways appropriate to the age and circumstances of children in the household.

Environmental safety is only one part of prevention. As young people become more independent, communication, skills, supportive relationships, and accurate information become increasingly important.

Teach skills for handling pressure, setting boundaries, and asking for help

Children and adolescents may encounter pressure related to substance use, vaping, sexual activity, violence, risky online behavior, or other situations. Help them think in advance about how they might respond, leave an unsafe situation, set boundaries, contact a trusted adult, or support a friend who needs help.

Conversations about sexual situations should include consent, respect for boundaries, healthy relationships, contraception, and STI prevention rather than focusing only on "refusal." Young people should understand that they have the right to say no, change their mind, communicate what they do want, and expect others to respect their boundaries.

Role-playing can help young people practice difficult conversations. For example, you might practice how they could respond if someone pressures them to vape, drink alcohol, use another substance, send an intimate image, get into a car with an impaired driver, or participate in something that makes them uncomfortable. Keep the activity realistic and supportive rather than turning it into an interrogation.

Get the help you need

In order to support your children, you may need support too. Parenting and caregiving can be demanding, particularly when combined with work, financial pressures, health concerns, relationship stress, or other responsibilities. Taking care of your own well-being can help you remain more present and responsive with your children.

Support may come from friends or family, parent groups, faith or community organizations, schools, health care providers, family counselors, mental health professionals, parenting programs, respite services, or other community resources. Seeking support is not a sign of failure; it is one way families strengthen their ability to respond to challenges.

In Summary

Children and adolescents are important members of every community, and supporting their health and well-being is a shared responsibility. Parents and caregivers play a central role, but families are most effective when they also have supportive relationships, reliable information, accessible services, safe environments, and communities that help young people thrive.

Community builders can contribute by listening to parents and caregivers, respecting their knowledge, providing useful information and resources, reducing barriers to support, and creating opportunities for families to connect with one another. Parents and caregivers, in turn, can strengthen relationships with their children, communicate openly, establish clear expectations, support growing independence and decision-making skills, and seek help when they need it.

Communicating with parents about prevention:

___You empower parents rather than correct them

___You treat parents with respect

___You listen to parents without judgment

___You appreciate parents and the job they are doing

___You build on the expertise of parents

___You offer information and assistance to parents about prevention

___You offer opportunities for parents to get together

___You encourage parents to advocate for their children when necessary

___You get additional help for parents and families when necessary

Parents preventing their children's risky or dangerous behavior:

___Stay connected with your children and teens:

• Listen
• You appreciate your children
• You play with your children
• You set up "special time" with your children
• You show affection and caring
• You help children express their emotion
• You persist when your child and you temporarily disconnect
• You appreciate yourself, even when you cannot do all these things

___Talk to children about your values and expectations:

• You communicate and model your values
• You tell your children what you expect from them

___Give children information about drugs, alcohol, tobacco, weight loss, unsafe sex, violence, etc.:

• You give them accurate information
• You encourage them to ask questions

___Help children build skills in making decisions:

• Encourage sound decision-making
• Set sensible limits
• Keep your child's environment safe
• Teach refusal skills

___Get the help you need and support you need as a parent

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

 

You're an adult walking through the shopping mall when you see a group of adolescents talking, laughing, and full of energy. You find yourself wondering how that energy, creativity, and enthusiasm might contribute to something meaningful in the community.

Or maybe you're a young person, and a student at your school recently died by suicide. You didn't know them well, but the loss still affects you and others around you. You want to better understand how young people can support one another, how to recognize when someone may need help, and what your school or community can do to promote mental health and connection. Some of your friends feel the same way. What can you all do?

Whether you're a concerned young person or an interested adult, one option is to help start a youth organization. Organizations led by or created with young people can contribute a great deal to a community. Think of the organizations you already know about--you may have participated in some yourself. Youth organizations can focus on almost any topic and pursue a wide variety of goals. Here's a grab-bag of examples:

• Scouting or other youth leadership organizations
• Soccer leagues and other sports organizations
• A student-led safe-driving or substance-use prevention group
• A student chapter of a human rights organization
• A class or student organization that volunteers in the community
• A youth advisory council for a city-wide health or community organization

Youth organizations can be started by young people themselves, by adults working in partnership with young people, or by both together. In this section, we'll look at the steps in developing a youth organization from several perspectives. We'll start with what a youth group can be and the advantages of creating one. Then we'll talk about who might help start the group and the different roles young people and adults can play. Next, we'll look at when it may be a good time to start a group and how to go about doing it. Finally, we'll offer some specific guidance for adults who serve as mentors, facilitators, sponsors, or partners.

What form can a youth organization take?

A youth organization can be almost as broad--or as narrow--in scope as an organization for adults or for the community as a whole. Youth organizations can operate through schools, faith communities, neighborhoods, recreation centers, libraries, community organizations, or online and hybrid spaces. They may operate locally, nationally, or internationally. They can be organized and led by young people themselves, developed through youth-adult partnerships, or supported by adults such as coaches, educators, faith leaders, community organizers, or youth-serving professionals. A local youth organization can also be one part of a larger effort; for example, a community coalition addressing substance use might have a youth advisory council that helps identify priorities, develop strategies, and evaluate what is likely to work with young people.

In this section, we are going to concentrate primarily on youth organizations developed to improve the community--for example, groups focused on health, community safety, environmental issues, civic engagement, mental health, or social justice. However, many of the ideas discussed here can also apply to student groups, arts organizations, sports teams, service clubs, and other groups that bring young people together around shared interests.

One example might be a youth-led community organization that brings together young people from different neighborhoods, schools, cultures, and backgrounds to identify issues that matter to them and develop projects in response.

Its goals might include:

• Creating safe, welcoming, and inclusive spaces for young people
• Promoting open communication among young people
• Building relationships across cultures, identities, and communities
• Developing leadership skills and opportunities for young people

Such a group might hold regular meetings where young people discuss issues such as culture, race, relationships, mental health, education, violence prevention, or community conditions. It might also provide opportunities for leadership development, career exploration, mentoring, advocacy, and community service.

Young people might also use music, dance, theater, visual art, video, podcasts, social media, or other forms of creative expression to explore issues that affect their lives. They could share their work in schools, neighborhoods, community centers, online platforms, or public events.

This type of organization illustrates how young people can identify issues they care about, create supportive spaces, build relationships, develop leadership skills, and contribute directly to their communities.

Why establish youth organizations?

Participation in a youth organization can offer important benefits for young people as well as for the broader community. One of the most obvious advantages is that youth organizations give young people meaningful opportunities to address issues that matter to them, such as education, mental health, violence prevention, environmental concerns, civic participation, or community safety. There are many other potential benefits as well.

Advantages for young people:

• Being part of a group can help young people develop personal and interpersonal skills, including critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, collaboration, and shared responsibility.
• It can help young people build confidence and recognize that their ideas, experiences, skills, and leadership can make meaningful contributions to their communities.
• It can strengthen protective factors by helping young people develop supportive relationships, positive identities, leadership opportunities, and meaningful connections to their communities. These experiences can support healthy decision-making and reduce exposure to some harmful situations.
• Young people involved in organizations can develop skills useful in school, work, and civic life, including organizing projects, facilitating meetings, communicating with different groups, managing responsibilities, and working as part of a team.
• Organizations can provide welcoming spaces where young people can express themselves through conversation, arts, recreation, advocacy, service, or other activities and build relationships with peers and supportive adults.
• Youth organizations create opportunities for young people to practice leadership and participate in decisions that affect them.
• Young people can exchange credible information about health, safety, community resources, and other issues with peers they know and trust. Peer-to-peer communication can complement information from families, educators, health professionals, and other adults.
• Young people can build networks of peers and supportive adults who encourage healthy choices, provide guidance, and help one another during difficult situations.

Advantages for the community:

• Youth organizations can help communities recognize young people as community members with knowledge, strengths, creativity, and leadership to contribute--not simply as people whose problems adults need to solve.
• Involving young people can bring perspectives into community decision-making that might otherwise be missing and can strengthen young people's sense of belonging, agency, and connection to the community.
• Youth organizations can help young people develop leadership experience now while also strengthening the community's future leadership.
• Other community organizations can partner with youth organizations for mutual benefit. Young people can contribute creativity, energy, lived experience, technological knowledge, cultural insight, and perspectives that strengthen broader community initiatives.

Who should establish youth organizations?

As we said above, youth organizations may be started by young people themselves, by adults, or through youth-adult partnerships. Each approach may make sense in different circumstances. The most important question is whether young people have meaningful opportunities to shape the group's purpose, structure, activities, and decisions.

Adults

Adults who help begin or sponsor youth organizations can come from many backgrounds. They may include teachers, coaches, parents and caregivers, faith leaders, community organizers, health professionals, social service staff, or others who care about young people and the issue being addressed. Adults may also bring relevant lived experience. For example, someone who became a parent as an adolescent might want to support young parents navigating education, parenting, health care, employment, and other responsibilities.

Whatever their background, adults who work with youth organizations should share a commitment to young people, the goals of the group, respectful relationships, and meaningful youth participation.

An adult who already has trusted relationships in the community may find it easier to help start a youth organization. They may understand local resources, culture, challenges, and opportunities and may already have relationships with young people and families. Shared cultural or community experience can sometimes strengthen understanding and trust, especially when the group addresses sensitive topics such as substance use, violence, sexual health, mental health, discrimination, or relationships.

Adults from outside the community can also make valuable contributions. They may bring new ideas, specialized knowledge, relationships, funding opportunities, or connections to regional or national organizations. At the same time, outside organizers should take time to build relationships, learn from young people and community members, understand local history and priorities, and avoid assuming that a successful program elsewhere can simply be brought into a new community unchanged.

Adult sponsors can also help youth organizations navigate systems that may be less accessible to young people, such as grant applications, financial management, transportation arrangements, insurance requirements, facility use, or relationships with institutions. The adult's role should be to expand young people's opportunities and support their leadership rather than taking over decisions that young people can make themselves.

A school-based service club, for example, may pair student leadership with support from an adult advisor and a larger community organization. Young people can plan and lead projects while also drawing on the resources, relationships, and experience of adult partners.

Young people

Young people have direct knowledge of many of the issues that affect them and their peers. Their experiences, relationships, perspectives, and ideas are essential to understanding what is happening and what responses might work. Young people may form a formal organization, create a student coalition, organize a campaign, build an online network, or develop something much less formal to share information and take action.

For example, young people might create a grassroots arts and advocacy network that uses music, writing, visual art, social media, podcasts, or other forms of expression to address issues such as racism, sexism, violence, mental health, sexual violence prevention, LGBTQ+ inclusion, disability justice, or school climate.

Informal youth-led networks can be powerful because young people choose the issues, shape the message, decide how to organize, and create forms of participation that make sense to them. Adult allies can provide support when invited without taking control of the work.

When is a good time to establish an organization?

There may be many good times to start a youth organization, especially when young people themselves are interested in forming one. Some events or circumstances can create especially strong opportunities for young people to organize and improve their communities. These include:

• When a significant or traumatic event affects young people or the broader community, and young people want a constructive way to respond, support one another, or advocate for change
• At the beginning of the school year or another transition period, when young people may be looking for opportunities to connect, belong, and become involved
• When new information identifies an important issue. For example, a survey may show that many young people are concerned about substance use, mental health, school climate, transportation, or another community issue.
• When existing organizations are not adequately addressing young people's priorities or needs
• When a group wants to create broad community change. This may be a good time to establish a youth advisory council, youth leadership team, or another structure that gives young people meaningful influence within a larger initiative.
• When the community is responding to an urgent concern, such as increased violence, discrimination, housing instability, or another issue affecting young people
• When a significant issue affecting young people needs greater attention or youth leadership

How do you establish youth organizations?

Decide what type of youth organization you want to form

If you are a young person yourself, you may already have an idea of what type of group you want to form. Still, it can be helpful to ask other young people what matters to them and what kind of group they would want to participate in. Ask direct questions such as:

• What issues are important enough to young people in our community that you would join a group to work on them?
• What are some of the biggest concerns or opportunities for young people today?
• What's the real cause of the problem?
• What strengths and resources already exist, and what else do you think should be done?
• Do you know of anything already being done about the issue? Could we partner with people who are already working on it?

You might also talk with potential sponsors, community partners, or organizations that could provide resources or support.

Adults may also have ideas or funding related to a particular issue. If you're an adult, however, it's especially important to involve young people before designing the group. Are young people interested in the issue? How do they define it? What would make participation worthwhile to them? What role do they want adults to play? Young people should help shape the answers rather than being asked only to participate in a program that has already been designed.

Adults and young people may also want support from other community partners. Schools, community organizations, businesses, libraries, recreation programs, health organizations, local government, and others may be able to provide space, expertise, transportation, supplies, funding, mentoring, or other resources.

One option to consider is whether the group should be affiliated with a larger organization. For example, a group of young people interested in human rights might create a local chapter of an established organization or develop an independent local group focused on issues in their own community. Larger organizations may offer training, resources, recognition, and connections, while independent groups may have greater flexibility and local control. Discuss these options with the young people who will be involved.

Decide where the organization should be based

Where the organization is based can affect who participates, how accessible the group is, what resources are available, and how comfortable young people feel attending. Meetings might take place at a school, library, recreation center, community organization, faith community, cultural organization, youth center, or another accessible location. Some groups may also use online or hybrid meetings.

Think carefully about whether a location feels welcoming to all of the young people you hope to involve. A young person who has had negative experiences at school, for example, may not feel comfortable returning there for a community group. Other young people may have transportation, accessibility, safety, scheduling, or privacy concerns.

Very commonly, youth organizations operate out of schools, faith communities, social service organizations, recreation centers, libraries, community organizations, or other shared spaces. Each option has advantages and disadvantages, so think carefully before deciding.

For example, if you want to engage young people who left school before graduating, the local high school may not be the most welcoming or accessible meeting place. A community center, library, youth center, workforce program, or other location may work better. By contrast, a student group focused on safe driving or school climate may make the most sense within the school itself.

When the location isn't obvious, brainstorm possible places and list the advantages and disadvantages of each. Members of the group might discuss:

• Would this place be willing to host us?
• Would the young people we hope to involve feel comfortable and welcome there?
• Would there be any financial costs?
• Could the organization provide useful resources or support?
• Does the location allow the group to carry out its mission and activities appropriately?
• Do group members already have relationships or connections there?
• How easy is it for young people to get there? Consider transportation, disability access, scheduling, safety, and other barriers.

Often, discussing these questions with young people will make the best options much clearer.

Recruit members (and, if necessary, adult assistants)

You can't have an organization--youth-based or otherwise--without members. Your next step is to get the word out about what you're doing. How you do this depends on whom you hope to involve. You might use school announcements, social media, text messages, flyers, community events, peer outreach, youth-serving organizations, faith communities, recreation programs, or other channels.

Don't forget the value of personal invitations and peer-to-peer outreach. Young people often hear about opportunities through friends and trusted relationships. This can be especially important for young people who may not be connected to schools, faith communities, or other institutions where traditional announcements are made.

If your group was started by young people, you may decide to involve adults as sponsors, mentors, facilitators, or resource partners. Decide together what qualities you want in an adult partner and what role you want that person to play. Consider several possible people in case your first choice is not available.

Before approaching someone, be clear about what you are asking them to do. Do you want them to attend every meeting? Help obtain resources? Provide transportation? Support grant applications? Offer advice only when requested? Help with safety or organizational requirements? Clear expectations help prevent confusion and make it easier to maintain a youth-led or youth-adult partnership.

Define your goals clearly with group members

Once your members are together, it's time to sit down and make a plan. Members might brainstorm many ideas, but essentially, you'll want to answer two questions:

• What do we want to accomplish?
• How should we go about doing it?

A clear plan can help the group stay focused, share responsibilities, and measure progress. At the same time, leave room for goals and strategies to change as the group learns and new young people become involved.

Find out what resources are available to your organization

If your group is connected with a larger organization, such as a school, community organization, faith community, recreation program, or national network, there may already be resources available. Find out what they are and how your youth organization can access them.

Other organizations may also be willing to support the group. Grants or mini-grants may be available from public agencies, foundations, businesses, local coalitions, or community organizations. Support might also include meeting space, transportation, food, technology, supplies, mentoring, training, publicity, or staff assistance.

Think about what you actually need and who may be able to help. Need art supplies? A local business or arts organization may be willing to donate them. Need publicity? A school newsletter, community newspaper, radio station, local website, or social media partner may help spread the word. Need a meeting room? A library, recreation center, school, or community organization may have space available.

Obtain and use those resources

Once you've identified possible resources, reach out. Be clear about your goals, what you're asking for, and how the resource will support young people's work. Remember to acknowledge and thank the people and organizations that help.

Asking organizations for money, space, supplies, or other support can feel intimidating, especially for young people doing it for the first time. Adult partners can help young people prepare while still allowing them to speak for their own organization. Developing these relationships can itself be an important leadership experience.

Orient and train staff, adult assistants, and participants

The amount of orientation or training needed will depend on the organization. An informal peer-support group may need less formal training than a youth program providing health education, counseling, mentoring, or services. Still, every group should discuss expectations, roles, safety, confidentiality, decision-making, communication, accessibility, and how conflicts will be handled.

Facilitators and adult partners may also need training related to youth development, cultural humility, trauma-informed practice, facilitation, mental health, safeguarding, mandatory reporting requirements, or the specific issue the organization addresses. Young people should also receive whatever training and resources they need to carry out meaningful leadership roles.

Get to work!

Once you've decided what you want to do and created a plan, it's time to begin. Expect to make adjustments along the way. Youth organizations, like communities themselves, change as people learn, circumstances shift, and new members bring different ideas and experiences.

Celebrate your successes!

Not every activity will accomplish everything you hoped for, but it's important to recognize progress. Organizing a youth group takes work, creativity, and persistence. Celebrate accomplishments large and small, recognize everyone's contributions, and use what you've learned to strengthen the next stage of the group's work.

Special section: Help for adults seeking success in building a youth organization

Serving as an adult mentor, facilitator, sponsor, or partner in a youth organization can require patience, flexibility, and learning, especially if it's new to you. It can also be a meaningful opportunity to support young people's leadership and strengthen relationships across generations. The following suggestions may help.

• Recognize young people as community assets and partners. Avoid approaching them primarily as problems to be fixed, "at-risk" populations, or passive recipients of adult expertise. Young people bring knowledge, creativity, relationships, lived experience, skills, and leadership that can strengthen the organization and the broader community.
• Share meaningful decision-making power with young people. Young people should have substantial roles in planning, setting priorities, developing activities, evaluating the group's work, and making decisions. Some decisions may be limited by law, funding requirements, safety, or organizational policy, but adults should be transparent about those limits rather than presenting youth participation as greater than it actually is.
• Create a supportive environment while maintaining appropriate boundaries. Young people should know that trusted adults are available to listen, help them find resources, and connect them with appropriate support. Adults should also be clear about confidentiality, mandated reporting, professional boundaries, and what kinds of help they are qualified to provide.
• Give young people real responsibilities, resources, and support. Avoid assigning only symbolic roles. Match responsibilities with young people's interests, strengths, experience, and readiness, and provide the mentoring, training, information, and resources they need to succeed. Responsibility and leadership can grow over time as experience develops.
• Be clear about roles, rules, and decision-making. If adults retain authority over certain decisions, explain why. If some decisions are controlled by funders, schools, laws, or organizational policies, make those limits clear as well. Transparency helps young people understand where they genuinely have influence and where additional advocacy may be needed.
• Model the values you want the organization to reflect. Young people notice how adults communicate, handle mistakes, share power, respond to disagreement, treat other people, and follow through on commitments. Adults don't need to be perfect, but they should model accountability, respect, openness to feedback, and willingness to learn.

In Summary

Youth organizations can benefit both young people and the broader community. They can create opportunities for leadership, connection, skill-building, civic participation, creativity, advocacy, and community problem-solving.

Strong youth organizations do more than create programs for young people. They create meaningful opportunities to work with young people and, whenever possible, to support young people in leading the work themselves. Whether you are a young person starting an organization or an adult supporting one, build the group around respect, shared leadership, clear communication, access to resources, and the strengths and priorities of the young people involved.

___You understand the purpose of a youth organization

___You determined the advantages your youth organization will bring to the community and young people.

___You have decided on the best time to establish your organization

Establishing youth organizations:

___You have decided the form your youth organization will take

___You decided where the organization should be based

___You have recruited members for your organization

___You have defined your goals clearly with group members

___You have found out what resources are available for your organization

___You have obtained and used those resources

___You have orient and trained staff, adult assistants, and participants

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

• What is a speakers bureau?

• Why develop a speakers bureau?

• Who can you reach with a speakers bureau?

• How do you set up a speakers bureau?

One of the best ways to better understand an experience you haven't had yourself is to listen to someone who has lived through it and has chosen to share their perspective. You can tell young people that impaired driving is dangerous, for example, but hearing from someone who has experienced a serious crash may make the issue more immediate and understandable. Personal stories can help audiences connect information with real experiences.

Another effective way to deepen understanding is to hear from someone with professional, technical, community, or lived expertise. For example, a group learning about breast cancer screening might benefit from hearing both from a health professional who can explain current screening guidance and from someone who can speak about navigating screening or treatment from personal experience.

Speakers can help narrow the gap between hearing information and understanding how an issue affects people's lives. For this reason, speakers bureau programs can be useful tools for education, awareness, community dialogue, and relationship building.

What is a speakers bureau?

When an organization decides to start a speakers bureau, it develops a roster of people who are prepared to speak publicly about the organization's areas of interest, experience, or expertise. Speakers may have relevant lived experience, professional or technical knowledge, community leadership experience, or another meaningful connection to the issue. The organization lets community groups know that these speakers are available, and speaking engagements can be scheduled through the sponsoring organization.

Speakers bureaus can educate and inform the public about an organization's work and the issues it addresses. Some rely largely on volunteers, while others compensate speakers for their time and expertise, particularly when people are being asked to share lived experience or participate regularly.

Speakers bureaus can send a single speaker or an entire panel, depending on the purpose of the engagement. Your organization can create several topic-specific groups of speakers or one broader bureau that can respond to a variety of requests.

Why develop a speakers bureau?

There are a variety of reasons to use a speakers bureau in your organization or initiative. Depending on how it is structured, a bureau may require relatively few resources while still reaching many people. Speakers bureaus can be used for purposes such as:

• Raising public awareness about your issues: Issues that seem unfamiliar, complicated, or distant can become easier to understand when people hear from speakers with relevant lived experience, professional knowledge, or community expertise. For example, a speakers bureau focused on HIV might include people living with HIV, health professionals, advocates, or others who can discuss prevention, treatment, stigma, and quality of life from different perspectives.
• Increasing your organization's visibility: Speakers bureaus can introduce large numbers of people to an organization's purpose, programs, and resources. A campus LGBTQ+ organization, disability organization, cultural center, health initiative, or other student group might send trained speakers to classes, residence halls, staff trainings, or student organizations to explain its work and create opportunities for discussion.
• Increasing public understanding of your organization: If people have limited or inaccurate information about your group, a speakers bureau can help explain your mission, services, activities, and community role.
• Providing examples of hope, leadership, and possibility: People with lived experience may choose to share what they have learned, the supports that helped them, and the different paths their lives have taken. For example, people in recovery from substance use disorders may speak about recovery, treatment, harm reduction, peer support, setbacks, and the variety of ways people build healthier and more stable lives.
• Recruiting new members or volunteers: Speaking to groups that include potential members or volunteers can help people understand the work and decide whether they would like to become involved. For example, a campus counseling or crisis-support organization might speak with resident assistants or student leaders about available services, how to connect students with help, and opportunities to volunteer.
• Attracting media attention: Local media may be interested in public education efforts, community events, or issues highlighted by a speakers bureau. If you work with media, make sure speakers understand that participation is voluntary and that they can decide what personal information they are comfortable sharing publicly.
• Raising funds: Speakers can provide information about membership drives, benefit events, donation opportunities, or ways to support the organization's work. Some organizations also charge fees for presentations or request honoraria for speakers.

Who can you reach with a speakers bureau?

You can reach many different groups with a speakers bureau. Here are a few possibilities:

• Business groups such as local Chambers of Commerce, professional associations, or employer networks
• Service and community organizations
• Faith and spiritual communities
• Workplace groups, such as employees at a business, school, public agency, or health care organization
• Volunteer and staff training groups
• Civic, advocacy, or community organizations
• Environmental and conservation organizations
• Classes at local schools, colleges, and universities
• Professional associations, labor organizations, and worker groups
• Businesses or agencies interested in staff development related to accessibility, inclusion, health, community relations, or another relevant topic
• Cultural organizations, neighborhood groups, disability organizations, immigrant and refugee organizations, LGBTQ+ organizations, and other community-based groups

Later in this section, we'll talk about how to decide which groups to approach about your speakers bureau program.

How do you set up a speakers bureau?

Recruit and select your speakers

You may already know people who work with your organization, participate in its programs, or have relevant knowledge or lived experience and are interested in public speaking. These are the kinds of people you may want to invite to participate in your speakers bureau.

Good speakers may be:

• Able to communicate clearly in a way that works for the intended audience
• Prepared for the setting and type of presentation
• Knowledgeable about the issue or able to speak thoughtfully from relevant lived experience
• Engaging and responsive to the audience
• Respectful of people whose experiences or viewpoints may differ from their own
• Committed to the organization's purpose and the goals of the presentation

Think carefully about the audience and the purpose of the engagement. A speaker who works well with one audience may not be the right person for another. For example, a researcher may be ideal for an audience seeking detailed evidence, while a community member with lived experience may connect more effectively with an audience interested in how an issue affects daily life. Often, combining different kinds of expertise works especially well.

Avoid making assumptions about what an audience can understand based on education level, age, background, or other characteristics. Instead, prepare speakers to use clear language, explain unfamiliar terms, provide relevant examples, and adjust the presentation based on what the audience needs.

Word-of-mouth and personal invitations may be enough for a small speakers bureau. When inviting people, clearly explain what participation involves, how often they might be asked to speak, whether they will be compensated, what support and training will be provided, and whether they may decline any engagement.

This is especially important for people sharing personal experiences. No one should feel pressured to disclose trauma, health information, immigration status, experiences of violence, substance use, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other sensitive information simply because those experiences are related to the organization's mission.

If you need more speakers, you might work with partner organizations, community leaders, advocates, professionals, and other networks to identify people who may be interested. Be specific about what you're looking for, and meet with potential speakers before adding them to the roster. When appropriate, offer an orientation, sample presentation, or practice session rather than expecting people to arrive already prepared.

Once you have identified potential speakers, decide who will participate in the bureau. Your selection criteria should be related to the purpose of the program rather than appearance, personality type, education level, or whether someone fits a particular stereotype of a "good" representative.

• Keep in mind that speakers will be associated publicly with your organization. Make sure they understand the organization's purpose, values, and expectations for respectful communication.
• Speakers should be able to answer basic questions about the organization or know how to direct people to someone who can. Provide them with current information, contact details, and resource materials.
• When speakers share personal experiences, include a range of perspectives when possible. One person's story should not be presented as representative of everyone with the same identity, diagnosis, experience, or background.

Varied experiences on a speakers bureau panel

Maya and Jordan coordinate sexual health education programs in two different communities. Both are developing panels that include young adults willing to talk about experiences with pregnancy, parenting, reproductive health care, and related decisions.

Maya's first panel includes only young parents who had strong family support, remained in school, and had access to stable housing, health care, and childcare. Their experiences are important, but audiences could mistakenly conclude that all young parents encounter similar circumstances.

Jordan develops a broader panel that includes people with different experiences. Some became parents and had strong support; others faced financial or housing barriers; some changed educational plans; some used public assistance; and others chose adoption or abortion. Panelists decide for themselves which parts of their experiences they are comfortable discussing.

The purpose is not to present one experience as more "successful" or more legitimate than another. It is to help audiences understand that people's experiences differ and are shaped by many factors, including personal goals, family and community support, access to health care, education, childcare, housing, income, and public policy.

Decide whether each engagement will involve one speaker or a panel. A panel may work especially well when multiple perspectives are important, while a single speaker may allow for a more focused or in-depth presentation. You can use both approaches depending on the occasion.

Make sure you have enough speakers that no one feels obligated to participate too often. Public speaking -- particularly when it involves personal experiences -- can be emotionally demanding. Give speakers control over how often they participate and encourage them to take breaks when needed.

Put together a roster of your speakers that includes information to help you schedule them efficiently

You'll need a roster to schedule speakers and communicate reminders and updates. For a very small bureau, this might simply be a contact list with availability. Larger programs may use a secure spreadsheet or database.

Protect speakers' privacy. Collect only the information you actually need, limit access to the roster, and ask speakers what information they are comfortable having shared with event organizers or audiences.

You might include some or all of the following information:

• Dates of previous speaking engagements, so that opportunities can be distributed fairly
• Upcoming engagements
• Availability and preferred frequency of speaking engagements
• Accessibility needs, transportation needs, or accommodations the organization should arrange
• Topics the speaker is comfortable discussing
• Topics or personal information the speaker does not want to discuss publicly

Each speaker's particular areas of knowledge, professional expertise, community experience, or lived experience can also help you create panels that include complementary perspectives.

Here's an example of a roster for a community inclusion speakers bureau:

Speakers Bureau Roster: Community Perspectives Program

Name	Contact	Availability	Topics / experience
Adams, Sally	Contact on file	Mon, Wed evenings	Indigenous community leadership; education
Chao, Ken	Contact on file	Weeknights, weekend days	Asian American community experience; immigrant family advocacy
Franklin, Elvis	Contact on file	Saturday afternoons	LGBTQ+ inclusion; community advocacy
Lieberman, Jay	Contact on file	Weeknights	Jewish community experience; interfaith dialogue
Lopez, Teresa	Contact on file	Weeknights & Sundays	Latino community engagement; bilingual outreach
Pratt, Jenny	Contact on file	Weeknights	LGBTQ+ inclusion; youth advocacy
Rogers, Lakisha	Contact on file	Weekend days, Tues nights	Black community leadership; education
Reynolds, Bob	Contact on file	Tues, Wed afternoons	Disability advocacy and accessibility
Silverstein, Amy	Contact on file	Varies; contact about dates	Disability advocacy; Jewish community experience
Wood, Al	Contact on file	Weekdays before 5 PM	Black community leadership; civic engagement

Your own roster may use different categories depending on the purpose of your speakers bureau. Avoid listing identity characteristics unless they are relevant to the speaker's chosen topic and the speaker has agreed to have that information included.

If certain speakers focus on particular topics, create a list of those topics to include with outreach materials.

Contact groups and organizations that might be interested in scheduling a speaking engagement

Spend some time brainstorming about groups that might be interested in or benefit from hearing from your speakers. Often these will be groups with interests or goals connected to your organization, but you might also ask:

• Which groups are already working on issues related to the topics our speakers address?
• What groups would be a good fit for our style and format of presentation?
• What groups may include potential volunteers, partners, supporters, or donors?
• What communities have expressed interest in learning more about these issues?

Find the appropriate contact person in each organization and develop a contact list or database. Outreach can take place through email, phone calls, social media, organizational websites, professional networks, or personal introductions.

Depending on how large you want your speakers bureau to become, you might also announce it through your newsletter, social media, website, community calendars, press releases, partner organizations, or other communication channels.

When contacting potential hosts, briefly introduce your organization, explain the speakers bureau, describe available topics, and explain what audiences may gain from the presentation. Make it easy for organizations to request a speaker or panel.

Speakers bureau outreach message

Williamsburg Peer Power Speakers Bureau
Williamsburg Peer Power Program
2349 West 89th Street
Williamsburg, OR 09834
555-0987

Anne Thornton
Girl Scout Troop #978
PO Box 56
Williamsburg, OR 09837

September 30, 2026

Dear Ms. Thornton,

The Williamsburg Peer Power Program works with young people to promote health, safety, and informed decision-making. One part of our work is a speakers bureau in which trained young people share information and perspectives on topics such as nicotine and vaping prevention, substance use, healthy relationships, mental health, and other issues affecting young people.

We understand that your troop will be discussing nicotine and vaping prevention next month, and we'd like to offer a speaker or panel as a possible activity. Our speakers can discuss how nicotine products are marketed to young people, the health effects of nicotine use, strategies for handling peer pressure, and resources for young people who want help quitting.

Please feel free to contact me at 555-0987 if you'd like to discuss possible dates, topics, accessibility needs, or the format that would work best for your group.

Sincerely,

Peter Markos
Williamsburg Peer Power Program

Speakers bureau outreach can also connect with issues or events currently receiving community attention. The goal should be to contribute useful information and dialogue rather than simply taking advantage of a crisis or someone's traumatic experience for publicity.

Connecting speakers bureau outreach with community issues

Here are several examples:

• After students raise concerns about sexual harassment on a college campus, a campus organization offers facilitated workshops and speakers on respectful workplace behavior, harassment prevention, bystander intervention, and available reporting and support resources.
• When community organizations are discussing LGBTQ+ inclusion and discrimination, a local human rights organization offers speakers with relevant lived, professional, and advocacy experience to community groups interested in learning more.
• Before prom and graduation season, a local traffic-safety coalition offers presentations on impaired driving, safe transportation planning, designated drivers, seat-belt use, and how young people can help friends avoid unsafe situations.
• During Black History Month, Black students and community leaders who have chosen to participate offer panels on local history, identity, community leadership, and contemporary experiences. Presentations make clear that no single speaker represents the experiences of all Black people or communities.

After sending outreach information, follow up after an appropriate amount of time. Introduce yourself, remind the contact person about the speakers bureau, and ask whether the organization is interested in scheduling a presentation. Be prepared to discuss possible dates, topics, formats, accessibility needs, and audience expectations.

Contact speakers who are available for the time needed and line up enough people to cover the event

Use your roster to identify speakers who are available and interested. Contact them with information about the audience, topic, format, date, time, location, transportation, accessibility, compensation if applicable, and anything else they should know before deciding whether to participate.

Speakers should always be able to decline an engagement or particular topic without penalty.

Send a confirmation message to any group with which you've scheduled a speakers bureau presentation

After you've scheduled an engagement, send a brief confirmation by email or another agreed-upon method. Include the date, time, topic, location or virtual link, expected audience, duration, format, accessibility arrangements, technology needs, and contact information.

Speakers bureau confirmation message

Williamsburg Peer Power Speakers Bureau
Williamsburg Peer Power Program
2349 West 89th Street
Williamsburg, OR 09834
555-0987

Anne Thornton
Girl Scout Troop #978

October 20, 2026

Dear Ms. Thornton,

I'm writing to confirm that the Williamsburg Peer Power Speakers Bureau will provide a panel for your November 19 meeting at the Williamsburg Junior High gymnasium. The presentation will begin at 5:30 p.m. and end at approximately 7:00 p.m.

The panel will focus on nicotine and vaping prevention, including health effects, marketing to young people, peer influence, strategies for making informed choices, and resources for quitting. We will also leave time for audience questions.

Please let me know if any of these details are incorrect or if there are accessibility, technology, language, or other needs we should plan for in advance.

Thank you for inviting us.

Sincerely,

Peter Markos
Williamsburg Peer Power Program

Remind your speakers about the engagement

A few days before the engagement, send scheduled speakers a reminder by text, email, phone, or whatever communication method they prefer. Include the date, time, location or virtual link, expected duration, topic, transportation information, contact person, and any last-minute updates.

Have your speakers make their presentation

The actual details of a speakers bureau presentation can vary widely. Generally, a presentation may begin with basic information about the organization and purpose of the event, followed by introductions from the speakers.

Speakers with lived experience may choose to share personal stories, while people with professional or technical expertise may provide information, research, or practical guidance. Many panels combine both.

Speakers should decide in advance what they are and are not comfortable discussing. Facilitators can remind audiences that speakers are not required to answer personal, intrusive, disrespectful, or inappropriate questions.

Presentations are often followed by a question-and-answer period or facilitated discussion. Decide in advance how much time each part will take and who will moderate the conversation.

At the end of the presentation, collect some sort of feedback from the audience

Finding out what the audience thought can help speakers and organizers understand what worked well and what could be improved. Feedback might ask whether the presentation was clear, relevant, respectful, useful, and accessible; what participants learned; what questions remain; and what they would change about future presentations.

Speakers should also have an opportunity to provide feedback. Ask how the event felt from their perspective, whether the host organization created a respectful environment, whether any questions or interactions were uncomfortable, and what additional support would make future engagements better.

In Summary

There are many ways to share information and help communities learn about the issues and work your organization cares about. Media campaigns, community meetings, online communication, workshops, and other strategies all have value. A speakers bureau adds something different by creating opportunities for people to hear directly from individuals with lived experience, professional knowledge, community expertise, or a combination of these perspectives.

Speakers bureaus can increase awareness, strengthen understanding of an organization's work, recruit volunteers and partners, raise funds, and create meaningful dialogue. They can be relatively inexpensive to operate, but strong programs still require thoughtful recruitment, preparation, scheduling, accessibility, support, and respect for speakers' time and boundaries.

Most importantly, people should never be reduced to their diagnosis, identity, trauma, or life story. Speakers should have control over what they share, how often they participate, and how their experiences are described. When a speakers bureau is built around respect, informed participation, varied perspectives, and strong preparation, it can be a powerful tool for community education and engagement.

___You understand what a speakers bureau is

___You understand that a speakers bureau can be used to raise public awareness about your issues

___You understand that a speakers bureau can be used to increase your organization's visibility

___You understand that a speakers bureau can be used to increase public understanding of your organization

___You understand that a speakers bureau can be used to provide positive role models

___You understand that a speakers bureau can be used to recruit new members or volunteers

___You understand that a speakers bureau can be used to attract press coverage

___You understand that a speakers bureau can be used to raise funds

___You are familiar with some of the types of groups you can reach with a speakers bureau

___You have recruited and selected your speakers

___You have put together a roster of your speakers that includes information to help you schedule them most efficiently

___You have contacted groups and organizations that might be interested in scheduling a speaking engagement

___You have contacted speakers who are available for the time needed and line up enough people to cover the event

___You have sent a confirmation letter to any group with which you've scheduled a speakers bureau presentation

___You have reminded your speakers about the engagement

___You have had your speakers make their presentation

___You have collected some sort of feedback from the audience at the end of the presentation

Tool 1: Roster Form

Name	Phone #	Availability	Area of expertise / experience	Dates done / Upcoming Dates

Tool 2: Tips for Speakers

• Know where and when you are supposed to speak. Call ahead for directions if necessary.
• Be there 10 or 15 minutes ahead of time. Introduce yourself to the person in charge and identify yourself as a member of the speakers bureau.
• Begin and end on time. Wait no longer than five minutes or so for latecomers, because the longer you wait to start, the more you'll risk annoying those who made an effort to be there on time. By the same token, don't keep people there longer than they were planning to be. If there is a really great dialogue going on and the panelists are willing to stay longer, you may choose to take a break and continue after a few minutes for anyone who is interested in staying later, but by all means give everyone a chance to leave at the predetermined time.
• If you have several speakers doing a panel discussion, it's probably a good idea to have one panel member be in charge of making introductions and occasionally facilitating the discussion. The facilitator can be the one who gives out some basic information about your organization's mission, structure, and any services you provide at the beginning of the presentation. Then the facilitator can introduce panelists and direct the question-and-answer session.
• It's okay to disagree with other panelists on matters of opinion, but do so respectfully and calmly. Don't get sidetracked into a big philosophical discussion or political argument your audience will leave confused, bored, angry, or some combination of the three.
• Avoid arguing with audience members as well, for the same reasons. If an audience member makes a derogatory or ignorant statement or question, try to use this as an opportunity to teach and share information rather than a personal challenge. For example, if an audience member has said something insulting or inflammatory, you might counter with, I can understand how you might think that, but actually, rather than getting defensive or angry.
• Use language appropriate for your audience. For younger or less educated audiences, make sure you avoid using jargon and complicated terminology, but for more educated or older audiences, you can probably use more of this type of language.
• As much as possible, use analogies, stories, and humor. This helps you connect with the audience and brings the information you're giving them to life. Create pictures with your words.
• Speak clearly and simply. If you must use complicated language (for example, medical terminology), be sure to keep it to a minimum and explain any words that a layperson might not understand.
• Pay attention to how the audience is responding. If people become bored, you need to do something to regain their attention. If a lot of people are looking at the ceiling, squirming uncomfortably or most horrifying of all nodding off, it's time to change the subject, let another speaker have a turn, or open the floor for questions. 

Tool 3: Speakers Bureau Evaluation Form

Have the audiences at your speakers bureau presentations complete this form; use their feedback to help you improve your presentations, pinpoint topics that you might want to include in the future, and acknowledge the things that are done well.

Speakers Bureau Evaluation

How effective was the presentation?

 

Was the presentation well organized?

 

Was the length of the presentation adequate?

 

Was an adequate amount of time left for the question-and-answer period?

 

What did you learn from the speaker?

 

What would you have liked to have heard more information about?

 

Additional comments:

 

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

• What is a Neighborhood Watch Association (NWA)?

• How can a Neighborhood Watch Association benefit your neighborhood?

• When should an NWA be implemented?

• How do you start an NWA where you live?

Perhaps residents in your neighborhood have become concerned about vehicle break-ins, property damage, poor lighting, unsafe traffic conditions, or other issues affecting safety and quality of life.

Or perhaps you and your neighbors have noticed repeated activity or conditions that raise concerns, but you're not sure what is happening or what response would be appropriate. Rather than making assumptions about individuals, you may want a way for residents to share information, identify specific concerns, and work together on possible solutions.

It might be time to form a Neighborhood Watch Association.

What is a Neighborhood Watch Association (NWA)?

A Neighborhood Watch Association is a group of residents, in an area of almost any size, who decide to work together on crime prevention, community safety, and other neighborhood concerns. The group may collaborate with local government, law enforcement, community organizations, housing providers, businesses, and other partners to identify concerns and develop solutions.

An NWA may be organized by an existing neighborhood association. A formal Neighborhood Watch program often includes an ongoing relationship with local law enforcement, but residents should remain community partners rather than taking on law-enforcement responsibilities themselves.

How can a Neighborhood Watch Association benefit your neighborhood?

NWAs can strengthen communication among residents and between residents, local government, law enforcement, and other community partners. They can provide a structured way for people to share concerns, learn about available resources, identify neighborhood strengths, and work together on safety improvements.

Residents may also become more aware of what is happening in their neighborhood and better prepared to report specific emergencies, safety hazards, or concerning behavior through the appropriate channels. The goal is not to monitor everyone in the neighborhood or treat unfamiliar people as suspicious, but to build relationships, improve communication, and respond appropriately to observable safety concerns.

A well-run Neighborhood Watch can also strengthen connections among neighbors. People who know and communicate with one another may be better able to help during emergencies, share information, look out for neighbors who need assistance, and work together on improvements such as lighting, traffic safety, clean-up projects, or other community priorities.

When should an NWA be implemented?

A Neighborhood Watch may be useful when residents share concerns about safety and are interested in working together. A recent increase in property crime, concerns about traffic or lighting, repeated vandalism, or a desire to strengthen neighborhood communication may provide a starting point.

An NWA doesn't need to begin only after a crime occurs. It can also be organized proactively to strengthen relationships, identify neighborhood assets and concerns, and develop plans for prevention and emergency communication.

If you hope to work closely with local law enforcement, find out what support, training, guidance, or formal Neighborhood Watch programs are available. Other partners -- such as local government, tenant or neighborhood associations, schools, community organizations, and public health or social service agencies -- may also be useful depending on the issues residents identify.

How do you start an NWA where you live?

One place to start is by contacting your local police department, sheriff's office, or community safety office to find out whether it has a formal Neighborhood Watch program, training, signage, educational materials, or a community liaison.

If your local agency doesn't have a formal program, you can work with neighbors and appropriate community partners to develop an approach that fits your neighborhood.

Find out whether other residents are interested in forming an association and what safety concerns or community priorities matter to them. Ask about meeting times, accessibility, language needs, transportation, childcare, virtual participation, or other factors that could affect people's ability to participate.

If there is enough interest, set a meeting time and place. Let interested residents know and invite relevant community partners. Distribute information through methods residents actually use, such as flyers, neighborhood email lists, text groups, social media, community apps, newsletters, or personal invitations.

Your first NWA meeting

The first meeting of your NWA is important. It can help determine who will participate, what issues the group will address, and how residents will communicate and make decisions. It can also be an opportunity to begin relationships with law enforcement and other community partners.

This may not all happen in the first meeting, and that's fine. Building trust and deciding how the group will work may take time.

Many local law enforcement agencies already have a system for conducting NWA meetings. If yours does not, here is a sample agenda for a first meeting:

• Start with introductions. Even if many people already know one another, this can help new residents and partners feel included.
• Set up some clear ground rules so that everyone can participate productively, such as:
  • Focus on solving problems rather than assigning blame
  • Give everyone reasonable opportunities to speak
  • Listen respectfully to everyone's ideas
  • If you disagree, address ideas or actions rather than attacking people
  • Avoid assumptions based on race, ethnicity, age, disability, clothing, language, housing status, or whether someone is familiar to you
• Allow each person to contribute the concerns and challenges they see for the neighborhood. Listing these on a shared document, whiteboard, or large sheet of paper can help everyone see the issues being discussed.
• Do the same for the strengths, resources, relationships, and positive attributes of the neighborhood.
• If law enforcement or other community partners are at the meeting, give them an opportunity to explain available resources, answer questions, and listen to residents' concerns.
• Organize the concerns that have been identified and decide which ones residents want to address first.
• Discuss possible responses. These may include environmental improvements, communication strategies, resident education, working with law enforcement or local government, connecting people with services, or partnering with other organizations. Develop an action plan when appropriate.
• Decide on the possible roles people might play in the NWA. Some possibilities include:
  • Communication coordinators for different blocks or areas
  • Liaison with law enforcement, local government, or other community partners
  • Neighborhood safety volunteers who help identify environmental concerns such as broken lighting, unsafe intersections, damaged property, or other conditions that should be reported to the appropriate agency
  • Residents who agree to share specific, observable safety concerns through the appropriate communication or reporting system
  • People who welcome new participants, share information about the NWA, and help residents understand how to raise concerns
• Ask people which roles they are genuinely willing and able to take on.
  • Don't make people feel that attending a meeting obligates them to volunteer. Participation can take many forms, and people should be able to choose what level of involvement works for them.
• Organize a communication system
• Provide information about property safety, emergency contacts, and guidelines for reporting specific incidents or safety concerns without profiling or confrontation
• Set the time and place for your next meeting if appropriate

Using a communication system

A communication system can help neighbors quickly share important information, announce meetings or events, ask for assistance, and communicate during emergencies. Depending on the neighborhood, this might include group text messages, phone calls, email lists, community apps, automated alerts, or a combination of methods.

Agree ahead of time on what kinds of information should be shared broadly. Emergency situations should still be reported directly to 911 or the appropriate emergency service rather than relying on a neighborhood communication system.

Neighborhood communications should focus on useful, verified information whenever possible. Avoid sharing rumors, personal information that isn't necessary, or descriptions based only on someone's race, ethnicity, age, clothing, disability, or other personal characteristics.

Implementing your communication system

• Choose one or more people to coordinate communications. Depending on the size of the neighborhood, communication may be organized by block, building, apartment complex, or another structure that makes sense locally.
• Make sure participants know how the system works, who coordinates it, what information they will receive, and how their contact information will be protected.
• Residents who have information to share can contact the appropriate coordinator or use the agreed-upon communication channel.
• Important information can then be distributed through the communication system. Keep messages concise, accurate, respectful, and limited to what residents need to know.

Don't rely on only one form of communication. Some residents may not use smartphones, email, social media, or neighborhood apps, while others may have hearing, vision, language, literacy, or technology-access needs.

Consider using several methods so that people aren't left out. These might include phone calls, text messages, email, printed notices, accessible digital communication, translation, or direct contact from a neighbor when appropriate. Ask residents what methods work best for them rather than assuming everyone communicates in the same way.

How do you make your NWA effective?

After you have your NWA set up, how do you make it effective? There are two broad things you can do:

• Provide useful, specific information to the appropriate agencies when a legitimate safety concern occurs
• Improve neighborhood conditions in ways that support safety, accessibility, connection, and quality of life

Here are some ways to provide more useful information when reporting an incident:

• Focus on specific behavior, events, locations, vehicles, or other observable information relevant to the incident. Do not follow, confront, question, photograph, or attempt to detain someone because you think they may be suspicious.
• If residents notice a repeated pattern of specific incidents -- such as repeated property damage, theft, unsafe driving, or another recurring concern -- they can document dates, times, locations, and observable details and share them through the appropriate reporting channel. Avoid investigating suspected criminal activity yourself.

Here are some ideas for improving safety around homes and neighborhood properties:

• Make sure address numbers are clearly visible so emergency responders can find the property
• Use appropriate outdoor lighting to improve visibility around entrances, walkways, parking areas, and other frequently used spaces
• Maintain landscaping so that walkways, entrances, windows, and public areas remain visible while also considering privacy, shade, accessibility, and the character of the property
• Keep exterior doors, locks, and entry systems in good working condition
• Secure windows and sliding doors with appropriate locks or other safety devices
• Keep a secure inventory of important valuables, serial numbers, receipts, or photographs when useful for insurance or recovery after theft
• Consider alarms, cameras, motion lighting, or other security tools when they fit your needs and budget
  • Understand how the system works and use settings that reduce unnecessary alerts or intrusions on neighbors' privacy
  • Remember that no security system prevents every incident, so these tools work best as part of a broader safety plan

Here are some questions you can ask when considering neighborhood safety:

• Are streets, sidewalks, entrances, and public spaces designed and maintained so that residents can move through the neighborhood safely?
• Are there opportunities for neighbors to spend time outdoors, walk, exercise, socialize, play, or participate in community activities? Active and welcoming public spaces can strengthen neighborhood connections and increase the number of people naturally present in the area.
• Are there residents who may need additional support during emergencies, such as older adults, people with disabilities, or people who live alone? How can neighbors offer support while respecting privacy and independence?
• Are streets, sidewalks, entrances, and addresses adequately lit and visible at night?
• Are shared spaces such as parks, alleys, sidewalks, vacant lots, bus stops, and recreation areas clean, accessible, well maintained, and usable by residents? Community clean-ups and improvement projects can help turn neglected spaces into stronger community assets.

It's important not to go overboard. Not all unfamiliar people, activities, or situations are safety threats. A person's race, ethnicity, age, clothing, disability, language, religion, housing status, or presence in a neighborhood should never by itself be treated as suspicious.

Focus on specific behavior and circumstances. For example, seeing someone walking through the neighborhood, sitting in a public space, knocking on doors, delivering packages, or visiting a home is not automatically suspicious. An emergency, an observed crime, someone attempting to enter a locked home or vehicle without permission, or another specific safety concern may warrant contacting the appropriate authorities.

Training in bias awareness, de-escalation, emergency response, and appropriate reporting can help Neighborhood Watch members distinguish between legitimate safety concerns and ordinary neighborhood activity. An NWA is meant to strengthen community safety and connection, not encourage residents to monitor or police one another.

How do you deal with emerging issues?

Emerging issues can be difficult to prepare for because you cannot always know what to expect. Still, it can be useful to address neighborhood concerns early, before they become more difficult to resolve.

This might include repairing broken lighting, cleaning up unsafe debris, improving an abandoned or poorly maintained public space, addressing repeated traffic concerns, connecting residents with services, or responding to other issues identified by the community. Taking care of neighborhood conditions can communicate that residents are invested in the area and can improve safety, accessibility, and quality of life.

Avoid assuming that visible disorder or minor rule violations automatically lead to more serious crime. Responses to neighborhood concerns should be proportionate to the actual issue and should not rely unnecessarily on enforcement when maintenance, services, community engagement, environmental improvements, or other approaches may be more appropriate.

Regardless of what situation your neighborhood is in, new issues will continue to emerge. By maintaining communication, reviewing concerns together, listening to residents, and working with the appropriate partners, your neighborhood can develop responses that support both safety and community well-being.

In Summary

A formal Neighborhood Watch Association can help residents work together on safety concerns and build relationships with law enforcement, local government, and other community partners. Members should agree on clear guidelines for communication and reporting, focus on specific behavior rather than personal characteristics, and avoid confronting or investigating people themselves.

A neighborhood communication system -- whether based on text messages, phone calls, email, community apps, printed notices, or a combination of methods -- can help residents stay informed. Neighborhood safety efforts can also include better lighting, accessible and well-maintained public spaces, property-safety improvements, emergency planning, and stronger relationships among neighbors.

The keys to an effective Neighborhood Watch are communication, collaboration, respect, appropriate reporting, attention to bias, and a focus on practical conditions that make the neighborhood safer and more connected for everyone.

___You assess the need for and interest in a Neighborhood Watch Association (NWA ) in your neighborhood

___You contact your local law enforcement agency to find out how they can support and interact with your NWA

___You call a first meeting, inviting neighbors and law enforcement representatives

___Your group identifies issues of concern and strategies, if necessary, for addressing them. An action plan may be developed for a current problem

___You create a phone tree if the group desires, and agree to guidelines for reporting suspicious behavior

___You disseminate information on how to improve safety on personal property, how to record and report suspicious persons and activity

___You evaluate your neighborhood for its susceptibility to crime and plan improvements as possible

___You identify emerging issues ("broken windows") and work together for creative solutions

Example: Safe Streets program of Topeka/Shawnee County

The Greater Auburndale Neighborhood Association in Topeka, Kansas, found a way to deal with an emerging issue before problems became greater.

In 1997, residents of the Greater Auburndale area were upset because teenagers were hanging out and skateboarding in the area park. The kids were suspected of leaving trash, spraying graffiti, and causing other vandalism as well. To deal with this problem, several neighborhood meetings were held with the angry neighbors, parents, and accused kids, along with community police and representatives from the Parks Department.

As a result of these meetings, the neighborhood underwent a significant change. A compromise was reached that led to the removal of one net on the tennis court so that kids could skateboard while neighbors could still use the court to play tennis. Several organized clean-ups took place in the park and neighbors held events for the kids. The discussions that had taken place over skateboarding in the park eventually led to the building of a separate skate park accessible to all kids in the city.

Tool 1: Suspect Description Checklist

• Sex (male or female):
• Race (White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, etc.):
• Complexion (dark, light, rugged, etc.)
• Age (mid-twenties, thirties, forties, etc.)
• Height (estimate in 2 inch blocks; for example: between 6'0" and 6'2")
• Weight (estimate in blocks of 10 pounds)
• Build (large, medium, stocky, thin, etc.)
• Hair (red, brown, thick, thin, balding, beard, etc.)
• Clothing (type, color, style - start at the top and work down: hat, coat, shirt, pants, shoes)
• Other Features (visible tattoos or piercings, glasses, etc.)
• Direction of Travel (north, south, east, west, name of street if possible)

Tool 2: Vehicle Description Checklist

• Color (be as specific as possible; dark, medium, light blue, etc.)
• Year (if you can get it, but not necessary)
• Make (Ford, Toyota, etc.)
• Model (Accord, Mustang, Camry, etc.)
• Body Type (two-door, convertible, station wagon, etc.)
• License Number (get state too, if possible)
• Other (bumper stickers, dents, etc.)
• Direction of Travel (North, South, East, West, name of street)

Tool 3: Suspicious Activity Log

Address of suspicious activity: ______________________

Date	Time	Style and make of car	State and License Number	Color and Year of car	Repeat visitor	Description of person(s)	Description of activity	Reported to	Date and Time	Case Officer Name and Number

 

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

 

Portions of this section adapted from The Self-Help Leader's Handbook: Leading Effective Meetings by Adrienne Paine-Andrews, Yolanda Suarez-Balcazar, Stephen B. Fawcett, and Leslie Borck Jameson, with the collaboration of Melody G. Embree, published by the Research and Training Center on Independent Living at the University of Kansas.

 

Peer support groups are widely used in communities to help people connect with others who share similar experiences, concerns, identities, health conditions, or life circumstances. They may focus on anything from substance use recovery and gambling-related concerns to surviving domestic violence, caregiving, disability, grief, parenting, or questions related to gender and sexuality.

If your group or initiative provides services to people who might benefit from connecting with others who have similar experiences, you may want to consider adding a peer support group to the services or opportunities you offer.

What are peer support groups?

Support groups -- also sometimes referred to as self-help or peer support groups -- are groups of people who gather to share experiences, concerns, information, and support related to a particular issue, health condition, identity, or life circumstance. In a support group, people can connect with others who may understand aspects of what they are experiencing and can offer practical insights based on firsthand experience.

Some of the common characteristics of support groups include:

• They are made up largely of peers -- people directly affected by a particular issue, condition, identity, or circumstance
• They may be peer-led or facilitated by a trained volunteer or professional, depending on the purpose and structure of the group
• They tend to be fairly small so that participants have meaningful opportunities to contribute
• Participation is usually voluntary, although some programs or systems may require participation in particular groups as part of employment, treatment, diversion, probation, or another formal process

Peer support groups are not necessarily the same as group therapy. Some groups are facilitated by licensed mental health professionals and may provide clinical treatment, while others are community-based or peer-led and focus primarily on mutual support, shared experience, information, and connection. Be clear with participants about what your group does and does not provide.

Why create and facilitate a peer support group?

There can be many benefits to peer support groups:

• When someone doesn't know many -- or any -- other people with similar experiences, they may feel isolated or misunderstood. Support groups can help people feel less alone and more connected.
• Support groups can sometimes operate with relatively modest resources, although costs may include meeting space, accessibility accommodations, technology, childcare, transportation support, facilitator training, refreshments, interpretation, or other needs.
• Support groups can strengthen people's sense of agency by giving participants opportunities to identify their own goals, share strategies, and make decisions about what will be useful to them.
• Members can exchange information, resources, and updates relevant to their experiences.
• People with similar experiences may offer a form of understanding and connection that is different from, and can complement, professional support.
• Members can learn from one another. Seeing how other people navigate challenges, build on their strengths, and make progress toward their goals may offer encouragement and practical ideas.
• A well-facilitated support group can provide a respectful and supportive setting for people who want to discuss personal experiences, concerns, and feelings.
• Some people may find professional relationships intimidating or may feel more comfortable first talking with peers. In a peer support group, participants can share knowledge and support in a setting designed around mutual respect and shared experience.
• Participation may help some people feel more connected, hopeful, informed, or supported. The effects will differ among individuals, and peer support should not be presented as a replacement for medical, mental health, legal, or other professional care when such care is needed.

Who can be served by peer support groups?

Peer support groups can be useful for people navigating many different experiences and circumstances, including:

• Illnesses, injuries, disabilities, or chronic health conditions
• Eating disorders or concerns related to food and body image
• Sexual orientation, gender identity, or related experiences
• Disability-related experiences and access needs
• Health-related behavior changes or personal goals
• Mental health concerns or emotional well-being
• Substance use disorders, recovery, or behavioral addictions
• Grief and bereavement
• Parenting and caregiving

Besides serving people directly affected by an issue or circumstance, support groups may also welcome family members, caregivers, partners, or friends. Other groups are designed specifically for family members and loved ones. For example, Al-Anon offers peer support for people affected by someone else's drinking.

How do you create a peer support group?

Think about what you want to accomplish

Decide what your group's purpose will be and who you hope to include. You might find it helpful to write vision and mission statements for your support group.

Be clear about what the group can provide. Is it primarily for mutual support? Education? Resource sharing? Skill building? Social connection? Recovery support? Is it peer-led, professionally facilitated, or a combination? Clear expectations can help participants decide whether the group fits what they are looking for.

Find out whether there are existing national, regional, or local groups your group can be involved with

There may be advantages to connecting your support group with a larger organization. A larger organization may offer facilitator training, educational materials, referral resources, meeting guidance, accessibility support, evaluation tools, or connections with other groups. Name recognition may also make it easier for people to find the group.

At the same time, affiliation is not always necessary or appropriate. Consider whether the larger organization's philosophy, practices, accessibility, and expectations fit the people you hope to involve.

Using a fictional example, let's look at how someone might set up a support group with the help of a larger organization.

Yoshiko's support group

Yoshiko's sister was recently diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. Yoshiko wanted to connect with other people living with muscular dystrophy and with family members and caregivers who had similar experiences. After carefully studying this section of the Community Tool Box, she decided to find out whether the Muscular Dystrophy Association, a national organization, had support resources or groups in her area.

She visited the organization's website and learned that there was a group in a nearby town but not in her city. After contacting the organization and learning what support was available, Yoshiko decided to explore creating a local group connected with the larger organization.

Consider whether the group will meet for a specific period of time or for an indefinite period of time

Support groups can be ongoing or can meet for a defined number of sessions. For example, a local crisis center might offer a six-week grief support group several times a year for people who have lost someone to suicide. A time-limited format may work well when the group has a focused curriculum or purpose. An ongoing group may work better for people seeking long-term peer connection around a chronic condition, caregiving role, recovery, or another continuing experience.

Consider what participants need rather than assuming one format works best for a particular issue. Some organizations offer both ongoing groups and shorter-term groups.

Decide whether the group will be open or closed

Open support groups allow new members to join throughout the life of the group. Depending on the purpose, friends, family members, caregivers, or other supporters may also be welcome.

In closed groups, people join during a particular enrollment period, or participation may be limited to people who share a particular experience or meet specific eligibility criteria. Some organizations offer both open meetings and closed meetings for people directly participating in a program.

If your group will work through a structured process or discuss especially sensitive material, a closed group may help participants develop continuity and trust. Open groups may be more appropriate when ongoing access is important. Neither format is automatically better; choose the structure that fits the group's purpose and participants.

Set a time and place for your support group to meet

Choose meeting times based on the schedules and needs of the people you hope to involve rather than assuming one time will work for everyone. Consider work schedules, caregiving, religious observances, school, transportation, and other responsibilities. Offering virtual or hybrid participation may also increase access for some groups.

Picking an appropriate location is important. If your organization has meeting space, it may be convenient, but don't automatically assume it is the best option. A library, community center, health facility, faith community, school, or another location may be more accessible or comfortable.

Privacy can also matter. Participants in groups related to recovery, mental health, reproductive health, experiences of violence, LGBTQ+ identity, legal involvement, or other sensitive topics may reasonably want discretion about their participation. Choose a location that respects privacy without treating participants or their experiences as something shameful that needs to be hidden.

First and foremost, the location should be accessible to the people who will attend. Consider public transportation, parking, wheelchair access, accessible restrooms, lighting, hearing or communication access, service animals, language access, and other accommodations.

The location should also support comfort and psychological safety. For example, survivors of violence may have concerns about meeting in places closely associated with traumatic experiences or law enforcement. Ask potential participants what kinds of spaces would feel comfortable and appropriate rather than making assumptions.

Meeting in a member's home can sometimes feel welcoming, but it may create concerns about privacy, accessibility, transportation, boundaries, or safety. Public or community-based spaces are often easier for newcomers to access. Online meetings may also be an option when privacy and technology needs can be addressed appropriately.

When you have chosen a location, make any necessary reservations and accessibility arrangements.

Select a group leader or facilitator

Choosing the right facilitator is important. The facilitator opens and closes meetings, helps create respectful discussion, supports participation, reinforces group agreements, and responds when challenging situations arise.

Helpful facilitator qualities may include:

• Availability and reliability: The facilitator should have enough time to prepare for meetings, attend consistently, and follow through on responsibilities.
• Capacity and support: Facilitating emotionally meaningful conversations can take energy. The facilitator should have appropriate support, backup, and opportunities for rest rather than being expected to handle everything alone.
• Facilitation skills: Ideally, the facilitator has experience or training in listening, group facilitation, communication, managing conflict, setting boundaries, and responding appropriately when concerns fall outside the group's scope.
• Access to resources: The facilitator should know how to connect participants with appropriate community, health, mental health, crisis, legal, or other resources when needed.
• Commitment to the group: The facilitator should respect the people involved and understand the purpose of the group. Lived experience may be valuable, but it should not be treated as a requirement. A person can be an effective facilitator because of training, community knowledge, empathy, or other relevant experience.

The facilitator should also understand the limits of the role. A peer support facilitator should not present themselves as a therapist, medical professional, attorney, or crisis responder unless they actually hold that role and the group has been structured accordingly.

The details of the facilitator's job -- running the meetings -- are explained later in this section; you may wish to refer to that when selecting someone for the position.

Decide on any remaining details

Going back to step one, think about what you want this group to be like. This can help you make decisions about details such as:

• How often should we meet? Many groups meet weekly, every other week, or monthly. Choose a schedule that fits the group's needs and resources.
• How long should meetings last? Many groups meet for about one to two hours, but shorter meetings may work better depending on participants' schedules, health, energy, accessibility needs, or the size of the group.
• Should we serve refreshments? Food and beverages can help create a welcoming environment, but consider allergies, dietary needs, eating-disorder recovery, cultural preferences, cost, and facility rules. If members are asked to contribute, make sure no one feels pressured to spend money they cannot afford.

Recruit members for your support group

Consider how large you want the support group to be before you start recruiting. The group should be large enough to continue functioning when some people are absent but small enough for participants to have meaningful opportunities to contribute. Groups of roughly 5 to 15 people often work well, although the right size depends on the purpose and format.

There are many ways to let people know about your group, and you may want to use several approaches.

Use referrals

• Network with organizations, professionals, and community partners related to the group's focus. These might include health professionals, social workers, educators, faith leaders, peer specialists, community health workers, advocacy organizations, or others who may know people interested in the group.
• If your city or county has community information, referral, or 211 services, ask how your support group can be included.
• If the group is related to a health issue, provide information to relevant hospitals, clinics, public health programs, community health organizations, and patient or caregiver networks.
• Find out which organizations maintain community resource directories and request that your group be included.

Use communication channels

• Posters and flyers: Place these in locations that people you hope to reach actually use, such as libraries, health centers, community organizations, schools, workplaces, faith communities, recreation centers, or local businesses.
• Press releases: Local news outlets or community newsletters may be interested in a new support resource, especially when it addresses a current community concern.
• Digital outreach: Use websites, email lists, social media, community apps, online calendars, and partner organizations' digital networks when appropriate.
• Letters to the editor or opinion pieces may also help raise awareness when a related issue is receiving public attention.
• Public service announcements: Local radio, television, podcasts, or community media may provide space for public-service information.

Use personal invitations and word-of-mouth

• Personal invitations and recommendations can be especially effective because people may be more comfortable attending when they hear about the group from someone they trust. Ask partners and current members to share information while respecting other people's privacy.

Once you have enough interest, contact participants with the date, time, location, accessibility information, and any other details they need. Use the communication method people prefer -- email, text, phone, or another option -- and send a reminder shortly before the meeting when appropriate.

How do you facilitate a peer support group?

You've put in a lot of work preparing for your support group to begin, and now the first meeting has arrived. If you are the group's facilitator, here are some guidelines for running the meeting.

Prepare yourself for the meeting

Take a few minutes to think about possible topics for discussion. If this isn't your first meeting, review the themes members wanted to revisit. Be cautious about keeping unnecessary personal notes. Any information you do retain should be limited, securely stored, and handled according to your organization's privacy policies.

Have referral information available in case someone needs support beyond what the group can provide. Depending on the group, this might include health care, mental health services, crisis resources, domestic violence services, substance use treatment, housing assistance, or other community resources.

Prepare the room for the meeting

Arrive early enough to prepare the space. Arrange seating so that people can see and hear one another while leaving room for wheelchairs, mobility devices, service animals, interpreters, or other access needs. Avoid assuming everyone will be comfortable sitting in a tight circle or maintaining direct eye contact.

If you're serving refreshments, set them up in an accessible location. If you're using name tags, consider allowing participants to write the name and pronouns they want others to use rather than making assumptions.

Start the meeting

Welcome people as they arrive. Use people's names when you know them and follow their preferences about handshakes, hugs, or other physical greetings.

Start reasonably close to the agreed-upon time while allowing some flexibility for transportation, caregiving, disability, work schedules, or other barriers that may affect arrival.

Give preliminary introductions and information

Introduce yourself briefly and explain your role. If you have lived, professional, or community experience relevant to the group's topic and are comfortable sharing it, you may choose to mention it. Make any announcements and invite participants to share relevant updates.

Opening a support group meeting

At the first meeting for Yoshiko's muscular dystrophy support group, 15 people attended. Yoshiko introduced herself: "Hello everyone. My name is Yoshiko Hatori. My sister Miho has been living with muscular dystrophy for a little over a year. I'm glad you're here, and I hope this can be a place where we learn from and support one another."

She also mentioned an upcoming community fundraiser and shared information about local resources.

If this is a new group or new members are present, explain the group agreements. Confidentiality is often one of the most important agreements, but avoid promising that the facilitator can absolutely guarantee what other members will do outside the group.

You might say that members are expected not to share other people's personal stories or identifying information outside the group. Also explain any legal or organizational limits on confidentiality that apply to facilitators, such as mandated reporting requirements or situations involving immediate safety concerns.

Explain whether the group is open or closed, whether participation is voluntary, and any other expectations related to respectful communication, privacy, accessibility, and safety.

Invite participants to introduce themselves in whatever way feels appropriate. Do not require people to disclose personal information simply because they are attending the group.

Encourage members to listen to each other

Active listening helps people feel heard and understood. There is no single correct way to show that you are listening, and communication styles vary across cultures, personalities, disabilities, and neurotypes.

Helpful approaches can include:

• Giving the speaker your attention in a way that is comfortable and respectful
• Using eye contact when it is comfortable for both people, without treating eye contact as a requirement
• Using brief verbal responses such as "I hear you," "Mm-hmm," or "That makes sense"
• Using appropriate facial expressions or gestures
• Rephrasing what someone has said to check your understanding. For example: "It sounds like you felt really hurt by what happened. Is that right?"

Encourage members to offer support to one another

Part of the facilitator's role is to help members learn how to respond supportively to one another. Model listening, validation, and respectful curiosity.

Avoid putting a participant on the spot by demanding that they respond to someone else's disclosure. Instead, invite the group generally:

• "Would anyone like to share something that has helped them in a similar situation?"
• "What kinds of support might feel useful here?"
• "Has anyone had an experience they would like to share that connects with what Brian described?"

Encourage members to talk about themselves

One advantage of support groups is that they can create an environment where participants feel able to discuss experiences that matter to them. Sharing personal information can help people connect and offer support, but disclosure should always be voluntary.

Facilitators should not pressure people to reveal personal experiences, trauma, diagnoses, family information, or other sensitive details. People can participate by listening, sharing general reflections, or speaking only when they feel ready.

Open-ended questions can help a person explore an experience without directing them toward a particular answer.

Asking open-ended questions

Camilla, a parent in Yoshiko's support group, talked about how difficult it had been to balance her health needs with caring for her children.

Yoshiko invited her to say more with questions such as:

• "What parts of your routine have been especially difficult lately?"
• "What kinds of support would make things easier for you and your family?"

Yoshiko then invited other members to share only if they wanted to:

• "Has anyone had a similar experience they'd be comfortable talking about?"
• "What has helped you when you've been balancing your own health with caregiving responsibilities?"

You can also plan topics ahead of time. Some support groups use readings, reflection prompts, optional journaling, guest speakers, or activities to begin discussion.

Offer support

Support is one of the main reasons people participate in peer groups. Support can include listening, validating feelings, recognizing strengths, sharing relevant experiences, helping someone identify resources, or simply letting them know they are not alone.

Support should generally emphasize empathy rather than pity. Instead of assuming you know exactly how someone feels, acknowledge what they have shared and allow them to define their own experience.

Support can also be expressed through body language, tone, or physical gestures. Physical touch -- including hugs or touching someone's arm -- should never be assumed to be welcome. Ask first or let participants initiate. This is particularly important in groups involving trauma, disability, cultural differences, or experiences of violence.

Providing support

When Brian says, "I feel bad because I think I'm becoming a burden to my family," Yoshiko might respond:

• "That sounds really hard. I'm glad you felt comfortable telling us."
• "Would it be helpful to talk about what makes you feel like a burden, or about what support from your family feels like right now?"

She could also invite peer support by asking:

• "Would anyone like to offer Brian some support?"
• "Has anyone had a similar experience they'd be comfortable sharing?"

Help members solve problems

Problem-solving can be one useful part of a support group, but not every person who shares a concern is asking for advice or solutions. Before brainstorming, ask what the person wants from the group: listening, emotional support, information, ideas, or practical help.

If the person does want to explore options, the group can work through steps such as:

• Clarifying the concern: Make sure the person has had a chance to describe what is happening in their own words.
• Exploring possible options: Rather than telling the person what they "should" do, participants can share what has worked for them or ask whether the person would like to hear ideas. The person affected remains in control of their own decisions.
• Considering the options: Discuss possible advantages, drawbacks, resources, barriers, and consequences. The person can decide what, if anything, they want to try.
• Offering practical support: Members may sometimes be able to help one another with transportation, information, referrals, meals, childcare, or other needs, as long as the support is voluntary and appropriate boundaries are maintained.

Problem-solving

Clarifying the concern:

Yoshiko asks Camilla:

• "Which parts of the week feel hardest to manage right now?"
• "Are there particular times when transportation or household responsibilities become especially difficult?"

Exploring options:

After asking Camilla whether she wants ideas from the group, Yoshiko might ask:

• "What kinds of help would feel realistic for your household?"
• "What has helped during especially busy weeks in the past?"
• "Would you like to hear some ideas from other members?"

Choosing what to try:

Camilla decides that transportation and household tasks are the two areas where additional support would make the biggest difference.

• Another member whose children attend the same sports program offers to coordinate rides when schedules allow
• A member shares information about a local school transportation and family-support resource
• Another parent shares strategies that have helped their family divide household responsibilities in age-appropriate ways

Offering help:

The group has provided several possibilities, but Camilla decides which options make sense for her family.

Close the meeting

Many support group meetings last about one to two hours. Try to honor the agreed-upon ending time so participants can plan around work, caregiving, transportation, medications, energy levels, and other responsibilities.

Here are some ways you can close the meeting:

• Summarize themes rather than personal details: Briefly review the main topics, resources, or ideas discussed without unnecessarily repeating private disclosures.
• Ask for additional comments or questions: Check whether anyone has something important to add.
• Remind members about the next meeting: Share the date, time, location, virtual link, or other important information.
• Invite volunteers if needed: Members may choose to help with refreshments, communication, transportation, meeting setup, or other group needs. Participation in these tasks should remain voluntary.
• Thank participants: Acknowledge the time, care, and perspectives people contributed.
• Document only what is necessary: If the facilitator needs notes for planning or organizational purposes, keep them brief and avoid unnecessary identifying or sensitive details. Store records securely and follow applicable privacy policies.

Closing the meeting

As the agreed-upon ending time approaches, Yoshiko says:

"We're getting close to the time we agreed to finish, so let's wrap up for tonight."

She asks:

"We've talked about family relationships, caregiving, and transportation tonight. Is there anything important anyone would like to add before we close?"

She reminds the group of the next meeting and asks whether anyone wants to volunteer to send a reminder to participants.

Afterward, Yoshiko notes only the general themes the group may want to revisit: family relationships, caregiving support, transportation, and resources for people who have limited family support. She avoids recording unnecessary personal details about individual members.

Tips on Keeping a Support Group Going

• Keep track of your group's progress. Ask participants periodically how useful, welcoming, accessible, and respectful they find the group. Use their feedback to make improvements.
• Share responsibility for the group. People may want to help facilitate, welcome new members, organize activities, coordinate resources, or take on other roles. Shared leadership can strengthen the group and reduce burnout.
• Create opportunities for everyone to participate. Some people talk more than others, and some prefer to listen. Don't assume quieter members are disengaged. Invite participation without putting people on the spot, and help make sure no one person consistently dominates the conversation.
• Emphasize privacy and confidentiality expectations. Remind members not to share other people's personal stories or identifying information outside the group. Be transparent that a peer group cannot absolutely guarantee what every participant will do after the meeting.
• Support voluntary connections outside the group. Members may choose to keep in touch, provide mutual support, or develop peer partnerships. Make sure people understand that no one is required to share contact information or maintain relationships outside meetings.
• Continue outreach if the group is open. Let people know the group exists and make sure new members receive a welcoming orientation to its purpose and agreements.
• Share credit and learn from challenges. Recognize people's contributions and avoid assigning blame when something does not work as planned.
• Keep a realistic perspective. A support group will not meet every person's needs, and people may leave for many reasons. Departure does not automatically mean the group failed them. Someone may have found another resource, achieved what they wanted from the group, changed schedules, or simply decided that a different form of support fits them better.
• Remember the group's purpose. The group may change over time, but continue checking whether it is providing the kind of peer support, connection, information, or mutual assistance members want.

Tips on Handling Challenging Group Dynamics

Facilitators sometimes need to respond when a behavior makes it harder for other members to participate, feel respected, or stay focused. Rather than labeling someone a "difficult member," focus on the specific behavior and its effect on the group.

A useful approach is supportive limit-setting: acknowledge the person's needs or perspective, explain the effect of the behavior, clarify the group expectation, and identify a more constructive alternative.

Times when supportive limit-setting may be useful:

• When repeated late arrivals disrupt the group and the person may need help identifying a workable solution
• When one participant regularly takes so much discussion time that others have little opportunity to speak
• When a member repeatedly dismisses or argues with every idea in ways that prevent productive discussion
• When someone has health, mental health, substance use, safety, or other needs that appear to go beyond what a peer support group can reasonably provide
• When someone repeatedly interrupts, makes discriminatory or harmful comments, violates group agreements, or moves the discussion far away from the group's purpose
• When it becomes clear that the group's purpose does not match the kind of support a participant is looking for

If someone appears to be in immediate danger or experiencing a medical or mental health emergency, follow your organization's emergency procedures and connect the person with appropriate professional or emergency support rather than expecting the group to manage the situation alone.

Steps for supportive limit-setting:

• Acknowledge the person's perspective: "I can tell this is really important to you."
• Describe the effect on the group and clarify the limit: "I want to make sure everyone gets a chance to finish speaking, so I'm going to ask that we not interrupt one another."
• Offer an alternative: "Let's finish talking about Camilla's concern, and then we'll make sure there's time to come back to what you wanted to raise."
• Check understanding: "Does that work for you?" or "Is there another way we can make sure your concern gets addressed without interrupting someone else's turn?"

In Summary

Peer support groups can provide connection, shared understanding, practical information, encouragement, and opportunities for people to learn from others with similar experiences. They can be relatively simple to organize, but effective groups still require thoughtful planning, accessible meeting options, clear expectations, appropriate facilitation, privacy protections, and realistic boundaries about what peer support can provide.

The strongest groups treat members as people with knowledge, agency, strengths, and choices -- not simply as people defined by a diagnosis or problem. Participants should be able to decide what they share, how they participate, and what kinds of support they want from the group.

Peer support works best when it complements, rather than attempts to replace, other resources people may need. By creating respectful spaces for mutual support while recognizing the limits of the group, organizations can help participants build connection, exchange knowledge, and support one another through difficult experiences and meaningful life changes.

___You know what a peer support group is

___You know why to create a peer support group

___You know who your peer support group can serve

You've followed the steps to creating a peer support group:

___Decided on your purpose

___Researched other groups your group could be involved with

___Decided on a length of time for your group to meet

___Decided whether the group will be open or closed

___Set a time and place for your group to meet

___Selected a group leader or facilitator

___Decided on the remaining details

___Recruited members using

• Referrals
• The media
• Personal invitations/word-of-mouth

In facilitating a peer support group, you have:

___Prepared yourself

___Prepared the room

___Started the meeting on time and in a friendly manner

___Given preliminary introductions/information

___Encouraged members to listen to each other

___Encouraged members to give support to one another

___Encouraged members to talk about themselves

___Offered support

___Helped members solve problems by:

• Clarifying the problem
• Talking about alternatives
• Choosing which option to take
• Offering help

___Closed the meeting by:

• Making a summary statement
• Asking for comments/questions
• Reminding members of next meeting
• Requesting volunteers, if necessary
• Giving a final greeting
• Making final notes

___You have looked over the tips on keeping your support group going

___You know when to use assertive caring

___You know the four steps to assertive caring:

• Showing that you understand the member's dilemma
• Setting limits
• Suggesting alternatives
• Getting the member's agreement on the alternative

Example 1: Interview with the facilitator of a grief recovery support group

David Hallenbeck, along with assistant Bill Hazelitt, facilitates a grief recovery support group sponsored by Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home in Lawrence, Kansas. The support group is offered as a free public service to the community.

CTB: Can you tell me a little bit about your support group?

Hallenbeck: We started it back in 1989, and we have two sessions a year. The fall session starts in September and goes through January, and the spring session starts in February and goes through May.

CTB: So is it a closed group with people who go through for the entire period, or can people join at any point during it?

Hallenbeck: Well, there's a certain point - probably about six or seven weeks into it - where I close the group to any newcomers, because we've traveled far enough along by then as far as confidentiality and trust and things like that.

CTB: Aside from the newspaper ad, what ways do you use to recruit people?

Hallenbeck: Well, it has grown quite a bit just by word of mouth and different doctors and people referring people to us. We do some radio advertising, and there 's just a lot of communication between families we work with at the funeral home and other funeral homes in the surrounding counties.

CTB: Right... most of the research I've been doing has all said that word of mouth seems to be the best way to let people know about this kind of thing.

Hallenbeck: Well, we have a kind of first hand referral process. Someone has been through it, then that person will go home or he'll go back to work and tell people what it did for him. It just gets strong referral.

CTB: How many years have you guys been doing the support group?

Hallenbeck: Well, this fall, this coming fall it will be ten years. We've had, I think, somewhere around 120 people go through the program.

CTB: Wow. How many people are in the group each time?

Hallenbeck: Group size has ranged anywhere from six or seven up to eighteen.

CTB: How does a typical meeting go? How do you start off and how do you wrap it up?

Hallenbeck: We just basically start by just reviewing the week and seeing how everyone's week has been. Our support group is not one that just comes back and rehashes the same horror stories week after week. There is a different reading assignment or writing assignment that all the participants are expected to do. So each week it's a different aspect or different phase of working through the grief.

CTB: Have you ever had to deal with re-directing people in the group who might be a lot more talkative than the others, or off topic? What are some ways you do that?

Hallenbeck: Well, if somebody just habitually comes in just trying to monopolize the whole conversation, then usually I will meet one-on-one with them and just talk about that. And if they're not comfortable with letting other people share in the conversation, then I might suggest that we just go through the same steps one-on -one together, or I might refer them to some other community resource. Support groups aren't for everybody. It just takes a lot of dedication and perseverance to get you motivated to even get to the meeting to begin with.

CTB: Sure. What kind of folks generally end up taking part in the group? Is it usually made up of people who've had a really recent loss?

Hallenbeck: Sometimes. Some people come because of something recent and then once we get into the homework and going through the process they may realize that they were still having issues with some grief episode 20 or 30 years ago. We just want to help them go back and clean up some of that stuff.

CTB: Is there anything that you see as unique about the way this group functions?

Hallenbeck: Well, it's task oriented. We go through the Grief Recovery Handbook (The Grief Recovery Handbook: The Action Program for Moving Beyond Death Divorce, and Other Losses, by John W. James and Russell Friedman, Harper Collins). They call it an action program for moving beyond death, divorce and other losses. And so each week I always say, "Well, next week will be the toughest one yet." And they'll do it, then two weeks after that I'll say, "Next week's assignment will be the toughest one," because each week just builds on the last one. And there are a lot of other programs I've seen or been a part of or used that haven't been quite that action -filled. I like it because it has you go back and really take a look at your whole life's story, all the ups and downs, and see how that all fits together in the fabric of your life today.

CTB: What do you do at the end of the period, when you're having your last couple of meetings, to bring closure to the group?

Hallenbeck: Well, there are four main written assignments during our three or four months together. We usually just go down to Three Sisters Inn down at Baldwin and have dinner together for a celebration of the journeys we've been on. A lot of the groups from the ten years we've been doing this are still getting together on a monthly basis. They may get together for supper or just get together and visit and catch up. A number of lifelong friendships that have been established.

CTB: I think it's probably really helpful to encourage people to develop social relationships with each other outside the group, so they feel able to give each other support not only just during the meeting. Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Hallenbeck: Well, we're open to practically any age. The youngest so far have been college age, and it's ranged up to 82 years old.

Some groups seem to gel together and others - even though it's been a good experience together - you can tell it hasn't pulled together like some of the others may have. Yet no matter whether the group gelled or not, we find when they evaluate their experience in the group that it sort of becomes a mutual admiration society. The strength and perseverance people have shared with each other have really touched them all.

Example 2: Interview with the facilitator of a support group for men who have sex with men
 

Harley Logan is an Information Outreach Specialist with the Douglas County AIDS Project in Lawrence, Kansas. To educate the public about safer sex, he facilitates two support groups for men who have sex with men.

CTB: Can you tell me a little about the structure of the support group?

Logan: Well, this is an informal discussion group that is for men who have sex with men. We really try to use that language -"men who have sex with men" instead of "gay and bisexual men"- because we don't want to turn off anyone who doesn't identify as gay or bisexual.

At first we tried to follow a structure called the Lifeguard program which was developed in California.

[Editor's note: Lifeguard 2000 was a project founded by the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center.]

This is a series of workshops that has been approved by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. This is a program that Topeka was using already, so it was already approved and we just decided to go with this. Like I said, it's a series of four workshops and comes with a notebook on how to do the facilitation.

CTB: So it's got a real structure to it?

Logan: It's very structured and, on the advice of the guy who did it in Topeka, I've pretty much taken it apart and adapted it and tried to let the group determine the direction or what topic were going to talk about. There were quite a few "touchy-feely" exercises which I didn't think would work very well with people here in Kansas, so we changed those, for example. I think this group works a lot better with younger people - say, college age - than it does for people in their forties, fifties and sixties.

CTB: What sort of age range have you had in the folks that showed up?

Logan: When I started the first group here at the United Way Center, it attracted mainly guys who were in their forties and older. I'm 32 and I was probably the youngest one present. This is the same thing that happened in Topeka when they ran an advertisement for their discussion group - the people who showed were much older. And it worked out okay because it's a discussion group about topics that the older men were comfortable discussing; it's about issues around just being gay, being happy, a little bit of soul searching, self-esteem, that kind of work. Sometimes younger people aren't really in tune to that just yet.

We eventually started a second group with Q&A up on campus [KU Queers and Allies, the LesBiGayTrans student organization at the University of Kansas], inviting the guys to the discussion group. With these younger kids we end up incorporating a lot more information about safer sex, and they have a lot more basic questions about sex, unlike these guys who are older and have been having sex a lot longer. I also try to stay in the facilitator role with both groups, rather than interject my own opinion. I find the group very interesting, so I really step out of that facilitator role a lot with the older group.

CTB: Do you find that doing a certain amount of self-disclosure helps bring the conversation along?

Logan: Yes, very much so.

CTB: So how does a typical group meeting go? How do you set up? And how do you get the discussions started?

Logan: The volunteers of the organization supply us with brownies or cookies or what have you. We sit around a table, we have coffee. The discussion varies. At the last meeting I passed around some index cards and we talked about dating in the nineties and I asked a few questions - things like, "What is a date? What are some reasons you may or may not date? Does a date have to lead to a second date or to even a longer relationship? Where do you meet people?" And we wrote our answers to those out anonymously and then read the responses off the cards. After everybody answered the questions it generated tons of discussion surrounding dating issues and how is it to be a man having sex with other men, dating at this day and age.

One of the workshops for one of the groups focuses on eroticizing safer sex, so we talk a lot about condom use and the endless variety of condoms that are out there... We do talk about everything. People who are very much into any particular scene really can enlighten the rest of us about exactly what goes on - we have people in all different venues and certainly at different places in their life with safer sex. Other times we've talked about the coming out process. People are certainly at different stages in that and how it is in their workplaces and how it is with their families, that kind of thing.

CTB: So you're finding a really big range of topics that people are interested in discussing?

Logan: Yes. We try to focus on being gay, being happy, and saying yes to safer sex, because I try to tie it back into the safer sex issue. A man who feels good about himself and is okay with being gay is going to take care of himself more than someone who is feeling bad about it and, for example, drinking a lot of booze before he can do anything with another man.

CTB: What is it like to handle people who really tend to dominate the discussion or who bring up irrelevant topics?

Logan: I really haven't had very many instances where that's happened. Really the biggest problem I have in the group is keeping that discussion going, trying to throw out ideas and get them talking more. We have a few moments of silence every once in a while. But as far as having to get someone back on track, I always try to validate what they have said and say, "You know, that's a very good point, " or "I hear what you're saying, but can you explain that more or relate that to the topic back at hand?" What really helped me with facilitation was when I went through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment training and Red Cross fundamentals training about how to present a topic on HIV and AIDS and how to present education to a group. That training really helped. I've learned a lot about how to ask open questions, how to repeat what they say, or to even use moments of silence to get them to speak more. So that's really helped; I've felt really fortunate that I've studied some of that.

Tool 1: Role Play Scenarios

This tool was adapted from The Self-Help Leader's Handbook: Leading Effective Meetings by Adrienne L. Paine, Yolanda Suarez-Balcazar, Stephen B. Fawcett, and Leslie Borck Jameson, with the collaboration of Melody G. Embree.

Working with one or more partners, role play these scenarios, with one of you acting out the part of the support group facilitator and any others acting out the roles of support members.

• During a support group meeting for people who are experiencing stress in the workplace, one member is talking about having difficulties communicating with her supervisor. The facilitator should try to elicit supportive responses from other members.

• You are involved in a support group for people who have suffered severe spinal cord injuries. One member, who uses a wheelchair, is talking about how hard it is to find an apartment in town that is accessible. The facilitator should try to elicit supportive responses from other members.

• In a support group for family members of alcoholics, a member is talking about how she is upset that her husband won't get help for his drinking problem, and she is concerned that he will hurt their children. The other members are not providing support. The facilitator should try to elicit supportive responses from other members.

• In a support group for people who have lost a child in drunk driving accidents, one member is talking about the difficulties her other children have had after her daughter's death. The other members have been supportive, but none have talked about their own relevant personal experiences. The facilitator should try to get other members to start talking about these experiences.

• You are involved in a support group for women who have experienced breast cancer. One member has recently found a lump in her breast but has not seen a doctor about it. The facilitator should try to get other members to offer supportive comments and encouragement for her to seek medical attention without being coercive or condescending.

• In a support group for survivors of rape, one member has been talking about having flashbacks and other problems that make you suspect she may be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. She may need more help than the group is able to provide. The facilitator should try to find a way to talk to her about getting some professional counseling help.

• In a support group for older people dealing with debilitating illnesses, one member has repeatedly brought up irrelevant topics, attempted to keep all the group discussions focused on himself, and interrupted other members when they try to talk. The facilitator should try to redirect the discussion and directly deal with this member's disruptive behavior.

• In a support group for parents of adolescents, one father is talking about how he suspects his son is drinking. Other members have been suggesting ways he can deal with it, but he has rejected every suggestion for one reason or another. The facilitator should try to find some way of dealing with the member's inflexibility and of moving the discussion along.

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

This section has been written, with permission, from materials developed by the Time Dollar Institute (now TimeBanks USA)

 

Many of us who volunteer our time, or work for not for profit organizations, do so because we want to help people; we hope to somehow improve their lives. Feeling better about ourselves through helping other people is an idea that has a very long history. For example, the Catholic Church's "Prayer of St. Francis" tells us that it is better to give than to receive. What the prayer doesn't say, however, is that it's sometimes easier to give than to receive.

Because frankly, it's hard for many of us to ask for help, whether that help is in the form of money, or assistance with a task, such as taking care of our children or getting our mail while we are out of town. And if we do ask for help, we're quick to offer something in return -- we pay the loan (often with interest!), pay the baby-sitter in cash or in taking care of her children in return, or bring a pie to the neighbors who watched our house. The last thing we want is for people to think we are "freeloading" or "not pulling our weight."

And yet many times when we as organizations offer to help people, that's exactly how we set them up to feel. "Don't worry about it," we say, as if somehow we are better than them, or have more to offer than they do. And messages like that -- even though they aren't what we mean, even if they are the last thing we want to communicate -- are often what gets transmitted, and they can be very hard to take.

That's where the idea of Time Dollars comes in. The thought behind Time Dollars is that everyone, no matter what they do, or where they are in their lives, has something to offer. And Time Dollars asks individuals to use their talents and skills; and in doing so, allows them to retain their sense of pride when they need help.

What are Time Dollars?

Time Dollars are a currency that turns time into money. Volunteers in Time Dollars programs earn credits for the time they spend helping other members. One hour of service earns you one credit, or "time dollar." Then in turn, you can "buy" an hour of a service you need. If you don't need all the credits you earn, you can save them up, give them to someone you know, or give them back to the "bank." That way, the people who run the program can use the extra "money" to make sure the members with the severest needs get all the help they require.

Unlike traditional volunteer programs, Time Dollar programs recognize that people who need help can often help others, too - just in different ways.

A minister's experience gives us an example of how this works. For fifteen years, this gentleman was the pastor of a Baptist church in Washington, D.C. People relied on him as someone they could turn to 24 hours a day for guidance, comfort, or just a little conversation. However, when the Reverend, who suffers from diabetes, lost his right leg to an infection, he retired from the church. He felt overwhelmed by the sudden changes in his life, and for a long time lived almost as a recluse, refusing to leave his apartment.

The local Time Dollar program helped him adjust to the seemingly insurmountable problems he faced. He is once again an active member of the community. He earns Time Dollars by conducting prayer services for his fellow tenants, and he spends them to have his meals prepared by another volunteer.

This kind of exchange isn't new. It has always occurred among families and friends. All Time Dollar programs do is provide a new structure for neighborliness - one that turns good deeds into real purchasing power.

So, what exactly do Time Dollars members do? To give you an idea of the possibilities, here's a sampling of the kinds of services Time Dollar members exchange:

• Personal care, such as grooming, meal preparation, feeding, letter writing, reading, and respite care
• Care for family members, such as baby-sitting and elder care
• Help with household chores, such as light housekeeping, gardening, home repairs, and laundry
• Help outside the home, such as with shopping and transportation
• An escort to the doctor
• Language translation services
• Telephone support services, both check-in calls (to make sure a person is okay) and social calls
• Peer counseling
• Education, such as literacy services, English as a second language classes, tutoring grade-school and high school students, and preparation for the GED
• Administrative support of the program

Many of these things are being done in some places by home care professionals, but can be done by individuals in our communities without paying money. And in allowing people to do things themselves to "pay" for the help they receive, we help people regain control over their own lives.

Why should you develop a Time Dollars Program?

There are many advantages to developing a Time Dollars program in your community. A few of these reasons to begin such a program include:

• To empower people with a sense of self worth - Time Dollars help people understand that whatever circumstances they are in, they can still give, and not just receive
• To strengthen the communities in which we live
• To make sure that all of the members of our communities, including those who are very proud, receive the help that they need

Who should develop a Time Dollars program?

Quite simply, a Time Dollars program can be started by anyone who sees needs in his or her community which are not being met. These needs may be in any part of the population. The first generation of programs often focused on the abilities and needs of senior citizens, because many of them have free time, and many others have many unmet needs. However, programs now can and should build networks serving other groups, such as teenage mothers, people with AIDS, public housing residents, children in urban schools, and parents needing day care for their children. In short, the uses of Time Dollars programs are as varied as the different needs of our communities.

Although anyone can start such a program, they are often developed within existing support networks, such as churches or social service agencies. In the next section, we will look at the development of a Time Dollars program as if it is being developed by an organization that's already in existence. Individuals or new groups can then modify the "how-to" steps accordingly.

How do you develop a Time Dollars Program?

Once you've decided to start a Time Dollar program, there is some hard but rewarding work ahead. Let's look at what you'll need to do step by step.

Before you even begin, however, make sure you're not reinventing the wheel. Many communities already have Time Dollars programs; check in your area to see if there is one that you might work with. A partial list of programs is listed by state in the Resources at the end of this section.

Ensure that you have a committed group of people that is ready to work and serve one another

You need to have people willing to give and receive, or a Time Dollar program just won't work. The most important element of your program is the commitment of the people involved. Time Dollar programs thrive on the work of people who are committed to serving others. Have a group of people in mind with whom you plan to start the program, such as elderly people living in a community living situation, or high school students working on community service projects. Be sure to talk with some of the people you want to work with and make sure there is enough interest to get things started. (We'll talk more about recruitment later.)

Develop a core group of people who will be working on the program

At a minimum, you will need one or two coordinators who will match people and serve as liaisons for the program. You will also want to involve people you want to have as "customers" involved in setting up the program.

Gather the resources your program will need

Some of the things your program will need include:

• A coordinator or director (preferably full-time, either paid or unpaid)
• Office space
• Clerical help (to answer phones, keep track of hours worked, and so on)
• A phone, desk, and office supplies
• Copying equipment (for brochures, fliers, forms, notices)
• Volunteer insurance or workmen's compensation (usually necessary for existing organizations)
• A computer
• A place to meet, train, and socialize

Decide how much money to spend on the program

The cost of a Time Dollar program varies depending on a number of things, such as:

• If your staff is paid or volunteer
• If the paid staff is full- or part-time
• If you are required to pay volunteer insurance
• If you need to rent office or meeting space

While you can actually run a Time Dollars program for next to nothing, those operating in the context of an on-going social service organization can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000. Since costs vary over time and country, actual figures mean little here.  The chances are good that if you have a program with paid staff (probably a full- or part-time director, perhaps a part-time assistant director, and a part-time clerical person), most of your budget -- perhaps 70-80% -- will go for salary and related expenses.  The rest will be spent on rent, equipment and supplies, insurance, phone, printing and copying, and the odd costs that most programs have (food for celebrations, certificates, etc.)  If your space is donated, your budget will be smaller, but a larger percentage of it will go to salaries.

Develop the tracking materials you will need to follow volunteers and their efforts

You will need a membership form and timesheets for members to track their Time Dollars. Members can sign up, chart what they can do, when they can do it, what they want to receive, and what they have done. The coordinator can then use these files when people call and request a service.

One way to help you do this is TimeKeeper Software, which was developed specifically for people running Time Dollars programs. It is available as freeware over the Internet.

The software incorporates the way in which people manage Time Dollar programs on a step-by-step basis. It can also be customized by you to meet your program's needs.

The Timekeeper system can free you up from tasks that can be computerized, such as sifting through individual files to find an appropriate available volunteer, and reduces the time spent on paper work. In addition, the software does the following:

• It can produce personalized bank statements for each member
• It can supply the information to ensure that no volunteer goes too long without a new assignment
• It can help you to monitor performance systematically and follow-up on assignments
• And it can also become a tool in planning new initiatives that can help strengthen your community and target resources to meet special needs

Check on the legalities of your work

In general, there are no legal requirements to starting a program. However, you should check with authorities in your state.

In addition, two legal issues also come up often for people running Time Dollars programs: liability and taxation. Let's look briefly at each of them.

Liability:

The question of liability includes things such as, "What if a service provider is injured on the job?" or, "What if the service provider injures the person being helped?"

You can deal with these questions in very much the same as you would for any volunteer program. One possibility your organization might consider is purchasing insurance for volunteers and staff. See Resources for a company that provides such a service at low cost.

Taxation:

Another question some new members have concerns about is taxes. The concern is that using Time Dollars is just like barter, and so members worry that they will be taxed on Time Dollars earned.

However, this possibility is very unlikely to occur. The IRS has ruled twice that credits earned by volunteers are not taxable. Now, there is no guarantee that the IRS won't decide otherwise in the future, but that possibility seems highly unlikely.

Develop a way to evaluate your work

As you are developing your program, a question that you should keep in mind is, "What, exactly, do we want to accomplish?" And additionally, "How will we know when we've reached our goals?"

Developing a plan for evaluation -- and incorporating it into your work from the start -- is an excellent way to set your program up for success from the very start. An evaluation can help keep your program on track and give you early warning signs when things aren't going well. The information gathered in the process of evaluating your work can also be a great way to convince grantmakers of your credibility, and ultimately, to convince them to support your work.

Recruit members

Recruiting members primarily includes connecting with the people and communities you would like to take part in your program. This recruitment can occur in many different forms -- from word of mouth, to advertisements in local papers or on the radio, to posters, flyers, or almost any other form of communication you can think of.

Along with recruitment of individuals, your program might want to encourage involvement of the local business community as well. There are several ways in which private businesses can get involved in your program.

The simplest way is by contributing financial support or by donating office space, supplies, and telephone service. Businesses can also encourage their employees to become involved as members. At one neighborhood bank in San Francisco, for example, all the employees joined the Time Dollar program run by the local senior center and donated their credits to elderly members unable to earn their own credits.

Another way businesses can get involved is by providing discounts to members of Time Dollar programs. For example, participants in Elderplan, a Health Maintenance Organization in Brooklyn which runs a Time Dollar program, can redeem their Time Dollars to join a silver or gold club. Each club has different offerings, including luncheons at local restaurants to meet social needs, free transportation, and gifts, most of them health-related, such as blood pressure monitors and exercise equipment.

Get started!

When you've got all of your ground work done, it's time to get going! Additionally, most programs find it necessary to "prime the pump" when they first get started by "issuing" Time Dollars. In essence, programs give away services without requiring people to "pay" for them. This works as a great way to get people interested in your program. It also offers needy recipients the chance to receive services, even if they don't have any Time Dollars in their "account."

Celebrate!

As with any work you do, be sure to take the time to enjoy the small and large successes you will have as your work evolves.

Evaluate your work

Be sure to use the methods you developed in step seven to look at what you are doing and know what's working, what's not working, and how you can make it better.

In Summary

The concept of Time Dollars is about community; about drawing on the strengths of all of our members and helping to ensure that we all benefit from the diverse gifts everyone has to offer. It is a program of service, not of financial gain. And so, it's important that Time Dollar programs are run in a spirit of helping those who need it, not on accounting principles.

This section offers you a first look at what you will need to do to develop a Time Dollars program. Much more information is available from TimeBanks USA (previously the Time Dollar Institute). These materials include a "how-to" manual, the Timekeeper Software Manual, video presentations and other useful materials.

You understand the purpose and benefits of a Time Dollars program:

___To empower people with a sense of self worth. Time Dollars help people understand that whatever circumstances they are in, they can still give, and not just receive

___To strengthen the communities in which we live

___To make sure that all of the members of our communities, including those who are very proud, receive the help that they need

You understand the requirements for implementing a Time Dollars program:

___You have a committed group of people that is ready to work and serve each other

___You have developed a core group of people who will be working on the program

___You have gathered the resources you program will need

• A coordinator or director (preferably full-time, either paid or unpaid)
• Office space
• Clerical help (to answer phones, keep track of hours worked, and so on)
• A phone, desk, and office supplies
• Copying equipment (for brochures, fliers, forms, notices)
• Volunteer insurance or workmen's compensation (usually necessary for existing organizations)
• A computer (optional, depending on the size of the program)
• A place to meet, train, and socialize

___You have decided how much money to spend on the program, considering the following:

• If your staff is paid or volunteer
• If the paid staff is full- or part-time
• If you are required to pay volunteer insurance
• If you need to rent office or meeting space

___You have developed the tracking materials you need to follow volunteers and their efforts, with these capabilities:

• It can produce personalized bank statements for each member
• It can supply the information to ensure that no volunteer goes too long without a new assignment
• It can help you to monitor performance systematically and follow-up on assignments
• It can also become a tool in planning new initiatives that can help strengthen your community and target resources to meet special needs

___You have checked the legal requirement of your work:

• Liability
• Taxation

___You have developed a way to evaluate your work

___You have recruited members and started your program

___You celebrate your successes

___You evaluate your work to keep improving it

Example: Germantown Settlement House, Philadelphia PA

This story was originally posted on the Time Dollar Institute website.

The initial focus of the Time Dollar program at Germantown Settlement House is building informal support systems with and for the elderly and the community at-large. On June 1, 1999, the first issue of the Neighbor to Neighbor Time Dollar News (newsletter ) was distributed. This first issue highlighted the start of the Time Dollar program at Hamill Mill Apartments with 15 new members joining the Tme Dollar Network.The primary goal for the Neighbor-to-Neighbor program is to rebuild trust back into the community. Time Dollars is an all-inclusive plan to seek out and enhance the skills of people in the surrounding community. Some of the services offered include: Administrative Work, Babysitting, Errands, Meal Delivery, Religious Escort, Home Repair, Meal Preparation and more. Public Housing Sites, Washington, DC

Successful Time Dollar programs are running at three public housing sites within Ward 7 - Benning Terrace, Kenilworth Parkside and East Capitol - involving over 100 people of all ages.

At Benning Terrace and Kenilworth Parkside, members that have earned at least 100 Time Dollars have purchased nearly 40 refurbished computers for their homes. The Time Dollar Institute is intent on bringing technology into homes that otherwise may not have had the opportunity.

At Benning Terrace, a Time Dollar Food Bank has been in operation for two years which offers food for purchase with Time Dollars by members. Time Dollar initiatives at East Capitol include helping to provide services and outreach through a Family Investment Center, a site for conducting Youth Court hearings, a teen literacy laboratory where young people earn Time Dollars that can be redeemed for computers.

Pleasant View Gardens - Baltimore, MD (Baltimore Housing Authority) The Lending A Hand Time Dollar Program at Pleasant View Gardens has 100 members including youth and senior citizens. In June, a full-time coordinator was hired and is currently enrolling new members, doing presentations to community groups, processing matches, developing goods and services that can be purchased with Time Dollars in the local community and serving as a liaison to the greater Baltimore community.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) selected Time Dollars as one of the "Best Practices" being used in HOPE VI properties across the country. Time Dollars was part of a presentation made to national leaders of HOPE VI properties at a HUD conference in Kansas City, MO People Helping People, Tacoma Washington People Helping People (PHP), an emerging independent non-profit, orginally started as a program operated by Home, Safe designed to build on the strengths of neighborhoods and families. Home, Safe, was founded in 1994 to strengthen neighborhood-based support systems and to create strategies for blending child welfare and drug treatment.

PHP has continuously enrolled new members and families into the Time Dollar bank. At this point, there are 500 Time Dollar members in the Tacoma program.

Many of those earning Time Dollars are using them to receive services as well. On average, 400 Time Dollars per month are being earned. Families, referred from Child Protective Services, have enrolled in the Time Dollar program, and have started earning and using Time Dollars.

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

 

One-on-one guidance and learning, or mentoring, is one of the oldest forms of teaching and support. Parents, caregivers, grandparents, siblings, relatives, friends, teachers, coaches, community members, and others may all serve as mentors at different points in our lives.

Mentoring programs are designed to create supportive relationships in which participants can receive encouragement, guidance, opportunities, and access to knowledge or experiences that matter to them. This introductory section offers a general discussion of the purpose of mentoring programs and some of the benefits they may provide. Reflection questions can help you decide whether mentoring is an appropriate strategy for your setting, and an overview of the remaining sections in the chapter is also provided.

What is a mentoring program?

Mentoring or partnership programs connect people who have particular knowledge, skills, experiences, or community connections with people who want to learn, grow, explore opportunities, or work toward personal, educational, or professional goals. Mentors and mentees build relationships based on mutual respect, communication, learning, and support. A strong mentoring program can help expand access to opportunities, strengthen relationships, and reduce barriers that may limit people's ability to pursue their goals.

Why should you set up a mentor or partnership program?

Mentoring programs can offer benefits for both mentors and mentees. The outcomes of any program will depend on the quality of the relationships, the structure of the program, the people involved, and the resources and support available.

• Among young people participating in strong mentoring relationships, possible benefits may include:
  • Greater confidence and sense of self-worth
  • Greater comfort building relationships with people from different racial, ethnic, cultural, or community backgrounds
  • Stronger relationships with supportive adults
  • Greater confidence and information when exploring education, career, and life choices
• Mentoring programs may support school engagement and attendance when those goals are relevant to the young person and the program
• Supportive relationships with adults outside the immediate family can be valuable for children and young people, particularly those navigating significant stress, barriers, or adversity
• Youth mentoring programs can connect young people with adults, organizations, experiences, and opportunities that may not otherwise be readily available, while giving community members meaningful ways to invest in young people's strengths and goals
• Mentoring programs can create new opportunities for learning and understanding for both mentors and mentees
• Mentoring can provide a structured way for people to share useful knowledge, skills, experiences, and connections
• Sharing knowledge and opportunities across generations and community networks can strengthen individual and community capacity
• Mentors can develop meaningful relationships, strengthen their own communication and leadership skills, and learn from the perspectives and experiences of mentees

Good reasons for starting a mentor program

• Mentoring can support confidence, belonging, and a sense of possibility
• The knowledge, relationships, and opportunities gained through a mentoring program can help young people and adults explore educational, career, and personal possibilities that may not be readily available in classrooms or workplaces
• Mentoring relationships can challenge stereotypes about professions, communities, identities, and life paths by creating opportunities for people to learn directly from one another
• Mentoring partnerships can strengthen teamwork, communication, shared learning, and community connection

How do you decide whether to set up a mentor program?

Mentoring programs can create learning and supportive relationships between two adults, between an adult and a young person, or between young people. The type of program you choose should reflect the goals, interests, strengths, and preferences of the people who will participate. Across different models, mentoring generally aims to expand opportunity, build relationships, support learning and growth, and reduce barriers.

When thinking about whether to establish a mentoring program in a school, workplace, neighborhood, or community organization, the following questions can help you decide whether mentoring is the right strategy:

• What advantages could a mentoring program offer compared with other strategies for involving community members and supporting young people's or adults' goals?
• Is mentoring an appropriate and desired strategy for the people you hope to involve?
• What do potential participants say they would like to gain from a mentoring relationship?
• What strengths, interests, experiences, and goals will participants bring to the relationship?
• What resources, training, safeguards, accessibility supports, and ongoing supervision will the program need in order to support healthy mentoring relationships?

The next point to consider is the type of mentoring program you want. Three broad models are possible: youth-youth, adult-adult, and adult-youth. Although this chapter focuses primarily on adult-youth mentoring, many of the skills discussed can be adapted to the other models as well.

Before going further, let's look at some of the relationships and activities that may develop within each of these three types of mentoring programs.

Adult-youth mentor programs:

• Mentors can offer young people consistent attention, encouragement, guidance, and another supportive relationship
• Adults can share experiences related to education, work, responsibility, problem-solving, and other life skills while recognizing that there are many different paths to success
• Young people can strengthen confidence as their interests, abilities, experiences, and goals are recognized and supported
• Adult mentors can develop meaningful relationships with young people while learning from their perspectives and experiences
• Mentors can help young people explore new experiences, relationships, resources, education, careers, and other opportunities

Youth-youth mentor programs:

• Peer mentoring may focus on academics, school engagement, transitions, leadership, social connection, or other goals identified by young people
• Young people can provide peer tutoring, encouragement, information, navigation, and support while working within appropriate boundaries
• Peer mentoring can create opportunities for both mentors and mentees to strengthen communication, leadership, academic, and problem-solving skills

Peer mentors should not be expected to provide professional counseling, crisis intervention, medical advice, or other services beyond their training and role. Programs should provide adult support, clear boundaries, and appropriate referral procedures.

Adult-adult mentor programs:

• An experienced employee may help a new or newly promoted employee learn workplace systems, expectations, or job responsibilities
• An experienced employee who is retiring or moving into another role may share institutional knowledge and experience with colleagues
• Adults may mentor one another in job skills, career development, leadership, entrepreneurship, education, or other areas
• Organizations and communities can benefit when mentoring strengthens skills, relationships, knowledge sharing, and leadership development

Even though goals vary from program to program, organized mentoring is grounded in the idea that people can continue to learn, grow, develop skills, strengthen relationships, and expand their opportunities throughout life. Mentoring should support participants' own goals and agency rather than treating mentors as people who are responsible for "fixing" or reshaping mentees.

Overview

Now that you've become more familiar with mentoring, the rest of the sections in this chapter will discuss the basics of setting up a program, including:

• Recruiting Mentors for Your Program - identify the qualities, experiences, commitment, and skills your program needs in mentors and develop an equitable process for recruiting and selecting them.
• Training Adult Mentors - determine what mentors should be trained on, including communication, relationship building, boundaries, cultural humility, youth development, safety, and the goals of the mentor-mentee relationship.
• Recruiting Youth to Your Mentoring Program - consider what matters to young people, who the program hopes to engage, how to communicate opportunities respectfully, and how to explain what participants can expect from a mentoring relationship.
• Building Youth/Mentor Relationships - help mentors and mentees communicate effectively, establish trust and boundaries, solve problems together, and build supportive relationships.
• Youth Goal Setting - support young people in identifying and pursuing goals that reflect their own interests, strengths, priorities, and aspirations.
• Monitoring and Gathering Feedback from Your Mentoring Program - gather feedback from mentors and mentees, monitor the quality and safety of relationships, identify needed improvements, and make sure the program continues to support participants' goals.

In Summary

Supportive mentoring relationships can create meaningful opportunities for learning, connection, encouragement, and growth. Mentors can share knowledge, experiences, resources, and relationships, while mentees bring their own strengths, goals, experiences, and perspectives to the partnership.

A well-planned and well-supported mentoring program can strengthen relationships and expand opportunities for young people, adults, organizations, and communities. Strong programs treat mentoring as a partnership rather than a one-way process in which one person has all the knowledge and another simply receives it. Clear expectations, meaningful participant choice, appropriate training, supportive relationships, and ongoing feedback can help mentoring programs provide lasting value.

You understand what a mentoring program is:

___You understand that mentor or partnership programs connect people who have specific skills and knowledge (mentors) with individuals (protégés) who need or want the same skills and advantages to move up in work, skill level, or school performance

___You understand that there are many advantages to setting up a mentor or partnership program

You have decided that beginning a mentoring program is the appropriate strategy for your group or organization:

___You have determined the advantages of a mentor program over another strategy to get people involved with the community, young people and their futures

___You have decided that a mentoring program is an appropriate strategy for the population you want to reach

___You know what young people, employees, or community members gain from the mentoring relationship

You understand the different relationships that can develop in mentoring program:

___Adolescent-adolescent mentor programs

___Adolescent-adult mentoring programs

___Adult-adult mentor programs

___You know what information is available in other sections of this chapter

Example: Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research Mentoring Modules

Mentorship is recognized across disciplines in both academic and practice settings as an important contributor to building capacity within organizations and among individuals. There are many definitions and types of mentorship. Mentorship can be spontaneous or formal, direct or indirect, and short- or long-term. Mentoring Modules: An Introduction to Mentorship was developed by Katrina Plamondon for the Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research to provide a foundation for exploring these different forms of mentorship in ways that can contribute to creating a culture of mentorship. These modules are applicable to any section in this chapter on Youth Mentoring Programs.

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

• What is recruiting?

• Why do you need to recruit?

• What makes a good mentor?

• How do you decide what qualities you're looking for in a mentor?

• How do you attract potential mentors?

• How do you choose good mentors?

• Tips for conducting an interview

The success of any community-based program depends in large part on the commitment, preparation, reliability, and abilities of the people who participate or volunteer. These qualities are especially important in a mentoring program, where mentors build relationships with young people over time. If you're setting up such a program, you'll want a thoughtful recruitment and screening process that helps you identify people who can build safe, respectful, and supportive mentoring relationships.

What is recruiting?

Recruiting is the process of finding and inviting people to join or participate in your organization. Recruiting for a program brings together people who share an interest in its goals. For a mentoring program, this means identifying people who are willing to invest time in building supportive relationships with young people and helping them pursue their own interests and goals.

Why do you need to recruit?

You need to recruit enough qualified mentors to support the young people who want to participate in your program. Mentors may leave because of changes in work, family responsibilities, health, relocation, or other circumstances, and new young people may join the program over time. Ongoing recruitment can help your program maintain enough well-prepared mentors without rushing people into relationships before they have been properly screened and trained.

Recruitment also gives you an opportunity to reach people who may not have thought of themselves as mentors but who have the commitment, experience, skills, and willingness to learn that could make them strong partners for young people.

What makes a good mentor?

Many different kinds of people can become effective mentors. There is no single profession, personality, age, educational background, or life path that defines a good mentor. Strong mentors can come from throughout the community and may bring a wide variety of cultures, identities, occupations, experiences, skills, and perspectives.

Before deciding what qualities your program should look for, think about people who made a positive difference in your own life. They may have been teachers, relatives, coaches, neighbors, co-workers, friends, community leaders, or others who encouraged, challenged, supported, or believed in you.

Think back to your childhood and adolescent years. Who did you admire? What made those relationships meaningful? The qualities you remember may help you identify some characteristics that matter in mentoring, while also reminding you that young people themselves should help define what they value in a mentor.

Consider questions such as:

• Who did you admire when you were younger, and why?
• What qualities made you trust or respect particular adults or peers?
• Who helped you explore interests, goals, or possibilities that mattered to you?
• How did the people you looked up to change as you grew older?
• What kinds of support helped you pursue your goals?
• What qualities made you feel respected and understood?
• Who do you consider a positive mentor or role model now, and why?
• What qualities do you value in supportive relationships?
• What qualities do you value in close friends, colleagues, or community members?
• What values would you want a mentor to communicate through their actions and relationships with young people?

Now that you've reflected on qualities you value in supportive relationships, consider which of those characteristics fit what your program hopes to provide and what young people themselves say they want from mentors. Your organization should develop clear criteria for mentors, but those criteria should reflect the goals and perspectives of the young people involved rather than only adult assumptions about what makes a good mentor.

How do you decide what qualities you're looking for in a mentor?

Your own experiences can provide useful ideas, but they shouldn't be the only basis for deciding what makes a strong mentor. Develop your criteria by combining research and program requirements with input from young people, families, community partners, and others who understand the experiences and goals of participants.

The group will probably want to answer questions such as:

• What will mentors actually be expected to do?
• How much time and for how long will mentors need to commit?
• What qualities, skills, experience, and preparation will mentors need?
• What qualities do participating young people say are important to them?
• What safeguards, boundaries, training, and supervision will the program require?

What will the mentor be doing?

First, think about the kinds of activities mentors may take part in with their mentees. The specific role should depend on your program's purpose and on the interests and goals of the young people involved. Mentors might:

• Support mentees with homework, studying, or educational goals when that is part of the mentoring plan
• Share skills or specialized knowledge, such as car maintenance, coding, cooking, music, art, budgeting, or other areas of interest
• Help young people identify and work toward goals they choose for themselves
• Introduce mentees to educational, cultural, recreational, professional, or community opportunities that match their interests
• Help young people build networks and learn how to connect with people, organizations, and resources that may support their goals
• Support the development of communication, problem-solving, self-advocacy, planning, and decision-making skills
• Explore shared interests and learn from one another

The activities themselves matter, but the quality of the relationship matters just as much. Mentors should be able to listen, communicate respectfully, maintain appropriate boundaries, follow through on commitments, support young people's agency, and recognize when a concern requires help from program staff or another qualified professional.

For how long do we want a mentor to commit to reach these goals?

Some things to keep in mind as you think about the length of commitment you are asking for:

• A mentor's activities and responsibilities will vary from program to program and from one mentoring relationship to another
• A mentoring relationship may change as a young person's interests, circumstances, strengths, and goals develop
• Mentoring works best when relationships have enough consistency and time to develop trust while also respecting participants' changing needs and boundaries

Your group should decide what kind of commitment is realistic for the program. Many relationship-based programs ask mentors to commit for six months, a year, or longer so that the relationship has time to develop. Other programs may focus on a short-term project, transition, or specific skill and therefore use shorter commitments. Whatever model you choose, make expectations clear before mentors and mentees are matched.

What qualities and qualifications would be ideal in a mentor?

The qualities you seek should be connected to what mentors will actually be asked to do. Depending on your program, important considerations may include:

• Reliability and ability to follow through on commitments
• Communication and listening skills
• Relevant life, work, community, or educational experience
• Patience, respect, and genuine interest in working with young people
• Ability to support young people's growing independence rather than trying to control their decisions
• Experience communicating and building relationships across differences
• Emotional maturity, self-awareness, and sound judgment
• Knowledge or skills relevant to the program's goals, when appropriate
• Commitment to young people and the community
• Cultural humility and openness to people with different identities, experiences, abilities, and perspectives
• Ability to maintain healthy interpersonal and professional boundaries
• Willingness to learn, receive feedback, participate in training, and seek support when needed

Remember that adults designing the program may not value exactly the same qualities that participating young people do. A mentor who looks ideal on paper may not necessarily be someone a young person feels comfortable talking with or learning from.

For that reason, involve young people in deciding what qualities matter in mentors. Focus groups, listening sessions, surveys, youth advisory groups, and other forms of participation can help you understand what young people want from a mentoring relationship.

Examine your selection criteria for assumptions or biases before you begin recruiting. Requirements should relate to the actual mentoring role and to participant safety, not to stereotypes about what a mentor is supposed to look like, how they communicate, what kind of family they come from, or what educational or professional path they have followed.

How do you attract potential mentors?

Potential mentors may not seek out your program on their own. People often have work, caregiving, education, community, and other responsibilities, and some may not realize that mentoring opportunities are available or that they have something valuable to contribute. Effective recruitment means reaching people through the places, networks, and communication channels they already use.

Some ways to get the word out include:

• Hold an informational meeting or virtual session that explains what the program does, what mentors are expected to do, and what support the program provides
• Share information through schools, colleges, libraries, community organizations, recreation centers, workplaces, faith communities, and other local networks
• Inform parents, caregivers, families, and community members through newsletters, email, text messages, social media, community meetings, or direct outreach
• Invite people you know who may have the qualities and commitment your program needs
• Ask current mentors, volunteers, participants, and community partners to share the opportunity with their networks
• Ask youth leaders and community organizations to suggest networks or communities where potential mentors may be reached
• Invite businesses, professional associations, labor organizations, colleges, alumni groups, and other institutions to share the opportunity with interested members
• Use local media, community newsletters, websites, volunteer platforms, and social media to explain the mentoring opportunity

Recruitment materials should describe mentoring realistically. Be clear about the time commitment, training, screening, supervision, activities, boundaries, and support mentors will receive. Avoid presenting mentors as rescuers or suggesting that young people need adults to "save" them. Emphasize relationship building, shared learning, opportunity, and support.

Try to recruit from a broad range of communities and networks. A diverse pool of mentors can give young people more possibilities when identifying someone with whom they share interests, experiences, identities, languages, professional goals, or other meaningful connections.

How do you choose good mentors?

Once people express interest in becoming mentors, the next step is a fair and thoughtful application and screening process. Screening helps the program understand each applicant's interests, experience, expectations, reliability, and readiness for the role while also protecting the safety and well-being of participants.

The application process

A strong application process should be consistent, relevant to the mentoring role, respectful of applicants' privacy, and appropriate to the level of responsibility mentors will have. It should help your program identify people who are likely to build safe, dependable, and respectful relationships with young people.

Possible screening tools include:

• Application - a form that asks for information relevant to the mentoring role, such as contact information, experience, availability, interests, languages, skills, reasons for wanting to mentor, and ability to meet program expectations.
• Interview - a structured conversation that allows the program to learn more about an applicant's approach to mentoring, communication, boundaries, reliability, problem-solving, expectations, and willingness to learn.
• Reference checks - conversations or written responses from people who can speak to an applicant's reliability, judgment, interpersonal skills, and ability to work appropriately with others.
• Background and safeguarding checks - depending on the program, setting, jurisdiction, and activities involved, these may include criminal history checks, sex-offender registry searches, child abuse or neglect registry checks, driving-record reviews, or other screening required by law or organizational policy. Background checks should be one part of a broader safeguarding process rather than treated as proof by themselves that someone will or will not be a good mentor.
• Short-answer questions - questions about an applicant's expectations, goals, experiences, approach to working with young people, and response to realistic mentoring situations.
• Scenario-based questions - prompts that ask how an applicant might respond to situations involving boundaries, disagreement, confidentiality, cultural differences, safety, missed meetings, or a young person asking for help outside the mentor's role.
• Skills and interests inventory - a form that helps identify an applicant's skills, languages, interests, community connections, hobbies, professional experience, and other information that may be useful when making appropriate matches.
• Orientation or pre-match training - participation in an orientation can help applicants understand the role before they make a final commitment and gives program staff another opportunity to observe how applicants engage with training, feedback, and program expectations.

Avoid screening requirements that do not have a clear relationship to the mentoring role. A person's grade point average, family structure, home furnishings, income, educational prestige, or ability to perform well in a traditional interview may reveal little about whether they can build a reliable and respectful mentoring relationship.

No screening process can predict exactly how someone will behave in every mentoring situation. That's why selection should be combined with strong training, clear boundaries, ongoing supervision, regular check-ins with mentors and mentees, and procedures for responding to concerns.

Mentoring programs have a particular responsibility to protect young people's safety while also treating them as people with strengths, rights, preferences, and voices in the mentoring process. Keep a clear checklist of application requirements, interviews, training, references, safeguarding checks, and other steps so that the same basic process is used consistently for all applicants.

Reference checks

References can provide useful information about how an applicant follows through on responsibilities, communicates with others, handles feedback, exercises judgment, and maintains appropriate boundaries. Rather than relying only on general recommendation letters, your organization may find it more useful to ask references the same structured questions related to the mentoring role.

• Confirm that the reference is genuine and understands the applicant well enough to comment meaningfully on relevant qualities.
• Consider the nature of the relationship between the applicant and the reference when interpreting the information provided.
• Ask references about qualities that actually matter to your program, such as reliability, judgment, communication, respect for boundaries, consistency, openness to feedback, and ability to work with young people or across differences.

Written responses

If you ask applicants for written responses, keep the questions relevant to mentoring rather than trying to uncover private details about their lives or personalities. You might ask:

• Why are you interested in mentoring?
• What do you hope a young person might gain from the relationship?
• What do you hope to learn?
• How would you respond if your mentee's interests, values, or goals were different from your own?
• How would you handle a situation in which a young person shared something you were unsure how to respond to?

These responses may give you useful information about an applicant's expectations, self-awareness, judgment, and approach to relationships without requiring unnecessary personal disclosure.

Skills and interests inventory

A skills and interests inventory can provide a quick picture of experiences and interests that may help with matching. These might include professional knowledge, hobbies, languages, cultural or community connections, educational interests, arts, sports, technology, trades, and other areas the applicant is comfortable sharing.

Matching should not rely on a single characteristic. Shared identity can be important to some young people and less important to others. Ask participants what kinds of connections matter to them rather than assuming that people should be matched solely because they share a race, gender, disability, profession, neighborhood, or other characteristic.

Tips for conducting an interview

Interviews give both the program and the applicant a chance to learn more about one another. A structured and welcoming interview can help you evaluate qualities relevant to mentoring while also giving the applicant enough information to decide whether the role is right for them.

• If the applicant has completed an application, review the relevant information before the interview so you don't make them repeat unnecessary details.
• Prepare a consistent set of questions in advance. Using similar core questions with all applicants can make the process fairer and help interviewers compare information that is actually relevant to the mentoring role.
• Welcome the applicant and introduce everyone involved in the interview. Follow the applicant's lead regarding handshakes or other physical greetings.
• Make sure the interview setting is physically and communication-accessible and offer reasonable accommodations when needed.
• Give the applicant your attention, but don't treat eye contact as a requirement. Communication styles vary across cultures, personalities, disabilities, and neurotypes.
• Focus primarily on the content of the applicant's responses, examples of past behavior, understanding of boundaries, willingness to learn, and ability to meet program expectations. Be cautious about using posture, eye contact, accent, confidence, or other subjective impressions as evidence of someone's suitability.
• Let applicants finish their responses before asking follow-up questions or offering comments.
• Ask open-ended and scenario-based questions that give applicants opportunities to explain how they think, communicate, set boundaries, respond to differences, and solve problems.
• Make sure applicants understand the program's expectations, time commitment, boundaries, supervision, safeguarding requirements, and procedures for raising concerns.
• Encourage applicants to ask questions about the program and mentoring role.
• At the end of the interview, thank the applicant for their time and explain whom they can contact if additional questions come up.
• Explain the next steps in the application process, including any remaining documentation, reference checks, background or safeguarding checks, training, and expected timeline.

Interviewers should also receive guidance on fair and consistent selection practices. Questions should relate to the mentoring role and program requirements, and organizations should avoid making decisions based on stereotypes or characteristics unrelated to a person's ability to mentor safely and effectively.

In Summary

Recruiting mentors is one of the first steps in building an effective mentoring program. A strong recruitment process helps your organization reach a broad range of potential mentors, clearly explain what the role involves, and identify people who are prepared to build safe, dependable, and respectful relationships with young people.

Selection should focus on qualities that matter to mentoring: reliability, communication, respect for young people's agency, appropriate boundaries, sound judgment, cultural humility, openness to feedback, and willingness to make a consistent commitment. Screening can help identify potential concerns, but it should be combined with training, supervision, participant feedback, and ongoing support.

Most importantly, involve young people in defining what they want from mentors and in evaluating whether mentoring relationships are working for them. A strong mentoring program doesn't simply recruit adults it considers impressive; it recruits and prepares people who can listen, learn, build trust, and support young people in pursuing their own goals.

___You understand that recruiting is the process by which you find people to join or participate in your organization

___You understand that you need to recruit to ensure that your supply of mentors meets the demand

___You have thought about what qualities are important in a mentor

___You know what mentors will be doing

___You know how long you want mentors to commit

___You know what qualities and qualifications would be ideal in a mentor

___You understand different ways to advertise your program:

• Informational meeting
• Posting flyers
• Inform parents of your program
• Invite your friends (and their friends) to become mentors
• Ask community, business, and manufacturing leaders to suggest individuals who would make good mentors
• Place advertisements in local and school papers

___You are aware of the different screening processes available in the application process:

• Application
• Skills inventory
• Personal history
• Short answer questions
• Grade point average
• Background check
• References
• Interview
• Home visit

___You understand how to effectively conduct an interview

Example 1: Requirements to be a Big Brother/Big Sister in Douglas County, Kansas

Big Brothers/Big Sisters is a national organization that provides adult companions /role models to children who come from single-parent families.

Potential Big Brothers or Big Sisters must:

• Attend an informational meeting
• Fill out an application
• Submit completed reference forms from three references
• Submit to background checks by the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, and the National Child Abuse Registry
• Take the Clinical Analysis Questionnaire (CAQ), a personality test that's evaluated by a local psychologist, and score satisfactorily
• Participate in a 20-minute home visit with an assigned social worker or case manager
• Participate in an hour-long personal, in-office interview with Big Brothers/Big Sisters staff members
• Select a match from a pool of available children

As you can see, Big Brothers/Big Sisters goes to great lengths to ensure that it recruits and trains capable people. Such an extensive application process takes up to six weeks to complete but may help the organization avoid accepting volunteers who don't really fit in with the organization.

Example 2: Sample Checklist of Forms Completed by Potential Mentors

Nickels and Dimes Mentoring Applicant Checklist

Potential mentor has attended informational meeting: When? ________	Yes	No
Potential mentor has turned in a completed application?	Yes	No
Director, co-director, and three volunteers have read/approved application?	Yes	No
Applicant has returned completed release of information forms?	Yes	No
National Registry of Child Abuse check started? When? ________ Completed?	Yes   Yes	No   No
Department of Motor Vehicles check started? When? ________ Completed?	Yes   Yes	No   No
Kansas Bureau of Investigation check started? When? ________ Completed?	Yes   Yes	No   No
Three complete references for applicant have been received?	Yes	No
Applicant has taken psychological exam? Results:	Yes	No
Applicant has completed an in-office interveiw with director and co-director?	Yes	No
Social worker has completed a home-visit with applicant? Results:	Yes	No
Applicant file completed?	Yes	No
Applicant accepted?	Yes	No
Has applicant selected a youth match? Name: ____________	Yes	No

See attached match file for comments and additional information.

Example 3: Sample letter of reference

William Baer, President
Center for Research on Social Learning
7895 East Wilson Blvd.
Kansas City, KS 64114

Mary Johnson, Director
Search for Excellence
1421 Massachusetts St.
Lawrence, KS 66044

Dear Mary,

This letter is written in support of Joseph Floreani, whom I have had the pleasure of supervising at the Center for Research on Social Learning. While working in our company, Joseph has evaluated and taught elementary-aged children who manifest learning disabilities in the mainstream classroom but for whom no special education services exist. Joseph has performed his duties with diligence and compassion, a rare combination that is greatly appreciated by his colleagues, his students, and their families.

In the five years that Joseph as worked with us, he has demonstrated an enormous capacity for adapting to the different concerns and personalities of his students. His versatility as a knowledgeable, well-educated individual allows him to efficiently plan and carry out detailed educational activities that delight his students while improving their skills and opportunities for success. I can, without hesitation, recommend Joseph Floreani as an excellent mentor in your Search for Excellence program.

Sincerely,

William Baer, President
Center for Research on Social Learning

Example 4: Sample essay questions

Please describe what you learned from your parents growing up. What kind of values did they believe in and which of those values would you choose to teach to your own children? Why?

My father and mother came from good farming stock; they were both born at home, more than fifty miles away from the nearest doctor, and both learned to read over lunch breaks from the field. Because my parents both grew up knowing hard work as part of life, they made their children start earning their keep at an early age. I have been more or less self-employed since the age of eight, when I offered my services as a strawberry picker in the hills of Southwestern Missouri. I always liked the feeling of pride I got whenever I finished a job and came running home with a few dollars in my pockets after several hours of backbreaking work in the hot, tiring sun and heavy pants. From fruit picking, I moved up to mowing lawns and cleaning gutters for our neighbors; as I grew older and stronger, my 'territory' expanded to include locals or 'townies', as we called them.

My parents were proud of the energy and initiative displayed by their children, and the reward for our hard work was a $10 savings bond, which we could choose to use for whatever we wanted, once we hit age 21. Of course, schooling past high school was encouraged, but I decided to wait to go to the university until I had established myself as a businessman. That way when I did go to school, I wouldn't miss out on all the fun when my friends went into retail or other service-for-hire work. My parents supported my decision to postpone school, saying it was just as important to have time as money well spent.

Although my parents and I differ in many ways, I carried their love of early mornings and hard work into adulthood, and have tried to teach the same values to my own children: my kids help me in the garden on Saturdays before they go play, and we are all early risers, as morning time is spent cleaning or cooking or listening to what each person has to say about her or his plans for the day. I believe that time spent in the family setting is just as special and educational as the time spent in the garden or working at the office, but I try to be reasonable.

To me, hard work and good family relations go hand in hand because they buoy each other up and support each other; I never would've been able to make a go of my landscaping business now if my brothers and sister hadn't helped mow all those lawns when we when in grade school together. And, working nine hours a day in the scorching, suffocating heat with flies and sweat all around isn't that fun, unless you have a brother or sister to tease along the way.

Example 5: Personal history

Name two people whom you admired as an adolescent. Why were these people, or how did they act as, role models for you?

When I was younger, Thomas Jefferson was one of my heroes. He's such an important person in our country's history--author of the Declaration of Independence, one of our country's finest patriots, Secretary of State under Washington, third President of the United States. What impressed me the most about Thomas Jefferson, though, was his dedication to education and his pursuit of curiosity. One of the things he requested be put on his tombstone included "founder of the University of Virginia"; I really admired that he worked so hard to bring education to the common man and that, of all his amazing accomplishments, he was as committed to educating every person in America as he was to bringing political power to the leaders of our country.

I also admired Jefferson's fascination with building new tools and inventing machines to make life (ostensibly) easier. I really believe he loved creating his gadgets not so much for their practicality but for the love of a good mental challenge. I think Jefferson was his own best adversary and motivator; he never let himself be satisfied with the way things were.

I also admire anyone who becomes a mother. I believe that no other profession is as important as being a good parent. That's not to say that everyone should be a parent, just like not everyone should be a doctor or a teacher. So, I really admire my mother. To me she represents all that's good about being alive -- she's loving, she's supportive, she sacrificed her own immediate goals of becoming an artist to become a responsible, fantastic mother at a young age. She's done an immeasurable amount for my brothers, sisters, and me -- all good mothers do -- to make sure that her children, her works of art, in a way, were the best they could be. I don't know if we've done her proud or not, but she certainly did her part.

Tool 1: Sample application for potential members

Mentor Application

Name

Address

Phone #:

Date of birth:

Work history (starting with most recent):

         Company                    Position held                    Dates                    Primary Responsibilities

1.

2.

3.

Educational Background:

• Did you attend college?
  • For how long?
  • Name of university or college?
• Have you had any post-secondary training?
  • If so where?
  • How long?
  • Kind of training?

Why are you interested in becoming a volunteer mentor?

What kinds of experiences have you had working with adolescents?

What kinds of skills and special abilities can you bring to our program that might be useful for adolescents to acquire?

Tool 2: Sample reference form

Reference form

Name of applicant:

Your name:

Your title and place of employment:

How long have you known the applicant?

In what capacity have you known the applicant (teacher, supervisor, friend, co-worker)?

Please describe the applicant in terms of personal values and life stability:

 

 

Please comment on the applicant's ability to function as a mentor/role model for adolescents, ages 12 to 17, including knowledge you have of applicant's experiences with children.

 

 

Briefly describe a situation in which you have witnessed the applicant engaging in one of the following activities:

• Teaching someone a skill
• Instructing someone in a complicated process
• Providing personal counseling
• Organizing projects and assigning tasks

 

Tool 3: Sample skills inventory

Maintenance __Window washing __Floor waxing / mopping __General household cleaning __Lawn care / landscaping __Floor stripping / sanding __Wood stripping / refinishing __House painting - outside __House painting - inside __Plumbing __Electrical	Computers __Word processor __Database program __Statistical program __Graphics program __Computer programming
Construction __Installing drywall __Building demolition __Building houses __Room remodeling __Bathroom remodeling __Bricklaying / masonry __Cement mixing  / pouring __Installing insulation __Furniture / cabinet making __Carpentry skills __Roofing	Food __Catering __Short-order cook __Bartending __Baking __Line cook __Head chef
Health __First Aid __Nursing __Dental Care __Caring for people with severe disabilities __Caring for people with mental illness	Education / Child Care __Parenting __Elementary school teaching __Middle school teaching __High school  teaching __Early childhood education __Daycare __Babysitting __Camp instructor __Lifeguard
Office __Typing __Copy machine __Fax machine __Multiple-line phone system __Filing __Bookkeeping	Other __Hotel management __Hairstyling __Artist __Musician __Farmer __Security __Horticulture __Transportation / driver __Waiting tables __Product sales __Retail __Fashion design

 Tool 4: Sample values questions

1. What do you hope to gain by becoming a volunteer mentor?

2. What kind of experience have you had talking with your family members, friends, and co-workers about their difficulties?

3. How do you feel about how your life has been going lately? How satisfied are you right now?

4. Do you feel comfortable interacting with others one-on-one?

5. Are you able to work with persons who come from backgrounds very different from yours or whose lifestyles you don't agree with?

6. Are you able to be assertive?

7. How about with your ability to not give advice, even when you disagree with someone's decision?

Tool 5: Sample short answer questions

1. Why do you want to be a volunteer mentor?

2. What are the major responsibilities in your life right now?

3. What are your major interests?

4. What are your future plans and dreams?

5. How do you feel about the way your life is right now?

6. What words would you use to describe yourself?

7. What words would your friends/family/supervisor use to describe you?

8. What kinds of life changes have you experienced, including losses, relationship changes, family and friendship changes, or health, education, or self-awareness changes?

9. Who has been a role model or mentor to you in your life? How?

10. What kinds of influences do you think are good for children nowadays? Why?

11. What kinds of influences are bad for children nowadays? Why?

12. Who or what do you think is the most important influence in children's lives? 

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

• Why train adult mentors?

• When do you train adult mentors?

• Who should train your adult mentors?

• Where should the training be held?

• How do you train adult mentors?

Why train adult mentors?

You've screened applications, conducted interviews, checked references, and started thinking about which mentors and young people might be well matched. So you're ready to introduce the pairs and get your mentoring program under way, right?

Not quite. You've left out a very important step: training your adult mentors.

Training adult mentors is important for several reasons. Even after completing your screening process, newly recruited mentors may have questions about their role, boundaries, responsibilities, and what young people can expect from them. They may also need to strengthen skills such as listening, communication, problem solving, conflict resolution, cultural humility, and supporting young people's goals.

Training also gives mentors a clear understanding of the program's purpose, values, policies, safeguarding expectations, available resources, and procedures for seeking support when difficult situations arise.

Good training prepares mentors to build safe, respectful, and supportive relationships with mentees. It may include orientation to the program; clarification of mentor and mentee roles; communication and listening skills; problem solving; conflict resolution; goal setting; cultural humility; confidentiality and its limits; appropriate boundaries; youth development; community resources; working collaboratively with parents and caregivers; and procedures for responding to safety or well-being concerns.

Training can also include activities that help new mentors practice relationship-building and become more comfortable with the mentoring role before they are matched.

When should you train adult mentors?

As early as possible. Core training should take place before a mentor is matched with a young person. Mentors need to understand essential program expectations, boundaries, safety procedures, and their responsibilities before beginning a mentoring relationship.

If mentors join the program throughout the year, you may not be able to offer an extensive individual training every time someone enrolls. In that case, you might provide regular orientation sessions and schedule more comprehensive training several times a year.

New mentors can receive written or digital materials as soon as they enter the program, including the history and purpose of the program, mentor responsibilities, safeguarding and confidentiality policies, communication expectations, emergency procedures, and information about community resources. These materials can prepare mentors for training, but they should not replace the core preparation required before a match begins.

Once a mentor has completed the required orientation and training, your program can determine whether they are ready to be matched. Additional learning and support should continue throughout the mentoring relationship.

Who should train your adult mentors?

Your organization will probably provide much of the training because program staff understand its mission, expectations, policies, and mentoring model. However, community partners and professionals can contribute valuable expertise.

For example, a mediator or facilitator might lead a session on conflict resolution. A youth development professional might discuss adolescent development and communication. A social worker or family engagement specialist could discuss respectful partnerships with parents and caregivers. Other trainers might contribute expertise related to cultural humility, disability inclusion, mental health, trauma-informed practice, LGBTQ+ inclusion, safeguarding, or another area relevant to the young people involved.

Young people and former or current mentees can also contribute to training when they choose to do so. Their perspectives can help mentors understand what young people value in mentoring relationships, what helps build trust, and what adult behaviors may create barriers.

Where should the training be held?

Training can take place in many different settings. A classroom may be convenient, especially during evenings or weekends, and may provide useful technology or presentation space. If training occurs at a school that many mentees attend, mentors may also become more familiar with one part of the community young people experience.

At the same time, a school may not be the most comfortable or accessible setting for everyone. Some participants may have had difficult experiences in school settings, and classrooms may not provide appropriate furniture, accessibility, privacy, lighting, or other features needed for adult training.

Other possibilities include community centers, libraries, conference rooms, colleges and universities, recreation centers, health organizations, workplaces, or public buildings. Virtual or hybrid training may also be useful when it improves access.

Whatever setting you choose, consider physical accessibility, transportation, parking, public transit, lighting, temperature, seating, restrooms, language and communication access, technology, and the privacy needed for discussing sensitive mentoring situations. If refreshments are provided, consider allergies, dietary needs, and cultural preferences.

How do you train adult mentors?

Training can be simple or extensive depending on the goals and structure of your program, but mentors generally need more preparation than a packet of written materials alone. The amount of training should reflect the responsibilities mentors will have, the ages of the young people involved, the setting in which mentoring occurs, and the issues the program may encounter.

One approach is to hold several shorter sessions or one longer training session, with different modules covering topics important to your program. Some organizations also combine self-paced materials with live discussion, practice, and role-playing.

The modules below are examples. Choose and adapt them to fit your mentoring model and the needs and priorities identified by young people, families, mentors, staff, and community partners.

Orientation session

Orientation is usually an introductory session for new mentors or people considering becoming mentors. Its purpose is to help participants understand the program and decide whether the role is a good fit.

Orientation may include:

• Your organization's history, purpose, values, and accomplishments
• Programs and activities currently in progress
• The time commitment expected of mentors
• Program logistics, including meeting locations, communication methods, transportation, and scheduling
• Program resources, including activity ideas, educational materials, and staff support
• Community and referral resources, such as crisis services, schools, health providers, social services, and other supports
• Guidelines and boundaries for the mentoring relationship, including what mentors are and are not expected to do
• Information about the young people participating in the program, including their strengths, interests, communities, goals, and some of the circumstances or barriers they may be navigating
• How mentors are selected, trained, matched, supported, and supervised
• What mentors may learn or gain from participating in the program
• Confidentiality and its limits, including any applicable mandated-reporting or safeguarding responsibilities
• Expectations related to communication, social media, transportation, gifts, physical contact, meeting locations, and other boundaries relevant to your program

Orientation should also give prospective mentors time to ask questions and reflect honestly on whether they can meet the program's expectations. It's better for someone to decide before being matched that the role isn't right for them than to make a commitment they cannot sustain.

Training sessions

More detailed training can build the skills mentors need once they understand the basic structure of the program.

Some topics you may want to include are:

Mentor responsibilities:

Clearly and specifically explain what mentors are responsible for and where the limits of their role lie.

Consider:

• What does your program hope to accomplish?
• What should mentors contribute to the mentoring relationship?
• What are mentors specifically not expected or permitted to do?
• What role does the young person have in shaping the relationship?
• What choices and responsibilities belong to the mentee?
• When should a mentor contact program staff rather than trying to handle a concern alone?

Goal setting in the mentoring relationship:

Discuss the importance of defining and setting goals, with the young person taking an active role in identifying what matters to them.

• Help young people identify goals that reflect their own interests, strengths, priorities, and aspirations
• Help mentors develop realistic expectations and avoid defining success for the mentee
• Explore possible steps, resources, relationships, and pathways that may support those goals
• Revisit and adjust goals as the young person's interests, circumstances, knowledge, and priorities change

Listening and communication skills:

Teach mentors communication skills that help build respectful, trusting relationships.

This session can include:

• Active listening and asking open-ended questions
• Role-playing realistic mentoring situations
• Practicing nonjudgmental and strength-based communication
• Recognizing that communication styles may vary by culture, disability, personality, and neurotype
• Knowing when to listen rather than immediately offer advice or solutions

Problem-solving skills:

Include information on:

• Problem-solving skills
• Tutoring and teaching skills when these are part of the mentoring role
• Modeling communication, accountability, decision-making, and other positive practices
• Helping mentees explore options without taking over decisions that belong to them

Conflict resolution skills:

Teach mentors how to work through tension and disagreement in a mentoring relationship. Conflict is not necessarily a sign that a match has failed. Differences in expectations, communication styles, values, schedules, or goals may arise and can often be addressed constructively.

Discuss:

• How clear expectations and communication can prevent some conflicts
• How to work through disagreement respectfully
• How to identify possible solutions together
• How mentors can recognize stress and prevent burnout
• How to support young people's engagement and motivation without trying to control or pressure them
• When and how to close, pause, or change a mentoring match respectfully when the relationship is not meeting participants' needs

Conflict-resolution training may also help mentors support young people as they develop their own communication and problem-solving skills with peers, family members, teachers, co-workers, and others. Mentors should support young people's problem solving rather than stepping into conflicts that should be handled by the young person, family, school, program staff, or another appropriate party.

Community resources and networking:

Provide mentors with current information about community organizations, educational opportunities, recreation, health and mental health services, career resources, housing or transportation supports, crisis services, and other resources that may help young people pursue their goals or access additional support.

Mentors should understand that referring or connecting a mentee with appropriate resources can be more helpful than trying to provide services outside the mentor's role or expertise.

The mentoring relationship and the mentee's family:

Parents, caregivers, and other family members can be important partners in many youth mentoring programs. Training should help mentors understand how to build respectful relationships with families while remaining clear about the mentor's role and the young person's voice in the relationship.

Questions to address include:

• What kind of relationship should mentors have with parents, caregivers, and other family members?
• What responsibilities does the mentor have to communicate with parents or caregivers under program policy?
• What level of involvement with other family members is appropriate?
• How should mentors maintain clear boundaries with family members?
• What should a mentor do when a mentee shares concerns about family relationships or conflict?
• How should mentors respond when parents or caregivers have expectations for the relationship that differ from the mentee's goals?
• How can mentors and program staff work constructively with parents or caregivers when there is disagreement, mistrust, or limited communication?
• When should concerns involving a family be referred to program staff rather than handled by the mentor alone?

Avoid treating parents and caregivers as obstacles to the mentoring relationship. Families may have important knowledge about the young person, concerns about safety or boundaries, cultural expectations, or previous experiences with programs that shape how they respond. Listen to those concerns while also maintaining the program's commitment to the young person's well-being and agency.

Cultural humility and inclusion:

Mentors and mentees may differ in race, ethnicity, culture, religion, socioeconomic background, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, family structure, or other aspects of identity and experience. Training should help mentors recognize their own assumptions, avoid stereotypes, ask respectful questions, and remain open to learning from the young person and their community.

Mentors do not need to share every aspect of a mentee's identity to build a strong relationship. They do need to respect that identity and understand when additional cultural knowledge, interpretation, accessibility support, or another resource may be helpful.

Safety, confidentiality, and boundaries:

Mentors should understand what information they may keep private, what must be shared with program staff, and any legal or organizational reporting requirements that apply. Explain these limits clearly so mentors do not promise confidentiality they cannot provide.

Training should also cover program expectations related to:

• One-on-one meeting locations
• Transportation
• Phone, text, email, and social media communication
• Physical contact
• Gifts and money
• Contact outside scheduled mentoring activities
• Overnight activities or travel, if applicable
• Responding when a young person discloses abuse, violence, self-harm, exploitation, or another serious safety concern

Mentors should know exactly whom to contact when they are uncertain about a situation. They should not be expected to manage serious safety, mental health, legal, or family concerns on their own.

Evaluation and feedback:

Mentoring programs need ongoing feedback from both mentors and mentees. Rather than mentors simply evaluating young people, the program should ask both participants whether the relationship is useful, respectful, safe, and consistent with their goals and expectations.

Mentors might reflect on questions such as:

• Am I listening to the mentee's goals rather than imposing my own?
• Am I following through on commitments?
• Does the young person seem comfortable raising concerns or disagreeing with me?
• Is there something I need help or additional training with?

Young people should also have confidential opportunities to give feedback to program staff about the mentoring relationship, including whether they want changes in activities, communication, frequency of meetings, or the match itself.

Follow-up training

Initial training is only the beginning. Ongoing training, supervision, and support can help mentors respond to new situations, strengthen their skills, and avoid burnout. Mentors should continue learning throughout the relationship.

• Provide written or digital materials mentors can use as references throughout the mentoring relationship
• Make sure mentors know whom to contact when they have questions, concerns, or unfamiliar situations. Staff can help mentors reflect on their own assumptions and reactions as well as think through practical next steps.
• Provide ongoing supervision and regular check-ins with both mentors and mentees so that concerns can be identified and addressed early
• Offer ongoing or special-topic training on issues that become relevant, such as communication, cultural humility, mental health, disability inclusion, digital safety, substance use, healthy relationships, education, or career exploration
• Organize mentor support groups or learning sessions where mentors can exchange ideas, share resources, discuss challenges without violating mentees' privacy, and support one another
• Maintain regular contact with mentors and mentees. Ongoing communication helps program staff understand how each match is developing and reminds participants that they have support if something needs to change.

In Summary

Screening can help you identify people who may be well suited to mentoring, but even strong candidates need preparation, clear expectations, and ongoing support. Training helps mentors understand their role, develop communication and relationship-building skills, maintain appropriate boundaries, support young people's goals, work respectfully with families, recognize when additional help is needed, and respond appropriately to safety concerns.

Mentor training should not be treated as a one-time event. Ongoing supervision, feedback from both mentors and mentees, continued learning, and access to program staff can help mentoring relationships remain safe, respectful, responsive, and useful over time.

The goal is not to prepare adults to direct or "fix" young people. It is to prepare them to listen, build trust, share knowledge and opportunities, respect young people's agency, and contribute to relationships in which both mentors and mentees can learn and grow.

___You understand why it's important to train adult mentors

___You know when do you train adult mentors

___You know who should train your adult mentors

___You know how to train adult mentors

___You know where the training should be held

___You know you need to make the mentor responsibilities clear

___You set the goals

___You know the importance of listening skills

___You know the importance of problem solving skills

___You know the importance of conflict resolution skills

Example: A mentor-training experience

Dr. Maggie Stone directs the McNair Scholars Program at the Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg. She works with junior and senior undergraduates, usually first generation low-income or under-represented who are academically talented and capable of successfully completing doctoral programs. The program focuses entirely on research, and she talked to us about how it works.

She said that their purpose is to mentor the protégés through an undergraduate -funded research project and help them get prepared to enter graduate school, being successful once they get there. Dr. Stone sees training adult mentors as a unique experience for most faculty members on her campus."The opportunity for faculty members to mentor funded undergraduate research students one-on-one modeling for masters and doctoral level theses and dissertations is unique." She believes that the faculty members' dealing with undergraduates who are academically gifted or talented, but who don't have the background to know what to expect from graduate school or to be prepared to do undergraduate research at an appropriate level, is a valid experience for both mentors and protégés.

"One of the reasons we really do enjoy having our faculty involved is that this gives them an opportunity to work with the student one-on-one rather than with an entire class," Dr. Stone said."The mentoring process one-on-one is very, very different from standing up and talking to a whole classroom full of people for 50 minutes and then going away. So this is the opportunity for the student to self-select faculty and for the faculty to share a research experience with a student one-on-one over the course of a year. One-on-one relationships with students do differ."

The students choose the mentors they want to be put together with."It is up to the student to convince a faculty member that their project is worthwhile and that they are worth the time and energy that faculty member to work with them. And it also gives the student the experience of approaching a faculty member with a project and convincing them to work with them on it, rather than simply being assigned and removing all the responsibility from the student. And the student is selecting a person that they can work with but their primary reason for selecting that person is the common interest in the research topic. It is a function somewhat of the interpersonal fit between the two of them, but on the other hand it is precipitated by an academic interest that the two of them share. So we're not really talking about mentoring from the standpoint of generation to generation or social mentoring. We are really talking about introducing that student into that particular academic arena."

Three times during the year that the program lasts, Dr. Stone conducts a feedback survey to follow how the program is going."We ask [faculty members] to complete a faculty mentoring report form that outlines the amount of contact they've had with the student and the nature of that contact. And then asks them for some qualitative evaluations on how the student was responding." For the students, there's a feedback survey twice a year, at the halfway point in the program."At the end of our program we ask them to complete an evaluation form which it looks at the entire program including the nature and quality of the mentoring they've gotten from their faculty member. And whether or not they would recommend that faculty member to somebody else."

To train faculty members, Dr. Stone organizes orientation sessions in which they talk about the mentoring process."We don't have an organized mentoring program but through another program in this campus, which is associated with our undergraduate freshman experience, we have a mentoring program full force. That engages faculty and students. Our mentoring is specialized in that it is focused on their academic area of interest and it's a research project."

Tool 1: "Icebreaker" activities

This activity was suggested by Lisa Rasor, former director of volunteer training at Headquarters Counseling Center, in Lawrence, KS.

Forced choice exercise:

In this exercise, the facilitator puts signs in three different parts of the room. The facilitator will ask the mentors and protégés if they would consider themselves a listener, a talker or a doer. Those are the only three choices, so it's a forced choice--you have to choose one of those areas.

Another possible question is: "Do you consider yourself adventurous, creative or idealistic?" Sometimes, people might say, "Well, I can be any of those." But they still have to choose just one possibility.

And so the groups that gather in those different areas will talk about why they chose that area, why they chose adventurous over idealistic. And then, they will just get to know each other that way with that forced choice, and find some things in common. Then, do a few more sets of those, different sets of forced choices.

Additional forced choice questions include:

• Do you consider yourself compassionate, just, or philosophical?
• Are you a realist, an optimist, or a dreamer?
• Are you punctual, serious, or spontaneous?

Sometimes, mentors and protégés find themselves in groups with different people; sometimes, they'll go through three sets and have one other person that's in all three sets, and they'll go, "Wow, we might have a lot in common." So this can be a very good group building exercise that will help the mentor/protégé relationship in the future.

Tool 2: Evaluation Form

This is a form that will help mentors and protégés evaluate how effective the program and their relationship are.

Evaluation Form

In the interest of anonymity, we ask that you do NOT put your name on this form.

Session Presenter / Facilitator:

Date:

What were your objectives in this program?

 

On a scale of 1 - 5, with 5 being the most useful, how useful did you find this information? 

1                    2                    3                    4                     5

On a scale of 1 - 5, with 5 being excellent, how well presented was this session?

1                    2                    3                    4                     5

What did you like most about this training session?

 

What did you like least about this training session?

 

What would you change about this training session?

 

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

What do we mean by recruiting youth?

Young people bring creativity, knowledge, interests, relationships, and leadership potential to their communities. At the same time, some may face barriers to opportunities, supportive relationships, education, employment, recreation, or other resources that can help them pursue their goals.

A mentoring program can create opportunities for young people to build supportive relationships with caring adults, explore interests, strengthen skills, connect with resources, and work toward goals that matter to them. Mentoring will not be the right fit for every young person, so a thoughtful recruitment strategy should help young people and families understand what the program offers and decide whether they want to participate.

Recruiting youth means actively reaching out to young people who may be interested in your mentoring program, making the opportunity accessible and welcoming, and providing enough information for them to make an informed choice about participation. Recruitment should be ongoing so that new young people can learn about the program as opportunities become available.

Whom should you recruit?

Before recruiting participants, be clear about what your mentoring program is designed to offer. What are its goals? What kinds of mentoring relationships will it provide? What ages or communities does it serve? What activities, opportunities, and supports are available?

Once you understand the purpose of the program, you can decide who may benefit from and be interested in participating. Eligibility criteria should be connected to the program's actual goals rather than based on assumptions that certain young people need to be "fixed" or rescued.

Depending on your program, you might especially want to reach young people who:

• Would like an additional supportive relationship with a trusted adult
• Face economic barriers or have limited access to educational, recreational, career, or community opportunities
• Want to strengthen academic, employment, leadership, technical, creative, or other skills
• Are navigating challenges related to school engagement, attendance, transitions, or educational goals
• Have disabilities or other access needs and would benefit from a mentoring program that provides appropriate accommodations and support
• Are interested in exploring careers, education, hobbies, leadership, community involvement, or other personal goals with a mentor

These are only examples. Your program may serve a broad range of young people rather than focusing on particular barriers or circumstances.

Most important is the young person's interest in participating. Mentoring relationships work best when young people have meaningful choice about whether to join the program and, whenever possible, about what they want from the relationship.

Explain the program clearly, answer questions, and invite participation without pressure. Young people may need encouragement or time to decide, but recruitment should not rely on coercion, shame, or the message that something is "wrong" with them if they do not participate.

Where should you recruit?

Strong community relationships can help you reach young people who may be interested in your mentoring program. Instead of trying to identify young people simply by observing where they "hang out," work through trusted community networks and create opportunities for young people to hear about the program directly.

Connect with organizations and people who already work with young people and families. They may be able to share information about your program, make appropriate referrals, or help you understand what would make the opportunity accessible and appealing.

Possible partners include:

• Schools
• Community and service organizations
• State and local public agencies
• Faith and spiritual communities
• Parents and caregivers
• Teachers and other educators
• School counselors, social workers, and student support staff
• Local mentoring organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters
• Pediatricians, family physicians, clinics, and other health professionals
• YMCAs, recreation centers, libraries, and community centers
• Parent-teacher organizations and family engagement groups
• Local businesses and chambers of commerce
• Student organizations and youth clubs
• Boys & Girls Clubs and other youth-serving organizations
• Family counselors, therapists, and behavioral health organizations
• Coaches, arts instructors, and other adults who regularly work with young people
• Local health departments and public health programs

Maintain relationships with referral partners once they are established. Keep them informed about eligibility, available spaces, application procedures, accessibility, transportation, languages offered, and other changes that could affect young people's participation.

How do you recruit youth?

Recruitment should begin once your program is prepared to accept participants and has the mentors, staff, training, safeguards, and resources needed to support them.

Recruitment strategies will vary by community and program, but several basic steps can help you develop an approach that is clear, equitable, and responsive to young people.

Establish eligibility criteria for participating in your program

Develop clear criteria so young people, families, and referral partners understand who the program is designed to serve. Criteria should be relevant to the program's purpose and should not unnecessarily exclude young people who could benefit.

Ask:

• Which young people is our program designed to serve?
• What age range will we serve?
• What goals, interests, barriers, or circumstances is the program prepared to address?
• What supports or accommodations may participants and families need to take part fully?
• Are there any other eligibility requirements that are genuinely necessary for the mentoring model?

Clear information can help young people and families decide whether the program fits what they are looking for.

Create strategies to encourage referrals to your program

Referrals from trusted schools, community organizations, families, health professionals, youth-serving programs, and other partners can be an effective way to reach potential participants.

Start with questions such as:

• Who already has trusted relationships with young people who may be interested in the program?
• How can someone refer or connect a young person to the program? Is the process simple, clear, and accessible?
• How will we explain the program to referral partners so they can describe it accurately?
• What steps will young people and families need to complete before participating?
• How will we make fair decisions if more young people want mentors than the program can currently support?
• How will young people be able to express interest directly rather than needing an adult to refer them?

Strong referral networks depend on communication and trust. Keep partners informed about the program, but avoid asking them to identify young people based only on stereotypes or assumptions about who "needs" mentoring.

Make the program relevant and appealing to young people

Young people are more likely to participate in programs that reflect their interests, goals, schedules, and priorities. Rather than guessing what will appeal to them, ask.

Use youth advisory groups, listening sessions, surveys, informal conversations, or planning meetings to learn what young people would like the mentoring experience to include. Their input might influence activities, meeting formats, locations, communication methods, matching preferences, or the skills and experiences you seek in mentors.

Young people who enjoy the program may also choose to tell friends about it. Peer-to-peer communication can be a useful part of recruitment, but participants should never feel responsible for recruiting others.

Example: Building a mentoring program with community partners

Suppose a local public-safety agency wants to develop a youth mentoring program to strengthen relationships with young people and increase awareness of careers in public service.

Before designing the program, organizers meet with young people, families, schools, and community organizations to learn how young people currently experience the agency, what concerns they have, and what kinds of activities would actually interest them.

Based on that input, the program might include career exploration, recreation, community-service projects, conversations about public safety and community trust, and opportunities for young people to ask questions about the agency's role. Participation would be voluntary, and young people would have ways to provide feedback about their mentors and the program.

The goal would not be to persuade young people to adopt a particular view of the agency, but to create opportunities for relationship building, learning, dialogue, and exploration.

Other activities might include:

• Written, digital, or video exchanges with young people or mentors in another community, when appropriate and safely supervised
• Sports, fitness, recreation, gaming, or outdoor activities for young people who are interested in them
• Art, music, theater, media, design, neighborhood improvement, service, or other creative community projects
• Community exploration, field trips, workplace visits, college visits, cultural events, or other opportunities to learn about local resources and possibilities
• Opportunities to recognize participation, leadership, growth, creativity, collaboration, or contributions to the community

Avoid assuming that all young people enjoy the same activities. Some may be interested in sports, while others prefer art, technology, music, academics, entrepreneurship, service, gaming, outdoor activities, or simply time to talk with a trusted mentor.

Recognition can be meaningful, but it should not create the impression that only a few "outstanding" participants represent success. Programs can recognize many forms of contribution and growth without ranking young people against one another.

Participants who are comfortable doing so may share their experiences with peers through school presentations, videos, social media, newsletters, community events, or other outreach. Their participation should be voluntary, and they should have control over what personal information they share.

Advertise your program

Publicizing the program can help young people, families, and community partners learn about mentoring opportunities. Use communication channels that are actually accessible and relevant to the people you hope to reach.

Options include:

• Promote the program through school announcements, student newsletters, advisory periods, lunch activities, student organizations, or school events
• Share information at youth sports, recreation, arts, gaming, and community events
• Provide clear information to parents and caregivers through schools, community organizations, email, text messages, newsletters, or other communication channels
• Give presentations to schools, youth organizations, libraries, faith communities, businesses, parent groups, community organizations, and other potential partners
• Use printed brochures, posters, or flyers where they are likely to reach interested young people and families
• Use local newspapers, radio, television, podcasts, community newsletters, and other media when appropriate
• Maintain an accessible website or online page describing the program for young people, families, mentors, and referral partners. Include current contact information and a simple way to request more information or express interest in participating.
• Use social media, text messaging, community apps, or other digital channels used by local young people and families, while following appropriate privacy and safeguarding practices

Recruitment materials should describe young people as potential partners and participants, not as problems the program is trying to fix. Show what the program offers: supportive relationships, shared interests, skill-building, leadership, career and education exploration, new experiences, community connection, and opportunities to pursue personal goals.

Pay attention to what is happening in the community and where young people and families already gather. Community fairs, school events, recreation programs, cultural festivals, neighborhood events, libraries, and youth-led activities may all provide opportunities to share information about the program.

Also consider barriers that may prevent participation even when a young person is interested. Transportation, fees, scheduling, disability access, language, childcare responsibilities, technology, family concerns, or uncertainty about the program may all affect participation. Recruitment works best when the program is prepared to reduce these barriers wherever possible.

In Summary

Recruiting young people to a mentoring program is more than identifying who adults think needs help. It means creating an opportunity that young people understand, value, and can choose to participate in.

Begin with a clear purpose and fair eligibility criteria. Build relationships with schools, families, youth-serving organizations, health and community partners, and young people themselves. Make referral and enrollment processes simple and accessible, and ask young people what kinds of mentoring relationships and activities would be meaningful to them.

Most importantly, recruit from a strength-based perspective. Young people come to mentoring programs with interests, knowledge, abilities, relationships, culture, goals, and experiences of their own. A strong recruitment process communicates that mentoring is not about rescuing or correcting them. It is about expanding supportive relationships, opportunities, resources, and possibilities while giving young people meaningful choice in shaping their own experience.

___You understand what recruiting youth is

___You know who you should recruit

___You know where to go to recruit youth

___You know how to recruit youth

___You established qualifying criteria for participation

___You created strategies to encourage referrals

___You created ways to make youths want to participate

___You advertised your program

Example: Recruiting for life

Dean Jones is the program coordinator of the Job Training Partnership Act in South Carolina, a program that provides free employment-training programs for individuals who qualify based on family income. The program takes individuals who are living at or below the national poverty level and find them a job. Some of the programs that Dean has been supervising for nine years are aimed directly at youths, and it gives jobs to about 300 young people every summer. Dean talked to us about his recruiting strategies.

"We do open up the program for anyone who is interested, provided they meet the eligibility. We advertise the program through public notices in the newspaper, the local newspaper, general flyers, brochures, we go out to human service meetings and we present them to the communities. I go out to housing communities. It's kind of an informal recruiting. We receive individuals as they walk in through our doors. "

The summer youth program is for individuals 14 to 21, Dean said. The objective of the program is to provide individuals with academic enrichment courses as well as some entry employment courses and some work experience training. The program also offers incentives that make the youths want to participate. "We hope to provide youth with an opportunity start taking a serious look at their career choices, to provide them with enrichment activities, which upgrade their basic skills during the summer and enable them to be better students while in school during the summer. We also pay them a wage. It also keeps them off the streets having a lot of time on their hands and gives them something structured to do with their summer. We have another program, a year-round one for youths 18 to 21 years old. We provide the same types of training, classroom training and on the job training programs as we do with the other program. During the summer, they receive instruction to upgrade those skills at least one or two grade levels over a period of eight weeks during the summer. Along with that program, we provide an entry employment assignment, where two days a week we provide them with jobs in the public sector in which they gain some work skills. They learn some of the minimal things as far as what's needed in terms of behavior, attendance and punctuality and all of those things that 14 and 15 year olds really need to start knowing that it takes to survive and be productive in the work force."

Students receive wages for classroom time as well as entry employment time. "They learn the concept of working, earning your pay, budgeting and balancing a checkbook. We try to give them a simple but thorough orientation to becoming a productive citizen. We have another type of activity through the Summer Youth program that is a residential program. We have a local college campus that enters into an agreement with us to provide a residential program for youth. We hope to increase awareness of youth, in particular minorities, with career opportunities. The students get an idea as to what type of career they may be able to pursue. It also gives them a brief orientation to the college campus life. They stay on college campus, they live on campus, they have a resident assistant in the dorms just like regular college students do. It may be up to five or six weeks during the summer. Hopefully, it will give them motivation to start taking a look at what they're going to do by the time that they leave for secondary school."

Dean said that teenagers like earning that money during the summer so they can do whatever they want and have fun. ?It gives them just another opportunity to earn the money and to have a job. In the other program during the summer months, we can take 16- to 21-year-olds and provide them with a job during the summer. We have a lot of students and a lot of youth who may not know exactly where the jobs are, or how to go out and get a job. So we go out and get the jobs for them and fill those jobs with the eligible applicants during the summer. And it gives them something they can put on their resume as far as a work history, as well as possibly doing a good job and having that employer to provide them with a reference."

The programs are overall very effective in Dean's opinion. "We're measured on the percentage of individuals that we train and place in employment. We're also measured on how long those individuals stay on the job. So, it's not only providing training, providing some job placement assistance, and putting them to work. It's also about taking a look at three months down the road whether they're still working. It is a good measure of whether or not you provided that individual with some quality skills." Dean said that, personally, he likes to see the change in an individual's life who came through his doors and didn't know what was the next step for them or where they were going to turn as far as receiving some quality skills and being able to obtain a job. "That's something you can't see on paper but something you can visualize and see personally."

Dean said that they try to provide success stories in their newsletters to inform the general public. "We provide them with an objective summary of what works and what doesn't work in the program. We have individuals who come back and provide a personal information to how the program worked for them, some of the things they are able to do now that they wouldn't be able to do had it not been for our program. We also have individuals who may just send in thank you cards and come back maybe two or three years down the road and just say "I want to tell you that you really made a difference and I really do appreciate what you did." We know we can't make a difference in everyone's life but we can just have one individual to come back and say this worked, and we know that it's working for more than just that individual. If we just had one person benefit from the program, it would give us a sense of gratification."

Tool: Recruiting strategy plan

This plan was designed to help you through the beginning of your recruiting. By answering the following questions, you will be able to figure out where and how to start recruiting.

Recruiting Plan

What is your main objective with this recruitment?

How many people do you want to recruit?

Between what ages?

Should the recruits have any specific characteristics (race, education, family income)?

From which area of town do you want to recruit?

Do you want to recruit in a specific income bracket? Between how much?

Where are the places where you can find the recruits you're looking for? (schools, malls, streets)?

How many people will be necessary to do the recruiting? What recruiting strategies will we use?

Where and when is the first recruiting session (in case you'll have one) supposed to be held?

After you contact your recruits, what is going to be our next step?

Do we have a back-up plan?

What do we do if the demand for mentors exceeds the supply?

Which kind of activities are we going to supply to attract youth?

How long is the recruiting process supposed to take?

In how many steps are we going to carry recruiting?

How are we going to do our advertising?

What are going to be criteria for recruiting?

Who should we contact for referrals?

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

Congratulations! You've chosen to take on an important and potentially rewarding responsibility: building a mentoring relationship with a young person. Strong mentoring relationships require patience, consistency, openness, and a willingness to learn. Communication, problem solving, listening, and goal-setting skills can help you build a relationship that is supportive, respectful, and centered on the young person's strengths and goals.

These next sections are for you, the adult mentor. In addition to outlining communication, problem solving, and goal-setting techniques, they'll offer guidance for building and sustaining a healthy mentoring relationship.

Why is your relationship with your mentee important?

Few parts of an intergenerational mentoring program are as important as the quality of the relationship between mentor and mentee. Like any relationship, a strong mentoring relationship does not simply happen. It develops over time through communication, reliability, mutual respect, shared experiences, and effort from both people.

The foundations of the mentoring relationship begin as soon as you meet. The relationship will continue to grow and change as you learn more about one another, so it's worth taking the time to establish trust, clear expectations, and healthy boundaries from the beginning.

How do you build a mentoring relationship with young people?

A number of factors contribute to strong youth mentoring relationships. In this section, we'll discuss attitudes, skills, and practices that can help mentors build supportive relationships while respecting young people's individuality, agency, culture, and goals.

The importance of modeling behaviors

As a mentor, your actions can influence how your mentee experiences the relationship. Young people notice whether adults are reliable, respectful, accountable, and consistent. You do not need to be a perfect role model, but you should try to model the qualities you hope to bring to the mentoring relationship.

Positive practices you can model include:

• Being consistent and reliable
• Using language that is respectful and appropriate to the setting
• Following through on your commitments and communicating promptly when plans need to change
• Being friendly and considerate
• Being helpful without taking over decisions that belong to the young person
• Treating the mentee and others with respect
• Acknowledging mistakes, apologizing when appropriate, and showing that adults continue to learn too

Cultural humility

You and your mentee may differ in race, ethnicity, culture, socioeconomic background, religion, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, family structure, education, language, age, or life experience. These differences do not prevent a strong mentoring relationship, but they may shape how each of you understands the world and the relationship.

Be aware of your own assumptions and avoid treating your experience as the standard against which your mentee's life should be measured. Your mentee is an individual with strengths, knowledge, values, experiences, and goals of their own.

Cultural humility means remaining open to learning rather than assuming you already understand another person's culture or experience. Ask respectful questions when appropriate, listen to how your mentee describes their own identity and community, and recognize that no single person represents an entire racial, cultural, religious, or social group.

Remember: the mentoring relationship is not a one-way street. Mentors bring knowledge and experience, but mentees do too. A strong relationship gives both people opportunities to learn from one another.

Building trust

Respect for a young person's identity and culture is one part of building trust. Trust also develops through reliability, honesty, boundaries, listening, and follow-through. Your mentee may not trust you immediately, and that is understandable. Trust develops over time.

Here are some ways to support that process:

• Give your mentee time to get to know you. Trust cannot be demanded or rushed.
• Be clear about confidentiality and its limits. Do not promise to keep information private if program policy or law requires you to share certain safety concerns. Explain from the beginning what information may need to be reported and whom you would contact.
• Be sensitive to the responsibilities, stressors, and circumstances your mentee may be managing outside the mentoring relationship, including school, work, caregiving, health, transportation, housing, or family responsibilities.
• Be patient as your mentee navigates adolescence, growing independence, changing relationships, and new responsibilities.
• Be consistent. Reliability can help create a relationship in which your mentee feels comfortable being open with you.
• Show through your words and actions that your mentee's ideas, interests, time, and experiences matter.
• Recognize strengths, effort, growth, and accomplishments sincerely and specifically.
• Share feedback respectfully when it is useful, but avoid treating your role as one of directing or correcting every decision your mentee makes.
• Respect your mentee's growing ability to make their own choices, even when you would choose differently, unless there is a serious safety concern that requires intervention.
• Be sensitive to your mentee's feelings and perspectives. Take responsibility for your own reactions rather than projecting them onto the young person.
• Follow the program's expectations for scheduling and communication. Take appropriate responsibility for staying in contact while also encouraging shared responsibility as the relationship develops.
• Make every reasonable effort to keep planned meetings. If plans change, communicate as early as possible and reschedule when appropriate.
• Notice progress in ways that reflect the young person's own goals and priorities, rather than measuring them only against an adult's expectations.

Trust, like communication, is mutual. Your mentee should be able to rely on you, and you should also give them appropriate opportunities to demonstrate responsibility, make choices, and shape the relationship.

Communication skills

One of the most important things you can contribute as a mentor is a relationship in which a young person feels listened to, respected, and taken seriously. Communication skills take time and practice, and mentors should expect to continue developing them throughout the relationship.

Some important communication skills include:

• Active listening: Giving your attention to what the other person is communicating and checking your understanding rather than assuming you already know what they mean.
• Assertiveness: Expressing your own needs, concerns, and boundaries clearly and respectfully without trying to control the other person.
• Empathy: Making an effort to understand another person's experience and perspective without judgment. Empathy does not require assuming that you know exactly how someone feels.
• Open-mindedness: Recognizing that your mentee may have personal, political, religious, cultural, or other beliefs that differ from yours and that those differences do not need to prevent mutual respect.
• Self-awareness: Recognizing your own assumptions, emotions, limitations, and reactions and taking responsibility for how they affect the relationship.
• Support: Offering encouragement and respect even when you disagree with a particular decision, while recognizing when safety concerns require help from program staff or another qualified person.
• Trust: Being appropriately open, honest, dependable, and willing to listen while maintaining the boundaries expected in a mentoring relationship.

Active listening

As mentioned above, active listening is central to effective communication.

Whenever two people communicate, there is a person sending information, a person receiving it, and a message being communicated. But communication is rarely as simple as the words themselves. People may understand the same statement differently because of context, tone, previous experiences, culture, or expectations.

If you tell your mentee, "I'll meet you at the library at four o'clock," you may believe the message is clear. But if the young person misunderstood the time, missed part of the conversation, or thought you meant a different library, the communication has not worked as intended.

Active listening helps you check your understanding rather than simply assuming the message was received or that you understood everything your mentee meant.

An active listener:

• Pays attention to what the person actually says
• Notices possible emotions but checks rather than assuming: "You sound frustrated. Is that how you're feeling?"
• Pays attention to context, tone, and what the speaker says is important without trying to uncover hidden feelings or motives that the person has not expressed
• Listens for values, priorities, relationships, experiences, and concerns that the speaker chooses to share

The components of active listening:

Active listening can include verbal responses, nonverbal communication, and empathy. Let's look at each of these.

Responding:

To show interest and make sure you understand, respond in ways that help the speaker continue or clarify what they mean.

• Paraphrases: Restate the speaker's meaning in your own words and give them an opportunity to correct you.
  • "So the security guard accused you of taking the shirt even after you explained that it had been paid for. Did I understand that correctly?"
• Feeling reflections: Gently check the emotion you think you are hearing rather than stating it as a fact.
  • "It sounds like that was really frustrating. Is that how it felt to you?"
• Clarifications: Ask questions that help both of you understand the situation more clearly.
  • "Did that happen yesterday?"
• Neutral statements: Use brief responses that show you are following the conversation without taking it over.
  • "I see. Go on."
• Summaries: Pull together the main concerns you have heard and check your understanding.
  • "If I'm understanding you, the situation felt unfair, and you're still trying to decide what you want to do next. Is that right?"

Nonverbal communication:

Nonverbal communication can influence how a conversation feels, but there is no single correct posture, level of eye contact, facial expression, or physical position that demonstrates good listening. Communication styles vary across cultures, personalities, disabilities, and neurotypes.

• Give the person your attention in a way that is natural and respectful. Eye contact can be useful when comfortable for both people, but it should not be treated as a requirement.
• Use a comfortable and attentive posture. Try to avoid behaviors such as repeatedly checking your phone, turning away to do something unrelated, or otherwise signaling that you are not available for the conversation.
• Respect personal space. Sit or stand in whatever arrangement allows both people to feel comfortable. Do not assume that leaning toward someone, sitting close by, or facing them directly will feel supportive to everyone.

Empathy:

Empathy means making a sincere effort to understand another person's experience and perspective without judgment. Avoid assuming you know exactly how your mentee feels. Instead, listen and give them opportunities to explain their own experience.

• Concentrate on what the young person is saying
• Pay attention to tone, facial expressions, body language, and context while remembering that these cues can mean different things for different people
• Check your understanding of feelings or values rather than stating them as facts
• Summarize the important issues you heard and give your mentee a chance to correct or add to your understanding

Communication pitfalls - what not to do:

Good listening encourages communication and understanding. Some common responses, however, can make a young person feel dismissed, pressured, or judged and may make them less willing to continue sharing.

Common pitfalls include:

• Interrupting while someone is talking
• Arguing with or repeatedly challenging every point the other person makes
• Blaming another person for your own emotions or reactions
• Responding with judgment before understanding the situation
• Demanding that someone act or think the way you would
• Dismissing a person's right to their own opinions, values, or priorities
• Giving advice immediately instead of first asking whether the person wants advice, ideas, information, or simply someone to listen
• Jumping to conclusions
• Pressuring someone to disclose information before they're ready
• Sharing private information outside the limits established by the program

Most people fall into some of these habits occasionally. The important thing is to notice them, repair the conversation when necessary, and keep practicing more respectful ways of listening and responding.

Problem solving

Problem solving in a mentoring relationship means helping your mentee understand a concern, explore possibilities, consider consequences, and decide what they want to do. The mentor's role is not to take over the problem or make every decision for the young person.

One possible problem-solving process is:

• Exploring the concern: Give your mentee space to describe the situation in their own words
• Understanding the situation: Use open-ended questions to learn more about the circumstances, people involved, emotions, barriers, strengths, priorities, and available resources
• Clarifying the problem: Work together to identify the part of the situation the young person most wants to address
• Brainstorming options: Identify several possible ways forward without immediately judging them
• Considering options: Discuss possible benefits, risks, barriers, resources, and consequences associated with each option
• Choosing what to do: Support your mentee in deciding which option best fits their values, goals, circumstances, and safety. Respect their decision whenever it falls within reasonable safety and program boundaries
• Taking action and following up: Identify any next steps and decide what support, information, or resources may be useful. Later, check in about how things went and whether the plan needs to change

Mentors should also recognize when an issue goes beyond the mentoring role. Serious safety concerns, abuse, self-harm, exploitation, medical or mental health crises, legal issues, or other situations may require program staff or qualified professionals rather than informal problem solving between mentor and mentee.

Take time to strengthen your communication and problem-solving skills. They will be important throughout the mentoring relationship.

What do you do when things don't work out?

Despite everyone's best efforts, not every mentoring match will work well. A mentor and mentee may have different expectations, schedules, communication styles, interests, or relationship needs. Sometimes the match simply doesn't feel comfortable or useful to one or both people.

Do not assume that differences in culture or identity are themselves the problem. If differences are creating misunderstandings, seek support from program staff, communicate openly, and consider whether greater cultural humility, clearer expectations, or another approach could strengthen the relationship.

When difficulties arise, involve program staff rather than expecting the mentor or young person to resolve everything alone. Sometimes expectations can be clarified or the relationship can be repaired. In other situations, changing or ending the match may be the healthiest option.

Ending a mentoring relationship should not be framed as a failure or as something the young person caused. If possible, discuss the transition respectfully, acknowledge the relationship and what both people contributed, and make sure the young person understands what will happen next.

If your mentee shares or you observe concerns involving abuse or neglect, self-harm, violence, exploitation, substance use, serious mental health needs, or another significant safety issue, contact program staff promptly and follow the program's safeguarding, referral, and reporting procedures. Do not try to diagnose the situation or manage it alone.

If the mentoring relationship itself has become a barrier to the young person's well-being or goals, program staff can help determine whether the match should be changed and how to make the transition as supportive as possible.

In Summary

Building a mentoring relationship takes time, patience, communication, and mutual effort. Strong relationships are built through reliability, respect, listening, healthy boundaries, cultural humility, shared learning, and attention to the young person's interests and goals.

You will not always know exactly what to say or do, and not every mentoring relationship will develop in the same way. Stay open to feedback, ask for support from program staff when needed, and remember that your role is not to direct or "fix" your mentee. It is to build a dependable relationship in which the young person feels respected, supported, and able to pursue goals that matter to them.

___You know why your relationship with your protégé is important

___You know how to build a mentoring relationship with youths

___You are consistent and reliable

___You use correct English

___You do not use profanity

___You keep your word

___You are friendly and polite

___You are helpful and respectful

___You know the steps for building trust

___You know the keys to good communication

___You know what active listening is

___You understand the steps to problem solving

___You know what to do when things don't work out

Example: Personal testimonies

A school-based program to connect caring adults with youths in Kansas City conducted a satisfaction survey with their volunteer mentors.

Some of the answers from that survey illustrate how important and rewarding it is to mentor youths:

• "They [the children] have the opportunity to interact with adults. Hopefully, we serve as role models for these children. They know they have a friend that will listen to them."

• "It has been interesting and fun working with the children. I have learned so much from them and I think they've learned a few things from me, too."

• "It was a successful experience for both of us. They experience people who care about them. My protégé is going to Middle School next year and she called me at work to say she didn't want to lose me."

• "It makes [the children] feel better about themselves and hopefully will help them in their approach to their school work."

• "It increases their feeling of self-worth. Gives them someone to talk to. The children are wonderful and I get more from them then I give."

• "It gives them the opportunity to communicate their ideas, wants, fears, and experiences to an adult who has made time just form them. It gives them a sense of being special and the knowledge that they are important."

• "A lasting friendship has developed."

• "The kids were benefited greatly and looked forward to our meetings. They provided opportunity to grow in a positive manner."

• "Feedback from the teacher on improvements seen in the students made the experience very rewarding."

• "My tutoring was reading. We set a goal --and we made it! I feel my student looked forward to our sessions, he was well prepared. I think he benefited from the experience."

• "I feel the students get the attention they might be lacking. I feel it is a positive influence for the students."

Tool: Active listening

As we come to understand ourselves and our relationships with others better, we rediscover that "communication is not just saying words; it is creating true understanding." Active listening is an important skill in that process. Chances are that those who influence us most are powerful listeners. Whether instinctively or through practice, they have developed the skill of empathy. This activity comes from the Center for Rural Studies.

This exercise will help you practice some of basic active-listening skills:

• Attending Skills (verbal and non-verbal)
• Questions, Reflections, Summarization
• Skills of Self-expression: "1-2-3 Pattern"
• Practice Session on Effective Confrontation

The group should be divided into subgroups of three. There will be three roles in each subgroup: speaker, listener, and observer. Everyone will take each role once in this practice, so divide into your subgroup and decide who is going to take which role first.

Directions:

Objective - The point of the practice session is to give each person the opportunity to learn how to use verbal and non-verbal minimal encouragers and become a better listener.

To the speaker - Your task is to talk about something that is important to you: your job, your family, a decision, or a question. The practice will be more helpful if you talk about something you really care about, although role-playing is possible. You may find yourself in the midst of discussing something important when the allotted time runs out. If this happens, you could make an agreement with the person listening to carry on later, after work or during a break.

To the listener - Your task is to practice the skills of the session: eye contact, body language, silences, and verbal minimal encouragers. Don't panic! Just concentrate on following the speaker's train of thought. Try to limit your responses to the skills discussed in this session.

To the observer - Your task is to observe the listener's verbal and non-verbal skills. Observe and count only as many behaviors (eye contact, body posture, verbal minimal encouragers, topic jumps) as you can manage and still be relatively accurate.

Procedure:

The first speaker will talk with the listener for three or four minutes. The listener will then discuss the listening experience with the two other members of the subgroup. (To the listener: What was comfortable? What was difficult? Did you stay with the speaker?) Then the speaker will share his or her feelings about the listener's listening. (To the speaker: Did you feel listened to? Was it helpful? Did the listener have any habits you found distracting?) The observer will then share observations. This sharing process should take about three or four minutes.

Now everyone change places. Have the listener become the speaker, the speaker the observer, and the observer the listener. Go through the five minutes of talking and listening and five minutes of exchanging remarks twice more so that each person takes each role once. The entire practice session should take about 25 minutes.

When you are finished, form a large group. Your facilitator will help you share your practice experiences. How are these skills relevant to your work? Where else would they be useful? Go around the group, so that the participants have a chance to share at least one thing they have learned about themselves in this practice session.

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

• Why is goal setting important for young people?

• When should young people set goals?

• How do young people set goals?

• Planning for action

• How do you review and adjust mentoring goals?

Why is goal setting important for young people?

Everyone has strengths, interests, aspirations, responsibilities, and challenges that shape the path toward what they want to accomplish. Goal setting can help young people identify what matters to them, recognize the strengths and resources they can draw on, anticipate possible barriers, and develop realistic plans for moving forward.

Goal setting can also provide focus and direction within a mentoring relationship. Once you and your mentee have had time to build trust and get to know one another, you can begin discussing goals the young person wants to work toward and how the mentoring relationship might support them.

• You may wish to develop a shared mentoring plan that identifies personal, social, educational, career, or other goals for the short term -- such as the next month, six months, or year -- as well as longer-term aspirations
• You and your mentee can periodically review progress, discuss what has been learned, and decide whether the goals or strategies should change
• You can recognize and celebrate progress, effort, accomplishments, and milestones along the way

When should young people set goals?

Many mentoring programs are designed to help young people pursue goals that matter to them. Although it may seem natural to begin formal goal setting immediately, it can be helpful to first establish a relationship in which the young person feels respected, listened to, and comfortable sharing what matters to them.

Some goal-setting tools ask people to reflect on school, family, relationships, skills, interests, challenges, or future plans. These questions can feel personal, time-consuming, or overwhelming, particularly if the format does not match the young person's communication, literacy, language, disability, or learning needs.

For that reason, do not rush formal goal setting simply because a form or program schedule says it should happen. You can still have informal conversations about interests, hopes, priorities, and things the young person would like to change or explore while the relationship is developing.

Most importantly, the goals should belong to the young person. They should understand that you are there to support their thinking, not to assign goals or pressure them into choices they do not value. Taking time to build trust can lead to goals that are more meaningful, realistic, and motivating.

How do young people set goals?

The central principle is that your mentee's goals should reflect their own interests, priorities, and aspirations rather than goals someone else has chosen for them.

Even ambitious goals deserve to be taken seriously. Your role can be to help the young person explore what the goal means to them and identify smaller steps that could move them in that direction. For example, someone interested in leading a business someday might first explore career pathways, strengthen relevant skills, meet people working in the field, or pursue educational opportunities connected to that goal.

Characteristics goals should have

Strong goals are often:

• Clear: The young person can describe what they want to accomplish and what progress toward the goal might look like.
• Meaningful: The goal matters to the young person and connects with their interests, priorities, values, or aspirations.
• Achievable: The goal is realistic enough to work toward while still providing an appropriate challenge. Large goals can often be divided into smaller steps.
• Within the young person's influence: Some outcomes depend partly on other people or circumstances, so it can be useful to focus on actions the young person can take. For example, they cannot guarantee that an employer will offer them a job, but they can prepare a resume, complete applications, practice interviewing, and seek guidance from people they trust.
• Trackable: The young person can identify signs of progress. These might include completing particular steps, developing a new skill, reaching a milestone, or meeting a specific outcome.
• Personally relevant: The goal should be something the young person genuinely wants to pursue, not simply something they believe an adult expects from them.
• Supportive of well-being and growth: Goals should contribute positively to the young person's development and should not involve harming themselves or others.

Common methods used in preparing young people for goal setting:

There are many ways you and your mentee can prepare for goal setting. The best approach will depend on the young person's age, interests, communication style, preferences, and the type of mentoring relationship you have.

A note: Some goal-setting surveys and worksheets are long and ask young people to reflect on many areas of their lives. Some participants may find this useful and thought-provoking; others may find the forms tiring, overly personal, inaccessible, or simply not a good fit.

If a standard form does not work well, adapt the process. You might divide it across several meetings, shorten the questions, discuss them verbally, use visual or digital tools, or select only the sections that are relevant to the young person's goals.

You and your mentee can also create your own goal-setting process together. This can be especially useful because the young person helps decide what questions matter, what format feels comfortable, and what kind of planning will actually help them. Goal setting then becomes a collaborative process rather than another task assigned by an adult.

• Youth priorities and interests survey: A questionnaire or discussion guide that helps the young person reflect on areas such as relationships, school, work, interests, health, community involvement, skills, goals, and other parts of life that matter to them. For an example, see the Tools section.
• Strengths and skills inventory: A survey, conversation, or activity that helps the young person identify skills, knowledge, interests, experiences, and areas they may want to develop further. In the Tools section, you can find a sample inventory.

You and your mentee may choose to complete these activities together. Once the young person has had an opportunity to reflect, you can discuss their priorities and preferences.

During this discussion, you can:

• Identify strengths, interests, goals, available resources, and barriers that may affect progress
• Develop short- and long-term objectives connected to the young person's priorities
• Brainstorm different strategies the young person might use to reach those objectives
• Decide what first step feels manageable and useful
• Discuss how the young person would like to recognize or celebrate progress
• Decide how progress will be reviewed and when it might make sense to adjust the goal or strategy

The result of the discussion may be an action plan that includes short- and long-term objectives, possible timelines, strategies, people or organizations who may be able to help, useful resources, and ways to recognize progress. Each action plan should reflect the individual young person rather than following a one-size-fits-all model.

During goal setting, your role is to help your mentee recognize their strengths, clarify what matters to them, identify possible barriers and supports, and break larger goals into manageable steps. Goals should be realistic enough to make progress possible while still providing opportunities for growth and learning.

Some of the most valuable tools you can bring to goal setting are:

• Respect -- let the young person help determine the direction and priorities of the goal-setting process
• Patience -- give the young person time to think, reconsider, and make decisions
• Encouragement -- recognize effort, initiative, learning, and progress without taking ownership of the goal away from the young person

Goal setting is an ongoing process. You, your mentee, and program staff may periodically review how the mentoring relationship is supporting the young person's goals. If a strategy is not working, that does not necessarily mean the young person has failed. You can reconsider the goal, identify new barriers or resources, adjust the timeline, or try a different approach.

Planning for action

After your mentee identifies a goal they want to pursue, you can work together on an action plan. A useful action plan breaks a goal into practical steps and helps anticipate the supports or barriers that may affect progress.

You may want to discuss:

• What actions or steps may help move toward the goal
• Who will take each action, if people other than the young person are involved
• When the steps might happen
• What resources, information, accommodations, or support may be needed
• What barriers or challenges might arise and how the young person could respond
• Which people, organizations, or resources might be useful to involve

You do not necessarily need a separate action plan for every concern or issue identified in a survey. Focus on the goals the young person identifies as most important and manageable at that time.

How do you review and adjust mentoring goals?

Goals may change throughout the mentoring relationship. A goal may turn out to be more difficult than expected, easier than expected, no longer relevant, or less important than something new that emerges. Changing a goal can be a sign of learning rather than failure.

You and your mentee can periodically review what has happened, what is working, what has changed, and what the young person wants to do next.

Some approaches include:

• Encourage your mentee to track progress in whatever way is useful to them. For an academic goal, this might include assignments, attendance, study habits, or grades. For other goals, a checklist, journal, calendar, app, portfolio, photo record, or conversation may work better.
• If the young person wants to document progress, help them choose a method they control and are comfortable using. Avoid keeping unnecessary records about the mentee without their knowledge.
• Periodically review progress together. Discuss successes, setbacks, new information, changes in circumstances, and whether the goal, timeline, or strategy should be adjusted.

Celebrating successes

Recognizing progress can help make goal setting encouraging and meaningful. Celebrate effort, learning, persistence, milestones, and accomplishments in ways that feel appropriate to the young person.

Ways you might celebrate include:

• Setting aside a meeting for an activity the young person enjoys
• Holding a program gathering, picnic, or recognition event that celebrates participants' contributions and growth
• Offering a certificate, note, or other form of recognition when the young person would appreciate it
• Giving an appropriate small gift or experience if program policy allows and the young person values that form of recognition
• Sharing accomplishments in a program newsletter, website, or other communication only with the young person's permission
• Offering sincere and specific encouragement that recognizes effort, learning, and progress

Different young people will prefer different kinds of recognition. Some may enjoy public celebration, while others may prefer a private conversation, shared activity, or simple acknowledgment. Ask what feels meaningful rather than assuming everyone wants the same kind of reward.

Remember that progress is not always linear. A setback does not erase earlier growth, and a young person does not need to reach every goal for the mentoring relationship to have value.

In Summary

Goal setting can help young people identify what matters to them and turn broad hopes or interests into practical steps. Effective goals are meaningful to the young person, realistic enough to pursue, flexible enough to change, and connected to the strengths, resources, relationships, and opportunities available to them.

The mentor's role is not to decide what the young person should accomplish. It is to listen, ask questions, help identify possibilities and resources, support planning, and encourage reflection as circumstances change.

Goal setting works best as an ongoing, collaborative process. Goals may evolve, timelines may change, and different strategies may be needed along the way. By respecting the young person's choices and recognizing both progress and learning, mentors can help make goal setting a useful part of a supportive mentoring relationship.

___You know why it is important for youth to set goals

___You know when youth should set goals

___You know how to set youth goals

___You know common methods to prepare youth goal setting

___You know how to plan for action

___You understand how do you review and adjust mentoring goals

___You know the importance of celebrating successes

Example: Completed action plan form

Goal Setting

1/4/2013

Initiative:

Date:

Action step or change to be accomplished:

To get an A in Algebra

What actions or changes will occur:

Parents and guardians who contribute (by helping with homework, and creating good study environment); will study more and dedicate more hours to algebra; will take fewer breaks and watch less TV in order to study more.

Who will carry it out:

Me (the protégé) with the help of my mentor and parents.

By when (for how long):

Start as soon as possible and carry it out until algebra grades substantially improve.

What resources are needed:

Books, school material, time, and recognition from parents and mentor. Celebration after accomplishments.

Communication (who should know what):

Parents and mentor must be aware of the developments and status of this action plan so that they can provide support and recognition.

Tool 1: A contract for your relationship

A mentor/protégé contract is a tool for discussion. Since communication is essential to any relationships, it can help you clarify expectations on many issues before conflict arises.

Use this contract in the following manner:

• Respond to every question with your preferences. Being honest now will save time and hurt feelings later
• Examine and discuss your differences, focusing and understanding the reasons behind answers that are different from yours
• Try to agree on a way to compromise or resolve those differences now, before conflicts arise
• Write down your agreements

Mentor/protégé contract

Relationship

• Are you willing to trust your mentor?
• Are you willing to trust your protégé?
• How many times a week are the protégé and mentor supposed to meet?
• During these meetings, what are they supposed to do? (talk, go to the movies, study?)
• How much time will be allotted for study? How much time will be allotted for fun activities?

Personal

• Where are the meetings supposed to take place?
• What is an activity that you love doing?
• What is an activity that you hate doing?
• Are you outgoing? Would you rather go out or stay home?
• What do you like to talk about?
• What do you hate to talk about?
• What's your favorite type of movie? What's your favorite type of music?

Education

• In which area of study are mentor and protégé going to focus first?
  • And later?
• What is going to be the method of measuring progress?
• How are mentor and protégé going to celebrate good results?

Tool 2: Action Plan form

Initiative	Date
Action step or change to be accomplished:
What actions or changes will occur:
Who will carry it out:
By when (for how long):
What resources are needed:
Communications (who should know what):

Tool 3: Youth concerns review

This is a questionnaire that asks the youths to evaluate certain aspects of their lives such as family and social relationships, school achievement, and personal capacities.

The purpose of this guide is to help protégés think about their dreams and goals and how to reach them. The protégé may complete this by him or herself or with a mentor, parent, friend, or someone who cares about him or her.

The questions in the first part ask the protégé to think about personal resources and the challenges to be faced. The second set of questions is supposed to help identify what is important to the youth and what he would like to change. Then the youth chooses the most important goals and thinks about how to meet those goals.

PART ONE

Dreams for My Life

Spend some time thinking about your dreams for your future, or your goals in life. Some of these may be short term (you want to do them in the next few months or a year). Others might be longer term (you will need more than a year to accomplish them).

How would you like your life to look overall?

Start by thinking of the big picture. What are your dreams and goals for your life in general? Write down your ideas here.

SOON:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

LATER:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What do you see yourself doing in the following areas soon? Later?

Now think about specific areas of your life. Write down your short-term and long -term goals in each of the following areas.

• How far do you hope to go in school? What type of education do you want?

SOON:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LATER:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• What kind of job do you hope for?

SOON:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LATER:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• What are your dreams for health? For security and being safe?

SOON:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LATER:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• What kind of family life do you hope for?

SOON:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LATER:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• What kinds of friendships and personal relationships do you hope for?

SOON:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LATER:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• What types of fun and recreation do you hope for?

SOON:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LATER:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• What are your dreams for living on your own or being independent?

SOON:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LATER:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• In what ways do you hope to be involved in your community?

SOON:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LATER:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• What sort of spiritual life do you hope for?

SOON:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LATER:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My Assets and Strengths

Skills and Experience:

Take a few minutes to think about your skills and experiences. Please circle the items from the list below that identify skills and experiences of which you are proud. Then write down an example or an explanation for each item you circle. At the end, write in skills and experiences that you value, but are not listed.

• I can read well _____________________________________________________
• I can write well _____________________________________________________
• I can speak a different language _______________________________________
• I am good at math __________________________________________________
• I can use computers ________________________________________________
• I can drive well _____________________________________________________
• I can paint or draw __________________________________________________
• I can organize things ________________________________________________
• I can fix things _____________________________________________________
• I can play with children ______________________________________________
• I can care for children _______________________________________________
• I can play sports ___________________________________________________
• I can build things___________________________________________________
• I can cook ________________________________________________________
• I can sew/knit/crochet _______________________________________________
• I can grow plants ___________________________________________________
• I can target shoot well _______________________________________________
• I can hunt well _____________________________________________________
• I can talk with friends and family _______________________________________
• I have lived in other countries __________________________________________
• I have held a job ____________________________________________________
• I can play a musical instrument well _____________________________________
• I can do arts and crafts well ____________________________________________
• I care for animals well ________________________________________________
• (add your own)______________________________________________________
• (add your own)______________________________________________________

Personal Qualities:

Take a few minutes to think about your personal qualities. What characteristics do you have? How do you act toward others? Please circle the items from the list below that identify personal qualities of which you are proud. Then write in an explanation or example for each item you circle. At the end, write in any personal qualities that you value, but may not be listed.

• I am caring of others _________________________________________________
• I am courteous/respectful of others ______________________________________
• I am religious/spiritual ________________________________________________
• I am kind to others ___________________________________________________
• I am cheerful toward others ____________________________________________
• I am tolerant of others ________________________________________________
• I can be trusted by friends and family _____________________________________
• I am loyal to my family and friends _______________________________________
• I am helpful to others _________________________________________________
• I am friendly toward others _____________________________________________
• I am responsible ____________________________________________________
• I am sensitive _______________________________________________________
• I am loving ________________________________________________________
• I am up-front with people _______________________________________________
• I am direct _________________________________________________________
• I am honest ________________________________________________________
• I am shy/quiet ______________________________________________________
• (add your own)______________________________________________________
• (add your own)______________________________________________________
• (add your own)______________________________________________________

My Challenges

Take a few minutes to think about possible barriers or obstacles that may be holding you back from doing things you want. Please circle the items from the list below that identify those barriers or obstacles. Then write down an explanation or example for each item you circle. At the end, write in any barriers or obstacles that you encounter, but are not listed.

• It's hard for me to read _________________________________________________
• It's hard for me to write ________________________________________________
• It's hard for me to add or subtract _________________________________________
• It's hard for me to find the time to do some things ____________________________
• It's hard for me to get organized __________________________________________
• It's hard for me to get places _____________________________________________
• It's hard for me to pay for things I want______________________________________
• It's hard for me to make new friends _______________________________________
• It's hard for me to understand what people say and do _________________________
• It's hard for me to talk with some people ____________________________________
• It's hard for me to get people to understand me _______________________________
• It's hard for me to stay out of jail __________________________________________
• I experience discrimination ______________________________________________
• I experience violence __________________________________________________
• I experience abuse or neglect _____________________________________________
• I experience drug or alcohol abuse _________________________________________
• I experience poverty ___________________________________________________
• I experience a disability ________________________________________________
• I experience fear _____________________________________________________
• (add your own) ______________________________________________________
• (add your own) ______________________________________________________
• (add your own) ______________________________________________________
• (add your own) ______________________________________________________

Please take a few minutes to look back over the last section where you circled your strengths and abilities. Keep those qualities in mind as you go on to Part Two.

PART TWO:

Determining what is important to you

To set goals for yourself, you may work by yourself or with a mentor, parent, or friend to answer the questions that follow. Please go through each issue in every area and answer the following questions:

• Is this issue one that I care about?
• Am I where I want to be with this issue?

Next to each issue in the list are two columns where you circle your answer:

• In the left-hand column, circle "No" if you don't care about the issue; or circle "Yes" if you do care about the issue.
• In the right-hand column, circle "Yes" if you would like to do better at or with the issue; or circle "No" if you don't feel you need to do better at or with the issue, or if doing better at or with the issue is unimportant to you.

At the end of each section under the heading "Other", you will find space to write down any other issue that you think is important.

	I care about:		I would like to do better at:
Education and Training
Getting a high school diploma or GED	Yes	No	Yes	No
Having good grades	Yes	No	Yes	No
Getting a college degree	Yes	No	Yes	No
Going to tech / trade school	Yes	No	Yes	No
Passing a specific class	Yes	No	Yes	No
Getting to the next grade	Yes	No	Yes	No
Having better attendance	Yes	No	Yes	No
Having good test scores	Yes	No	Yes	No
Joining in extracurricular activities	Yes	No	Yes	No
Learning and understanding things	Yes	No	Yes	No
Having the skills I need to get a good job	Yes	No	Yes	No
Getting along with my teachers	Yes	No	Yes	No
Getting along with my classmates	Yes	No	Yes	No
Other (be specific):	Yes	No	Yes	No
Work
Getting part-time work	Yes	No	Yes	No
Getting full-time work	Yes	No	Yes	No
Getting on-the-job training, or becoming an apprentice in a job I want	Yes	No	Yes	No
Getting a better job	Yes	No	Yes	No
Getting another job	Yes	No	Yes	No
Starting a business	Yes	No	Yes	No
Being at work on time	Yes	No	Yes	No
Doing better at my work	Yes	No	Yes	No
Getting more done at my job	Yes	No	Yes	No
Getting along with my boss	Yes	No	Yes	No
Getting along with other workers	Yes	No	Yes	No
Getting more respect for my work	Yes	No	Yes	No
Getting a raise	Yes	No	Yes	No
Other (be specific):	Yes	No	Yes	No
Health and Safety
Exercising more	Yes	No	Yes	No
Not using tobacco	Yes	No	Yes	No
Not doing drugs or drinking	Yes	No	Yes	No
Feeling good about myself	Yes	No	Yes	No
Eating well (eating healthy food)	Yes	No	Yes	No
Eating less junk food and fast food	Yes	No	Yes	No
Avoiding STDs and HIV/AIDS	Yes	No	Yes	No
Not getting pregnant or getting someone pregnant	Yes	No	Yes	No
Not getting hurt or killed	Yes	No	Yes	No
Not hurting or killing anyone	Yes	No	Yes	No
Being able to go to a doctor	Yes	No	Yes	No
Being able to go to a dentist	Yes	No	Yes	No
Looking and feeling good	Yes	No	Yes	No
Getting vaccinated against diseases	Yes	No	Yes	No
Not feeling sad or badly about myself	Yes	No	Yes	No
Wearing seat belts and a bike helmet (when applicable)	Yes	No	Yes	No
Getting enough sleep	Yes	No	Yes	No
Not driving drunk	Yes	No	Yes	No
Not riding with a drunk driver	Yes	No	Yes	No
Other (be specific):	Yes	No	Yes	No
Relationships
Having more friends	Yes	No	Yes	No
Making better friends	Yes	No	Yes	No
Having friends who are good for me	Yes	No	Yes	No
Being more accepted	Yes	No	Yes	No
Being more assertive	Yes	No	Yes	No
Communicating better	Yes	No	Yes	No
Spending more time with adults	Yes	No	Yes	No
Being around people who care for me	Yes	No	Yes	No
Spending more time with friends	Yes	No	Yes	No
Having different kinds of friends	Yes	No	Yes	No
Being a better listener	Yes	No	Yes	No
Being a good friend	Yes	No	Yes	No
Being a good sister / brother	Yes	No	Yes	No
Getting along with people	Yes	No	Yes	No
Other (be specific):	Yes	No	Yes	No
Family
Getting along better with my family	Yes	No	Yes	No
Staying away from sexual or physical abuse	Yes	No	Yes	No
Being treated well at home	Yes	No	Yes	No
Getting to know my family better	Yes	No	Yes	No
Being able to express anger without being violent	Yes	No	Yes	No
Using discipline without violence	Yes	No	Yes	No
Using discipline that is fair and consistent	Yes	No	Yes	No
Making rules that are reasonable	Yes	No	Yes	No
Having my family show me they care about me	Yes	No	Yes	No
Showing my family that I care about them	Yes	No	Yes	No
Having family traditions and celebrations	Yes	No	Yes	No
Doing more things with my family	Yes	No	Yes	No
Being able to talk and share my feelings with my family	Yes	No	Yes	No
Other (be specific):	Yes	No	Yes	No
Recreation and Leisure
Enjoying my free time	Yes	No	Yes	No
Having more free time	Yes	No	Yes	No
Playing more sports	Yes	No	Yes	No
Spending time doing things I like to do	Yes	No	Yes	No
Spending time doing arts and crafts	Yes	No	Yes	No
Spending more time outside	Yes	No	Yes	No
Having safe, late-night activities to do	Yes	No	Yes	No
Finding a hobby	Yes	No	Yes	No
Joining an organization	Yes	No	Yes	No
Meeting people with the same interests	Yes	No	Yes	No
Trying something new	Yes	No	Yes	No
Other (be specific):	Yes	No	Yes	No
Independent Living
Living on my own	Yes	No	Yes	No
Developing my own interests	Yes	No	Yes	No
Managing my money	Yes	No	Yes	No
Learning how to enjoy being alone	Yes	No	Yes	No
Being able to get around (such as on a bus, bike, train, etc.).	Yes	No	Yes	No
Taking better care of my stuff	Yes	No	Yes	No
Paying my bills on time	Yes	No	Yes	No
Reducing my expenses	Yes	No	Yes	No
Finding a good place to live	Yes	No	Yes	No
Planning better for future bills	Yes	No	Yes	No
Getting things I need around the house	Yes	No	Yes	No
Getting food for my family	Yes	No	Yes	No
Other (be specific):	Yes	No	Yes	No
Community Involvement
Volunteering or becoming a volunteer	Yes	No	Yes	No
Being a good neighbor	Yes	No	Yes	No
Helping others	Yes	No	Yes	No
Getting involved in solving problems in my community	Yes	No	Yes	No
Knowing more about my community	Yes	No	Yes	No
Using more community resources (such as parks and recreation programs)	Yes	No	Yes	No
Voting	Yes	No	Yes	No
Participating in community activities	Yes	No	Yes	No
Changing / influencing my community	Yes	No	Yes	No
Helping others get involved in the community	Yes	No	Yes	No
Being a good role model	Yes	No	Yes	No
Other (be specific):	Yes	No	Yes	No
Spiritual Development
Joining a church / mosque / synagogue	Yes	No	Yes	No
Being more active in my religious group	Yes	No	Yes	No
Practicing my faith better	Yes	No	Yes	No
Understanding my religion better	Yes	No	Yes	No
Showing that I care about other people	Yes	No	Yes	No
Being more accepting of others	Yes	No	Yes	No
Treating others as I want to be treated	Yes	No	Yes	No

Once the youth has finished this section, a mentor, parent, or other caring adult should help them with the remaining sections.

PART THREE:

Recognizing Personal Strengths

These are issues that the youth should feel proud of and needs to work on to maintain and protect.

After the youth has finished answering the questions in part two, it is time to select his or her strengths and concerns. Go back to the question section and help the youth find the items where he or she circled Yes (indicating that he or she does care about the issue) and No (indicating that he or she doesn't feel the need to do better at the issue). These items are personal strengths. Go back to the questions section and use your protégés responses to help him or her identify his or her personal strengths.

Copy from Part Two those personal strengths that the youth agrees on:

Encourage the youth to celebrate and share these strengths with others!

Identifying Personal Concerns / Problem Areas

To identify possible personal problem areas, the youth should go back to the question section and draw a ring around any issues where the circles are side by side.

Those items where the youth circled Yes that he or she does care about the issue and Yes that he or she would like to do better at the issue are possible areas of concern that the youth can work on to improve. Review them and list below all those items of concern that the youth wants to do something about soon.

When choosing the main issues, the young person should think about the following:

• Issues that may help the youth plan for the future
• Issues that the youth can do something about
• Issues that the youth is ready to work on
• Issues that would seriously affect his or her well-being if he or she doesn't work on it

Go back over the questions in Part Two and write below the issues that the youth may want to work on:

Prioritizing Personal Concerns

Before the youth can begin planning to reach goals for each item, he or she needs to prioritize the problems and rank them according to their importance. The youth should rank the list of issues by him or herself, with 1 being the highest priority.

After the issues have been ranked, the youth and mentor should discuss the list and why issues are in that order.

For example, an individual has ranked the following seven items:

Item	Rank
Volunteering or becoming a volunteer	6
Getting enough sleep	7
Being at work on time	4
Not doing drugs or drinking	1
Being a good friend	3
Practicing my faith better	5
Having good grades	2

• In the chart, have the youth fill in the issues listed above as Personal Concerns / Problem Areas
• Then, have the youth think about each issue by itself, asking the following questions:
  • How important is this issue?
  • Does it need to be dealt with right away or can it wait?
  • Does this issue affect others as well? (If so, it may be more important)

Item	Rank

Planning for Action

After your protégé has finished identifying his or her goals, it's time to talk about an action plan for meeting those priorities. A good action plan helps us recognize all the steps we need to take to meet our goals. It also helps us be ready for difficulties we might face when trying to meet goals.

You will want to discuss:

• What actions are needed to reach the goal
• Who will take the actions (someone else besides the youth may be involved)
• When the actions will happen
• Resources and support needed to take the actions
• Difficulties your protégé might face in taking the actions
• People your protégé should talk to about his or her plans

Help your protégé make an action plan for each of the top priority issues he or she identifies.

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

WHY GATHER FEEDBACK ABOUT YOUR MENTORING PROGRAM?

As with any type of service or community program, you'll want to monitor your mentoring program and gather feedback about how it is working. Feedback should come from both mentors and mentees and, when appropriate, from families, program staff, and other partners.

Monitoring your program can:

• Help you evaluate how well the program is meeting its goals
• Identify areas of the program that could be strengthened or improved
• Help you determine whether your program goals and activities continue to reflect the priorities of participants
• Help you better support the needs, strengths, goals, and experiences of mentors and mentees
• Help you identify concerns in the program or mentoring relationships at an early stage
• Help you understand whether participants feel respected, safe, included, and able to raise concerns
• Identify barriers related to transportation, accessibility, scheduling, communication, matching, or other aspects of participation

Feedback is most useful when participants understand how it will be used and when the program demonstrates that their input can lead to meaningful changes.

WHEN DO YOU GATHER FEEDBACK ABOUT YOUR MENTORING PROGRAM?

Monitoring and gathering feedback should be ongoing. Begin early enough that problems or concerns can be identified before they become more difficult to address, and continue throughout the mentoring relationship.

Feedback can be gathered at planned intervals -- for example, shortly after a match begins, periodically throughout the relationship, and when a match ends. Program staff should also make it clear that mentors and mentees can raise concerns at any time rather than waiting for a scheduled evaluation.

The frequency of check-ins will depend on your program, the age of participants, the mentoring model, and the level of support each match needs.

HOW DO YOU GATHER FEEDBACK ABOUT YOUR MENTORING PROGRAM?

There are a number of ways to monitor your mentoring program. Using more than one method can give you a fuller picture of how the program and individual mentoring relationships are working.

GROUP DISCUSSION

Mentor-mentee pairs can meet periodically with program staff to discuss what they have been doing together, what has worked well, what they have learned, and whether anything should change. They may also discuss disagreements or challenges and how they have addressed them.

Joint discussions can be useful, but they should not be the only source of feedback. A young person may be less comfortable raising concerns about a mentor while that mentor is present. Programs should also provide opportunities for mentors and mentees to speak separately with staff.

Group discussions involving several mentoring pairs can also be useful for identifying broader program strengths, common barriers, activity ideas, and areas where participants would like additional support or training. Protect individual privacy when discussing specific relationships.

INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS OR CHECK-INS

Program coordinators should meet or communicate regularly with both mentors and mentees. Early in a match, more frequent check-ins may be helpful. As the relationship becomes established, the frequency can be adjusted based on participant needs and program policy.

Separate check-ins give each person an opportunity to speak freely about the relationship. Staff should explain what information will remain private and any limits to confidentiality related to safety, safeguarding, or reporting requirements.

Questions for mentors might include:

• What kinds of activities have you and your mentee been doing together?
• What parts of the relationship have been most meaningful or satisfying?
• What has been challenging, and what support would be helpful?
• What activities or approaches seem to strengthen the relationship?
• Are there any boundaries, communication issues, scheduling concerns, or situations you'd like help thinking through?
• Do you feel you have the training, information, and program support you need?

Questions for mentees might include:

• What have you and your mentor been doing together?
• What do you enjoy or value about the relationship?
• Do you feel your mentor listens to you and respects your ideas, identity, boundaries, and goals?
• Do you feel comfortable telling your mentor when you disagree or don't want to do something?
• Are there activities you would like to do more or less often?
• Is there anything about the relationship that makes you uncomfortable or that you would like program staff to help change?
• Do you want to continue with this mentor, make changes to the match, or explore another option?

Whenever possible, give young people more than one way to provide feedback. Some may prefer a conversation, while others may be more comfortable with a short survey, text-based check-in, online form, or another accessible method.

SURVEYS OR QUESTIONNAIRES

Short surveys can help you gather consistent information from mentors and mentees about program experiences, relationship quality, accessibility, satisfaction, safety, and progress toward participant-defined goals.

Keep surveys clear and manageable. Make them available in accessible formats and relevant languages when needed. Avoid asking for personal information unless it has a clear purpose, and tell participants how their responses will be used and protected.

Anonymous or confidential surveys may also help participants raise concerns they would be uncomfortable sharing directly.

LOGBOOKS OR JOURNALS

Mentors may find it useful to keep brief notes about meetings, activities, questions for program staff, or their own learning as mentors. The program should clearly define what information mentors are expected to document and what should not be recorded.

Avoid keeping unnecessary sensitive information about mentees. Personal disclosures, diagnoses, family information, or other private details should not be recorded simply because they came up during a mentoring conversation.

If program staff need access to mentoring records, participants should understand what information is being documented, who can access it, and how it will be protected. Records should be stored securely and retained only as long as necessary under program policy.

Photographs, videos, or other identifying records should be collected or shared only with appropriate permission and according to organizational policy. Young people's accomplishments do not need to be documented visually in order to count as meaningful progress.

COMMON MENTOR-MENTEE CONCERNS THAT FEEDBACK CAN IDENTIFY

Feedback can help identify concerns within a mentoring relationship before they become more difficult to address. The goal is not to assign blame to the mentor or mentee, but to understand what is happening and determine what support or changes may be needed.

THE MENTORING MATCH IS NOT WORKING WELL

Not every mentoring match develops into a strong relationship. Mentors and mentees may have different expectations, communication styles, schedules, interests, or preferences, or the relationship may simply not feel like a good fit.

Avoid assuming that cultural or identity differences themselves are the problem. If misunderstandings arise across differences in race, ethnicity, culture, religion, disability, gender, socioeconomic background, language, or another area, consider whether clearer communication, cultural humility, accessibility support, additional training, or staff assistance could strengthen the relationship.

Participants should not be pressured to remain in a match that feels uncomfortable, unsafe, or consistently unhelpful. A coordinator can work with both people to understand what is happening and decide whether the relationship can be strengthened or whether a respectful re-match would be more appropriate.

If a match ends, look for lessons that may improve future matching, orientation, training, supervision, or program practices without treating the end of the relationship as a failure by either participant.

THE YOUNG PERSON FEELS STIGMATIZED, PRESSURED, OR UNHEARD

A young person may interpret mentoring as a punishment or as evidence that adults believe something is wrong with them, particularly if participation was initiated primarily by a school, parent, court, or other institution.

Be clear that mentoring is intended to offer an additional supportive relationship and opportunities for learning, connection, and growth. Whenever possible, participation should involve meaningful choice, and young people should have a voice in their goals, activities, and mentoring experience.

Mentors should approach mentees with respect for their strengths, knowledge, identities, interests, and agency. Screening and training should also help identify and address attitudes that position mentors as rescuers or young people as problems to be fixed.

THE YOUNG PERSON'S NEEDS OR CONCERNS GO BEYOND THE MENTORING ROLE

Mentors may sometimes learn about needs or concerns that require support beyond what a mentoring relationship can appropriately provide. These might involve significant academic support needs, substance use concerns, housing or family instability, experiences of violence or abuse, serious mental health concerns, legal issues, or immediate safety risks.

Mentors should understand the limits of their role and should not be expected to act as therapists, social workers, medical professionals, legal advisors, or crisis responders unless that is actually their professional role within the program.

When additional support may be needed, mentors should contact program staff and follow established referral, safeguarding, and reporting procedures. When appropriate, involve the young person in deciding what kinds of support would be useful and explain what will happen next rather than making decisions about them without their knowledge.

BOUNDARIES OR COMMUNICATION EXPECTATIONS ARE UNCLEAR

Feedback may reveal uncertainty about texting, social media, transportation, gifts, physical contact, meeting locations, scheduling, confidentiality, communication with families, or other boundaries. These concerns are often easier to address when the program has clear policies and mentors and mentees know whom to contact with questions.

THE PROGRAM IS CREATING BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION

Sometimes the concern is not the mentoring relationship itself. Transportation, scheduling, disability access, language, technology, program fees, family responsibilities, or meeting locations may make participation difficult. Regular feedback can help programs identify and reduce these barriers.

ADDITIONAL EVALUATION RESOURCES

The Community Tool Box includes a variety of resources that can help you evaluate and improve your mentoring program. There are also resources for gathering information about the strengths, priorities, needs, and experiences of young people, families, and communities in the Community Assessment chapter. The following evaluation chapters and toolkit may be useful starting points:

• Chapter 37. Operations in Evaluating Community Interventions
• Chapter 38. Some Methods for Evaluating Comprehensive Community Initiatives
• Chapter 39. Using Evaluation to Understand and Improve the Initiative
• Toolkit 12. Evaluating the Initiative

 

IN SUMMARY

Every mentoring program needs a way to understand whether it is accomplishing its goals and providing safe, respectful, and useful experiences for participants. Ongoing feedback can help program staff recognize strengths, identify concerns early, reduce barriers, improve mentoring practices, and make better decisions about the future of the program.

Feedback should not come only from mentors or program staff. Young people should have regular, meaningful, and private opportunities to say how the mentoring relationship is working for them, whether their goals and boundaries are being respected, and whether they want anything to change.

Effective evaluation focuses not only on whether activities were completed or goals were reached, but also on the quality of mentoring relationships, participant experiences, accessibility, safety, inclusion, and opportunities for young people to exercise voice and choice. When programs listen carefully and respond to what they learn, evaluation becomes an important part of strengthening both individual mentoring relationships and the program as a whole.

___You know why monitoring and gathering feedback from your mentoring program is important

___You want to evaluate the performance of the program

___You need to inform about areas of the program that need improvement

___You want to assess your goals for the program

___You want to help better support the needs of the mentors and protégés

___You want to identify problems in the program at an early stage

___You know when you should do it

___You know how you should do it

___You understand the common mentor-protégé problems that monitoring can identify

Example 1: A mentor-training experience in feedback

Dr. Maggie Stone directs the McNair Scholars Program at the Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg. She works with junior and senior undergraduates, usually first generation low-income or under-represented who are academically talented and capable of successfully completing doctoral programs. The program focuses entirely on research, and she talked to us about how it works.

"One of the reasons we really do enjoy having our faculty involved is that this gives them an opportunity to work with the student one-on-one rather than with an entire class," Dr. Stone said. "The mentoring process one-on-one is very, very different from standing up and talking to a whole classroom full of people for 50 minutes and then going away. So this is the opportunity for the student to self-select faculty and for the faculty to share a research experience with a student one-on-one over the course of a year. One-on-one relationships with students do differ."

Three times during the year that the program lasts, Dr. Stone conducts a feedback survey to follow how the program is going. "We ask [faculty members] to complete a faculty mentoring report form that outlines the amount of contact they've had with the student and the nature of that contact. And then asks them for some qualitative evaluations on how the student was responding." For the students, there's a feedback survey twice a year, at the halfway point in the program. "At the end of our program we ask them to complete an evaluation form which it looks at the entire program including the nature and quality of the mentoring they've gotten from their faculty member. And whether or not they would recommend that faculty member to somebody else."

Example 2: Satisfaction survey

One way of gathering feedback for a mentoring program is to conduct a satisfaction survey. In it you can access how valuable your mentors are finding the mentoring experience and they ca provide useful advice to make the program run smoother. Here are some quotes from a satisfaction survey done by a school-based program in Kansas City.

On training:

• "Longer sessions - we only meet with [the protégés] for one hour."

• "Have a volunteer with several years of experience help train new volunteers. Let the new people know about other volunteer's insights and experiences."

• "I'd like specific information on dealing with difficult and troubled kids."

On matching:

• "Giving us some information about the student would help--do they have a single parent, siblings, what are their needs?"

• "I felt my match was perfect. We have even seen each other outside the program."

• "My protégé and I were very sad we have to wait until next school year to see each other."

In general:

• "I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with my protégé and developed a bond. She seemed to look forward to and enjoy our meetings."

• "If a student intends to commit to a full semester with a volunteer, it would be helpful, to interview the students to find out his or her needs and then make the appropriate match."

• "I feel that it helps to make children feel special, maybe they will even strive harder to learn."

• "I enjoyed working with the student and seeing how much he improved by the end of the school year."

Tool: Satisfaction survey

Here is a sample of a satisfaction survey form. This kind of feedback evaluation is very useful because it allows you to find out if your program is working well, and what the volunteers have to suggest for improvements. Being an anonymous source of feedback, people will freely discuss what they like and dislike about the mentoring program they are involved with.

Satisfaction Survey

How long have you been involved with this project?

___0 - 3 months

___4 - 6 months

___7 months - 1 year

___2 years

___More than 2 years

How satisfied are you with your volunteer program experience?

    Not Satisfied                           Very Satisfied

1          2          3          4          5

What could the school or the program do to improve your experience?

 

How satisfied were you with your training?

1          2          3          4          5

What would improve your training?

 

How satisfied were you with your match / placement?

1          2          3          4          5

What would improve your match / placement?

 

How worthwhile was your mentoring experience?

   Waste of time                         Highly worthwhile

1          2          3          4          5

Please, include some comments:

 

What additional information, conditions, or resources would have improved your experience?

 

Would you encourage participation in this program to your friends, family, or other adults?

___Yes

___No

Is this initiative good for the children?

___Yes

___No

In what ways is it good for the children?

 

 

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

• What do we mean by modifying access, barriers, and opportunities?
• What constitutes access to community services?
• What are the barriers to access to community services?
• What do we mean by opportunities for access to services... and by opportunities to reduce exposure to harmful products, practices, or conditions?
• What tactics might be useful in modifying access, barriers, and opportunities?

When you begin an initiative or intervention, you usually have particular participants or communities in mind. They may be connected by geography, language, identity, shared interests, economic circumstances, experiences, or priorities, or your initiative may be intended for the community as a whole. In either case, your effort is unlikely to succeed if the people it is intended to benefit cannot or do not participate.

In other words, people need meaningful access to what you're offering. Access is more than being able to enter a building. It can include physical accessibility, affordability, transportation, language and communication access, information, technology, scheduling, trust, cultural responsiveness, eligibility requirements, and whether people see the service as relevant and useful to them.

Improving access means understanding and reducing the barriers people experience while creating conditions that make participation realistic and welcoming. It also means involving community members in identifying what access looks like from their perspective rather than assuming that providers already know what people need.

Chapter 23 is about ways to improve access -- for particular communities or for everyone -- to resources and opportunities that contribute to quality of life. These may include services, products, healthy practices, libraries and parks, information, educational opportunities, employment, and public institutions. In this section, we'll discuss these ideas broadly; the following sections will examine several strategies for improving access in greater detail.

The following video illustrates how community conditions and access to resources can shape health behaviors and outcomes:

 

What do we mean by modifying access, barriers, and opportunities?

Access to what? Barriers to what? Opportunities for what? What exactly are we talking about here?

Access

In general terms, this chapter is about making sure people can benefit from the full range of community resources and opportunities -- health care, education, human services, recreation, the arts, transportation, employment, civic participation, and others.

Access also includes the conditions that contribute to a good quality of life: safe and stable housing, meaningful employment, a healthy environment, opportunities to participate in community decisions, reliable information, and responsive institutions.

Meaningful access is not achieved simply because a service or resource technically exists. People must be able to find it, reach it, afford it, understand it, use it, and feel that they will be treated with dignity and respect when they do.

Barriers

Barriers are conditions, policies, practices, systems, or attitudes that make it harder for people to use or benefit from services, resources, opportunities, products, or information. Barriers may be physical, economic, informational, technological, social, cultural, organizational, or related to public policy.

Barriers should not automatically be understood as problems within individuals. What may appear to be a person's difficulty accessing a service may actually reflect transportation gaps, cost, inaccessible communication, discrimination, inflexible schedules, complicated procedures, lack of childcare, or other conditions that organizations and communities can address.

Opportunities

"Opportunities" is not simply another word for "access." Increasing access and reducing barriers can create more realistic opportunities for people to use community resources or pursue their goals.

An opportunity means that a meaningful option is available. People still decide for themselves whether and how to use it. Communities can create opportunities for education, employment, healthy activities, civic participation, homeownership, or other goals, but those opportunities should respect people's choices, priorities, and circumstances.

Modifying access, barriers, and opportunities

To modify something is to change some aspect of it. In most of this chapter, we'll be talking about increasing access and opportunity while reducing barriers.

In some situations, however, communities may also seek to reduce access to products or circumstances associated with significant health or safety risks. Examples might include limiting young people's access to tobacco and nicotine products or alcohol, improving safe storage of firearms and medications, or changing environments in ways that reduce opportunities for violence or injury.

A community health initiative might also work with stores, schools, workplaces, or other organizations to make nutritious food and beverage options easier to find and afford rather than focusing primarily on restricting individual choices.

Similarly, a community violence prevention initiative might improve street lighting, create safe and welcoming public spaces, expand transportation options, support youth activities, or strengthen neighborhood relationships. The goal is to change the conditions that influence safety rather than placing responsibility only on individuals.

In all of these cases, the goal is to shape environments and systems in ways that support health, safety, participation, and quality of life.

In this section, we'll look at access, barriers, and opportunities and then discuss how communities can modify them in ways that are responsive to local strengths, priorities, and circumstances.

What constitutes access to community services?

There are several different ways to look at access, all of them relevant here.

• Availability of services, amenities, or products. If a needed service doesn't exist, people cannot use it. The same is true when capacity is too limited, hours do not fit people's schedules, eligibility rules exclude people who could benefit, or information about the service never reaches the community. Availability also includes whether people can obtain useful community resources such as recreation, cultural programs, libraries, nutritious food, clean water, transportation, and reliable information.
• Physical, transportation, and communication access. A service or facility should be designed so people with disabilities can enter, move through, communicate, and participate. Access can include ramps, elevators, accessible restrooms, seating, signage, captioning, interpretation, assistive technology, accessible websites and documents, and other accommodations. Transportation also matters: a resource may technically exist but still be inaccessible if people cannot reasonably get there.
• Access to information. Information should be understandable, accessible, available in relevant languages and formats, and shared through channels community members actually use. Written materials alone may not reach everyone, so organizations might also use audio, video, plain-language materials, visual communication, community educators, accessible digital formats, or other approaches.
• Quality and effectiveness. Access also involves whether a service is useful, respectful, evidence-informed when appropriate, and responsive to the people it is intended to serve. A service that exists but consistently fails to meet participants' needs may not provide meaningful access.
• Affordability. Fees, transportation costs, lost work time, childcare expenses, technology costs, and other financial demands may prevent people from participating even when a service is otherwise available.
• Trust and experience. People may be less willing to use a service if they have experienced discrimination, disrespect, poor treatment, breaches of confidentiality, or exclusion from the institution providing it. Building access may therefore require rebuilding trust and accountability as well as changing logistics.

What are the barriers to access to services, amenities, practices, products, and information?

Barriers to access take many forms. They may arise from broader social and economic conditions, institutional practices, public policies, community circumstances, or the way services are designed and delivered.

Structural and societal barriers

These are barriers produced by broader systems, policies, patterns of investment, and longstanding social conditions. They can affect different communities in different ways.

• Education. Unequal access to well-resourced schools, experienced educators, technology, advanced coursework, disability supports, safe learning environments, and other educational opportunities can shape people's options later in life. Students and families facing economic barriers and people from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups may be disproportionately affected by these inequities.
• Employment. Access to employment can be affected by discrimination, transportation, childcare, education and training opportunities, professional networks, disability access, criminal-record policies, geographic location, and the availability of jobs that provide adequate wages and working conditions.
• Stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. People may experience unequal treatment because of race, ethnicity, disability, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration experience, language, socioeconomic circumstances, or other characteristics.
• Limited recognition of community needs and priorities. Services may be unavailable or underfunded when decision-makers do not understand community conditions, do not have adequate information, or do not meaningfully involve the people most affected.
• Public policy and investment decisions. Decisions about transportation, housing, education, health care, public space, social services, infrastructure, and other community resources can expand opportunities for some people while creating or reinforcing barriers for others.

Institutional and organizational barriers

Schools, colleges, health systems, government agencies, workplaces, businesses, nonprofits, and other institutions may intentionally or unintentionally create barriers through their policies, practices, facilities, schedules, communication, or organizational culture.

• Location and transportation. Organizations may assume that everyone can reach their facilities. Transportation costs, limited public transit, long travel distances, unsafe routes, or unreliable transportation may make participation difficult, particularly in rural communities and areas with limited transportation options.
• Physical and communication accessibility. People with permanent, temporary, visible, or non-visible disabilities may encounter barriers if buildings, services, websites, communications, or activities are not designed accessibly or do not provide appropriate accommodations.
• Administrative barriers. Long forms, complicated eligibility requirements, repeated documentation requests, long waits, difficult phone or online systems, limited office hours, and confusing procedures can make services unnecessarily difficult to use. These barriers may be especially challenging for people balancing work, caregiving, disability, transportation, language, technology, or other responsibilities.
• Communication barriers. Organizations may use technical or bureaucratic language, fail to provide interpretation or translation, rely on inaccessible digital systems, or communicate in ways that make people feel unwelcome or disrespected. Plain language, multiple communication formats, and responsive staff can improve access.
• Lack of cultural humility and responsiveness. Organizations may unintentionally design services around the experiences and expectations of only some groups. Cultural humility involves recognizing those assumptions, listening to community members, adapting practices when appropriate, and avoiding the expectation that everyone should communicate, participate, or seek help in the same way.

Individual and household circumstances that can affect access

People may also experience circumstances in their daily lives that make participation difficult. These should not automatically be understood as personal shortcomings; many are closely connected to broader economic, social, and institutional conditions.

• Stigma, fear, or concerns about privacy. People may hesitate to seek services related to sexual health, substance use, mental health, literacy, housing, legal concerns, or other sensitive issues if they fear judgment, discrimination, loss of privacy, or negative consequences.
• Economic instability and competing demands. Families facing economic barriers may also be managing unpredictable work schedules, transportation challenges, housing instability, caregiving responsibilities, health expenses, limited internet access, or other demands. These conditions can make participation difficult even when people value the service.
• Cultural, religious, or community considerations. Beliefs, traditions, family expectations, or community practices may shape how people view particular services or activities. Avoid making broad assumptions about any cultural or religious group. Instead, ask community members what matters to them and look for respectful ways to respond.
• Family and caregiving responsibilities. Childcare, elder care, household responsibilities, family schedules, or concerns about how participation will affect family routines can influence whether someone can use a service. Flexible schedules, childcare, transportation, and family-inclusive approaches may help.
• Language, literacy, numeracy, or digital-access barriers. People may have difficulty using services when information depends on advanced reading, writing, math, technology, or proficiency in a particular language. Plain language, interpretation, accessible formats, and staff assistance can reduce these barriers.
• Limited access to training, professional networks, or employment opportunities. People may have valuable skills and experience but lack access to credentials, training, transportation, technology, professional networks, or other resources that employers expect. Programs can help address these gaps without defining participants by what they lack.

What do we mean by opportunities for access to services…and for reducing exposure to harmful products, practices, or conditions?

Communities, organizations, and individuals can modify services, amenities, products, information, and environments to create more meaningful opportunities for participation. They can also unintentionally create conditions that make harmful products, practices, or situations easier to encounter.

Increasing opportunities for access may involve affordability, availability, effectiveness, transportation, accessibility, language, or trust. Sometimes relatively small changes -- clearer information, different hours, a more accessible location, interpretation, or a different outreach strategy -- can make a significant difference.

Reducing exposure to harmful products, practices, or conditions also requires careful analysis. Consider what is contributing to the concern, which factors can realistically be changed, and whether the proposed response addresses underlying conditions rather than simply placing responsibility on individuals.

What tactics might be useful in modifying access, barriers, and opportunities?

This chapter examines five broad tactics for modifying access, barriers, and opportunities:

1. Reducing access or exposure to products, practices, and conditions associated with health or safety risks
2. Enhancing access to services, healthy practices and products, community resources, and information
3. Expanding access and opportunity for people and families facing economic barriers
4. Increasing accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities
5. Using outreach to increase awareness, connection, and access

Each of these tactics will be treated in detail in its own section in this chapter. We'll introduce them briefly here and discuss how each can be part of a larger strategy for long-term change.

1. Reducing access or exposure to harmful products, practices, and conditions

Communities can sometimes improve health and safety by changing environments, policies, or systems so that harmful products or situations are less accessible while healthier and safer options become easier to choose.

Examples may include:

• Improving street lighting and the design of public spaces to support visibility and safety
• Creating smoke-free and tobacco-free public environments
• Using appropriate laws, policies, storage practices, and safety measures to reduce access to dangerous weapons
• Enforcing age requirements for alcohol, tobacco, nicotine, and other regulated products
• Working with food vendors, schools, employers, and other organizations to make nutritious and affordable options more available
• Rehabilitating vacant or neglected properties for housing, community use, or other purposes identified by residents
• Using pricing, incentives, or other policy tools to influence access to products associated with significant health or environmental risks

A broader health strategy may combine these approaches with education, accessible services, community engagement, and efforts to make healthier options affordable and realistic for people to use.

2. Enhancing access to services, amenities, healthy practices and products, and information

This usually means addressing one or more of the issues described earlier as elements of access.

Some ways to increase access include:

• Adjusting schedules, locations, eligibility requirements, and service structures based on the needs and preferences of the people the program is intended to serve
• Expanding transportation options
• Providing physical, digital, communication, and language access for people with disabilities and people who use languages other than English
• Using cultural humility and community knowledge to make services more relevant, respectful, and responsive
• Offering peer support, navigation, coaching, or other forms of assistance for people pursuing health or behavior changes
• Working with community members to identify what products, services, environments, or resources would make healthy choices easier and more realistic

These approaches can stand alone or be combined with other strategies as part of a larger effort to improve access.

3. Expanding access and opportunity for people and families facing economic barriers

Many of the same strategies used to improve access generally are also important for people and families facing economic barriers. Additional approaches may include:

• Programs and services that use income-based eligibility or sliding-scale costs to make education, health care, childcare, housing, transportation, workforce development, and other resources more affordable
• Community and economic development strategies that invest in neighborhoods with limited economic resources and support employment, locally owned businesses, housing, transportation, and other community priorities
• Policies and organizational practices designed to address documented patterns of exclusion and expand opportunity for groups that have been historically underrepresented
• Entrepreneurship, cooperative development, financial education, grants, low-cost lending, and other strategies that expand people's access to capital and opportunities to build economic security

These strategies can be especially effective when people affected by economic barriers have meaningful roles in deciding which investments, services, and opportunities will be most useful in their communities.

4. Increasing accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities

Accessibility involves much more than installing a ramp. It means designing facilities, communication, technology, programs, and organizational practices so that people with disabilities can participate fully and equitably.

Important areas include:

• Respect and inclusion. People with disabilities should be treated as full participants, community members, employees, leaders, customers, students, and partners. Avoid defining people primarily by disability or making assumptions about what someone can or cannot do.
• Communication access. Depending on individual needs, access may include sign-language interpretation, captioning, assistive listening systems, screen-reader-compatible digital content, Braille, large print, accessible electronic documents, plain language, augmentative and alternative communication, or other supports.
• Physical access. Accessible environments may require appropriate entrances, doors, elevators, restrooms, pathways, parking, seating, counters, emergency exits, signage, and room layouts. Accessibility should be considered throughout a facility rather than limited to one entrance or feature.
• Program and digital accessibility. Websites, registration systems, virtual meetings, events, activities, policies, and communication practices should also be designed to allow people with disabilities to participate meaningfully.

Accessibility requirements vary by setting and jurisdiction. Organizations should follow applicable disability-rights laws and current accessibility standards and, whenever possible, include people with disabilities directly in planning and evaluating accessibility.

5. Using outreach to increase access

The term "outreach" covers many different activities. It can include sharing information through community networks, providing services in neighborhood locations, using mobile programs, working with trusted community members, conducting home visits when appropriate, or taking services directly to people who face barriers to reaching traditional sites.

Effective outreach begins by listening. Organizations should understand how community members prefer to receive information, which people and organizations they trust, what barriers they experience, and what would make services more useful and accessible.

• Outreach to increase awareness. People cannot use services they don't know about. Community media, public events, neighborhood organizations, schools, faith communities, social media, home visits, and trusted community messengers can all help share information. Community members who have relevant relationships and lived experience can be especially valuable partners in designing and carrying out outreach.
• Outreach to strengthen relevance and trust. If people are reluctant to use a service, find out why. Concerns may involve location, privacy, past experiences, cultural fit, language, eligibility rules, cost, or how the service is presented. Work with community members to address these concerns rather than assuming that reluctance is simply resistance.
• Outreach to reduce barriers. Services can sometimes be offered through mobile units, neighborhood-based sites, schools, community centers, shelters, libraries, homes, or other locations people can reach more easily. Outreach may be especially useful for people experiencing homelessness, young people disconnected from traditional services, people affected by substance use, people with limited transportation, or others who face barriers to conventional service settings.

In Summary

For an intervention or initiative to have an impact, people must be able to participate in it. The same is true for community resources such as libraries, parks, cultural facilities, transportation, information, educational opportunities, and public institutions.

Access depends on more than whether something exists. It is shaped by affordability, physical and digital accessibility, transportation, language, communication, organizational practices, cultural responsiveness, trust, public policy, and many other conditions.

Improving access therefore requires more than encouraging individuals to make different choices. It requires communities and organizations to examine the systems and environments that shape people's options, remove unnecessary barriers, build on community strengths, and involve the people most affected in designing solutions.

By improving access, reducing barriers, expanding meaningful opportunities, and addressing conditions associated with health and safety risks, communities can create environments in which more people are able to participate, contribute, and thrive.

What do we mean by modifying access, barriers, and opportunities?

___You understand that access refers to access to positive and healthy services, products, practices, amenities, information, and institutions.

___You understand that, in order to enhance access, barriers to it have to be removed or changed.

___You understand that creating opportunities for access doesn’t guarantee that people will take advantage of them.

What constitutes access to community services, amenities, practices, products, and information?

___You’re concerned with physical access, not only for the disabled, but for those with transportation or other issues that prevent them from using services and amenities.

___You work toward access to information for everyone.

___You understand that access is denied if services are unavailable, whether because they don’t exist, because they are limited in scope by funding, because they are limited to certain groups, because people don’t know about them, or because they are unresponsive to the time and place needs of their intended users.

___You know that people also are denied access when services exist, but are ineffective.

What are the barriers to access to services, amenities, practices, products, and information?

___You recognize the societal barriers to access:

• Lack of education
• Lack of decent employment
• Stereotyping and prejudice
• Lack of services for particular issues
• Choices the society makes

___You recognize the institutional barriers to access:

• Location
• Lack of physical access
• Administrative roadblocks
• Poor communication
• Lack of cultural sensitivity

___You recognize the personal barriers to access:

• Psychological
• Lack of organizational skills
• The uncertainty of life in poverty
• Cultural or religious issues
• Family concerns
• Peer pressure
• Lack of job and personal skills

___You understand that barriers can be positive when they’re erected to keep people from using unhealthy or dangerous practices and products. These kinds of barriers include smoking bans in public buildings, regulation of handgun sales, and laws against selling alcohol to minors.

What do we mean by opportunities for access to services, amenities, practices, products, and information…and for access to or use of unsafe or unhealthy behaviors or circumstances?

___You understand that improving opportunities for access to positive services, practices, and products, as well as limiting opportunities for access to unhealthy practices and products, requires careful analysis of both what you can affect and how and where to apply your efforts in order to reach potential users.

What tactics might be useful in modifying access, barriers, and opportunities?
You’re aware of the following tactics:

___Reducing access to unhealthy products and practices, through such actions as encouraging food stores to eliminate some unhealthy snacks and replace them with healthier alternatives.

___Enhancing access to healthy products and practices through such actions as forming support groups for those trying to adopt healthier behaviors.

___Extending opportunities for the poor through, for instance, development zones and social entrepreneurship programs.

___Increasing access for people with physical disabilities.

___Using outreach to increase access, perhaps by bringing services to where users are.

Example #1: The Brandywine Center: In Pennsylvania, Wealthy County’s Poorer Residents Get A Healthy Place To Live

Although Chester County, Pennsylvania, has been considered one of the richest counties in the country, seven percent of its half-million residents live in poverty. Coatesville, a city of 13,000 people, is one such low-income pocket. To combat this problem, the Brandywine Health Foundation (BHF) constructed the Brandywine Center, a community hub. The four-story building houses health and dental services on the first floor, behavioral care on the fourth, and 24 units of affordable senior housing on the two middle floors. The BHF is committed to working toward both improved neighborhood conditions and improved health in this low-income community.

Contributed by Lia Thompson, University of Kansas, Community Tool Box Intern.

 

Example #2: Community Health And Literacy Center: A Health, Literacy & Recreation Hub

The Community Health and Literacy Center, formed out of a collaboration between the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the City as unexpected partners, worked together to bring a neglected neighborhood both improved access to health care and health, promoting recreation and literacy opportunities.

The center, which opened in the spring of 2016, is a first-of-its-kind hospital-city partnership. The project includes a CHOP pediatric clinic; a full-service community health center run by the city’s department of public health; a branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia; and a modern recreation center with a playground and green space, run by the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation. It offers welcoming outdoor space for the neighborhood and an indoor community meeting space. The location has excellent public transit access, with a subway stop on site. CHOP and the city are working to integrate services and programming as a way to have more of an impact on improving population health.

Contributed by Lia Thompson, University of Kansas, Community Tool Box Intern.

 

Example #3: Under One Roof: Health Care and Social Services in the Same Place

The Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) is the largest community development corporation based in Arizona. CPLC is committed to building stronger, healthier communities as a lead advocate, coalition builder, and direct service provider. CPLC helps more than 200,000 people through programs in four areas–housing, economic development, education, and health and human services. CPLC recognizes that the needs of the families it serves are complex as a family rarely approaches the CDC with only one need. As a result, CPLC sought to establish cross-sector partnerships that would more effectively and holistically meet the needs of families.

Read more about CPLC on Rooflines - The Shelterforce Blog, from the National Housing Institute.

Contributed by Lia Thompson, University of Kansas, Community Tool Box Intern.

 

example #4: building belonging through multilingual wayfinding

Finney County, Kansas, is home to many migrants and refugees. LiveWell Finney County aims to make the community more welcoming and connected. They have partnered with local agencies, including the hospital and nonprofits, to install wayfinding signage in multiple languages, helping all residents feel included and navigate community spaces more easily.
 

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

A Story of Change

Raymond had been involved with the justice system since adolescence. Jessie regularly faced difficult choices between paying rent, buying food, and covering other household expenses. Maureen had experienced homelessness and was working toward greater stability while in recovery from alcohol use. Felix immigrated from Guatemala as a teenager and had spent years working in low-wage jobs with limited opportunities for advancement.

When they stood together in their graduation robes, they shared something important: each had worked toward goals they had set for themselves, and each had built new relationships, skills, and opportunities along the way.

They had completed a comprehensive program designed to help participants strengthen economic stability and pursue education and employment goals. The program offered job-search and interview preparation, workplace skills, financial education, high school equivalency preparation, English-language learning, and connections to community resources. Jessie and Maureen earned high school equivalency credentials, Raymond strengthened skills that helped him pursue employment, and Felix expanded his English-language skills while exploring additional education and career opportunities.

Just as important, participants built relationships with one another. They shared meals, childcare, information, encouragement, and connections. Raymond learned about a job opportunity through Maureen's family network. Jessie found a school program that supported her daughter's interest in art through a recommendation from another participant. Felix's volunteer mentor helped him explore college and training options.

There is no single path toward economic security. For some people, access to stable employment may make the greatest difference. Others may benefit from education, training, affordable housing, childcare, health care, transportation, financial resources, or supportive relationships. Often, several of these things are needed at the same time. Strong communities help expand people's choices and create conditions in which individuals and families can build on their strengths and pursue their goals.

Understanding Poverty Today

This section explores how communities can expand economic opportunity and reduce barriers experienced by people living in poverty. Poverty can affect many areas of life, including housing stability, food security, health, education, transportation, employment, family well-being, and opportunities to participate fully in community life.

Language about poverty has changed over time. Terms such as people experiencing poverty, people with lower incomes, and people facing economic barriers generally describe circumstances without defining people by them. In this section, we'll primarily use people experiencing poverty when referring to people whose available resources are not sufficient to meet basic needs or participate fully in the economic and social life of their communities.

Poverty also looks different across communities and countries. The resources needed for housing, food, transportation, health care, education, and participation vary greatly depending on where someone lives. For that reason, understanding poverty requires looking not only at income, but also at cost of living, access to services and opportunities, household resources, and the broader economic and social conditions people experience.

Who Experiences Poverty and Why?

People experience poverty for many interconnected reasons. Some households experience economic hardship after job loss, illness, disability, divorce, displacement, or another major change. Others face longer-term barriers related to wages, housing costs, education, discrimination, health care, transportation, childcare, public policy, or access to wealth and economic opportunity.

These factors often interact. Poverty is therefore rarely explained by one decision, characteristic, or circumstance. Understanding the broader conditions affecting people's choices and opportunities is essential when communities develop strategies to increase economic security.

Access to education, training, and skills

Education and training can expand employment and economic opportunities, but people do not have equal access to them. Cost, transportation, childcare, disability access, language, technology, school quality, work schedules, and previous educational opportunities can all affect participation.

Some adults may want additional support with literacy, numeracy, English-language learning, digital skills, professional credentials, or job-specific training. Programs can help by making these opportunities affordable, accessible, relevant to participants' goals, and connected to realistic education and employment pathways.

Low-wage or unstable employment

Employment does not always provide economic security. People may work full time or hold multiple jobs while still having difficulty covering housing, food, transportation, childcare, health care, and other basic expenses.

Low wages, unpredictable schedules, limited benefits, seasonal or temporary work, lack of paid leave, and few opportunities for advancement can make it difficult for workers and families to build savings or withstand an unexpected expense. Strategies for increasing economic security may therefore need to address the quality and stability of employment as well as whether jobs are available.

Health, disability, and access to care

Health conditions and disabilities can affect employment, income, expenses, transportation, or caregiving responsibilities. At the same time, people with disabilities bring skills, knowledge, and experience to workplaces and communities and may thrive when environments are accessible and appropriate accommodations are available.

Barriers such as inadequate health coverage, inaccessible workplaces, discrimination, limited transportation, high medical costs, or difficulty obtaining needed supports can contribute to economic hardship. Accessible health care, disability supports, accommodations, income supports, and inclusive employment practices can expand opportunity and stability.

Substance use and recovery

Substance use disorders and economic hardship can interact in complex ways. Financial stress, trauma, unstable housing, limited access to care, and other difficult circumstances may affect substance use and recovery. Substance use disorders can also affect health, employment, relationships, housing, and financial stability.

Effective responses avoid blaming or stigmatizing people. They may include evidence-informed treatment, harm-reduction services, peer support, recovery services, stable housing, health care, employment support, and long-term community connection.

Mental health, trauma, and well-being

Mental health conditions and experiences of trauma can affect many areas of life, including work, education, relationships, housing, and physical health. Economic insecurity can also contribute to chronic stress and make it harder to obtain consistent care.

People who have experienced violence, displacement, discrimination, military service, community trauma, or other difficult circumstances may benefit from accessible, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive support. Mental health care works best as one part of a broader system of support rather than as an explanation for poverty itself.

Economic shocks and instability

People across income levels can experience financial hardship after a major setback such as job loss, a medical emergency, family separation, natural disaster, caregiving responsibility, or sudden increase in housing costs. Households with limited savings or access to affordable credit may have fewer resources for absorbing these shocks.

Emergency assistance, income supports, affordable health care, stable housing, paid leave, unemployment protections, and opportunities to build savings and assets can help families remain stable during periods of change.

Structural barriers and unequal access to opportunity

Economic opportunities are also shaped by broader systems and institutions. Discrimination, neighborhood disinvestment, unequal educational opportunities, limited transportation, housing barriers, inaccessible services, and unequal access to credit, professional networks, and other resources can influence people's opportunities over time.

Communities can address these barriers by examining policies and practices, investing in areas where resources have been limited, listening to people most affected, and creating more equitable access to education, employment, housing, health care, transportation, and economic opportunity.

Intergenerational economic barriers

Economic hardship can extend across generations when families have had fewer opportunities to build savings, property, education, professional networks, or other assets that can be passed from one generation to the next. Long-term disinvestment, discrimination, housing conditions, school resources, health disparities, and limited access to credit or employment opportunities can also accumulate over time.

These circumstances do not determine a person's future. Expanding access to quality education, stable employment, affordable housing, health care, childcare, financial resources, community networks, and opportunities to build assets can increase economic mobility for individuals and families.

Poverty Among Children and Families

Children can be especially affected by economic hardship because their health, education, housing, nutrition, and development depend partly on the resources and environments available to their families. In 2025, 13.4% of children in the United States lived below the official poverty threshold.

Poverty rates and experiences are not distributed evenly across communities. Differences reflect a range of historical and current economic and social conditions, including access to employment, housing, education, health care, wealth, and other resources.

Children in families experiencing poverty may be more likely to encounter food insecurity, housing instability, limited access to health care, fewer educational resources, or chronic financial stress. These circumstances can affect health and learning, but they do not define children's abilities or potential.

Supports such as stable housing, nutritious food, affordable childcare, high-quality schools, health care, transportation, family income supports, safe recreation, and strong relationships with family and community members can help children and families thrive.

Expanding Economic Security and Opportunity

Reducing poverty requires attention to both the immediate needs of individuals and families and the broader conditions that shape economic opportunity. No single strategy will work for every community or household.

Effective approaches may include:

• Education and training: Expanding access to strong K–12 education, high school equivalency programs, apprenticeships, vocational and technical training, adult education, and college opportunities.
• Stable employment and economic opportunity: Expanding access to jobs with adequate pay, predictable schedules, benefits when possible, safe working conditions, and opportunities for advancement.
• Affordable housing, childcare, and transportation: Reducing major household costs and logistical barriers that can make it difficult to work, pursue education, or build financial stability.
• Health care and behavioral health access: Providing affordable and accessible physical health, mental health, disability, substance use treatment, and recovery services.
• Income and asset-building supports: Helping households respond to immediate needs while also creating opportunities to build savings, access affordable financial services, develop credit, own assets, and increase long-term financial security.
• Social connection: Strengthening networks through which people share information, provide mutual support, connect one another with employment and services, and respond to challenges together.
• Community leadership and shared decision-making: Ensuring that people with lived experience of poverty have meaningful roles in designing, leading, and evaluating programs, services, and community change efforts.

The Bigger Picture

Expanding economic opportunity involves more than providing short-term assistance. It also means examining the conditions that influence whether people can obtain stable housing, education, health care, transportation, employment, financial resources, and meaningful opportunities to participate in community life.

Communities can combine direct support with efforts to reduce structural and institutional barriers. The strongest approaches recognize people's existing strengths and knowledge, respond to immediate needs without stigma, and involve people experiencing poverty in deciding what changes would be most useful.

Progress is possible when people have meaningful choices, supportive relationships, accessible resources, and opportunities to build economic stability over time. Rather than defining people by poverty, effective community efforts focus on expanding the conditions in which individuals, families, and communities can participate, contribute, and thrive.

Use this checklist to assess how your community, organization, or partnership is helping individuals and families build pathways out of poverty.

Understand the context
    ___ Learn about poverty in your community—who is most affected, and why.
    ___ Examine local data on income, education, housing, health, and employment.
    ___ Listen to people with lived experience to understand barriers and assets from their perspective.
    ___ Recognize how racism, discrimination, and policy decisions contribute to persistent poverty.
Build comprehensive supports
    ___ Offer education and skills training programs that align with real employment opportunities.
    ___ Partner with local employers to create paid apprenticeships and living-wage jobs.
    ___ Connect participants to affordable housing, childcare, transportation, and healthcare.
    ___ Include mental health and recovery supports as core program elements.
    ___ Provide access to financial literacy training and credit-building opportunities.
Strengthen community and relationships
    ___ Foster peer networks that provide encouragement, childcare exchange, and resource sharing.
    ___ Build partnerships among nonprofits, government agencies, businesses, and schools.
    ___ Create mentorship programs linking participants with professionals or community leaders.
    ___ Celebrate milestones (graduations, new jobs, certifications) to reinforce progress and pride.
Empower and involve participants
    ___ Engage people with lived experience of poverty as leaders, advisors, and co-designers.
    ___ Use trauma-informed approaches that emphasize dignity, trust, and choice.
    ___ Encourage civic engagement—such as voting, advocacy, and community leadership.
    ___ Focus on strengths and assets, not deficits or “fixing” individuals.
    ___ Measure success not only by income but also by increased stability, confidence, and connection.
 

Example #1: A Tour of Mariposa: Equitable Transit-Oriented Development

The Mariposa Project led by the Denver Housing Authority is an affordable and transit-oriented housing development in which health outcomes and community-level improvements are evaluated. The new mixed-income community has revitalized the surrounding areas, breaking down physical barriers between the public housing units and the rest of the community and infusing the area with community-informed retail and services. The Denver Housing Authority has transformed 10th Street into a promenade that connects the rail station to the nearby Art District on Santa Fe, drawing visitors from across the city to an area that was once overlooked.

Contributed by Lia Thompson, University of Kansas, Community Tool Box Intern.

 

Example #2: The Brandywine Center: In Pennsylvania, Wealthy County’s Poorer Residents Get A Healthy Place To Live

Although Chester County, Pennsylvania, has been considered one of the richest counties in the country, seven percent of its half-million residents live in poverty. Coatesville, a city of 13,000 people, is one such low-income pocket. To combat this problem, the Brandywine Health Foundation (BHF) constructed the Brandywine Center, a community hub. The four-story building houses health and dental services on the first floor, behavioral care on the fourth, and 24 units of affordable senior housing on the two middle floors. The BHF is committed to working toward both improved neighborhood conditions and improved health in this low-income community.

Contributed by Lia Thompson, University of Kansas, Community Tool Box Intern.

 

Example #3: Community Health And Literacy Center: A Health, Literacy & Recreation Hub

The Community Health and Literacy Center, formed out of a collaboration between the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the City as unexpected partners, worked together to bring a neglected neighborhood both improved access to health care and health, promoting recreation and literacy opportunities.

The center, which opened in the spring of 2016, is a first-of-its-kind hospital-city partnership. The project includes a CHOP pediatric clinic; a full-service community health center run by the city’s department of public health; a branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia; and a modern recreation center with a playground and green space, run by the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation. It offers welcoming outdoor space for the neighborhood and an indoor community meeting space. The location has excellent public transit access, with a subway stop on site. CHOP and the city are working to integrate services and programming as a way to have more of an impact on improving population health.

Contributed by Lia Thompson, University of Kansas, Community Tool Box Intern.

 

Example #4: Vita Health & Wellness District: Health at the Center of a Neighborhood Transformation

The Vita Health & Wellness District project was established through a partnership between the Stamford housing authority and Stamford hospital to revitalize an impoverished inner city area, in Stamford Connecticut, into a mixed-income community with expanded neighborhood services centered around a sustainable urban farm. Addressing the social determinants of health provide a framework for managing the neighborhood transformation in ways that would support and strengthen the existing community.

The Vita project is a great example of how a hospital can fulfill the Affordable Care Act’s mandate to engage its community by partnering to address the social determinants of health. The project also demonstrates how a forward-thinking community development organization can effectively partner with the health sector to pursue comprehensive community revitalization that could not have been achieved otherwise. These are still early days in what promises to be a fruitful and long-lasting partnership.

Read more about the Vita Health & Wellness District project on the Building Healthy Places Network blog.

Contributed by Lia Thompson, University of Kansas, Community Tool Box Intern.

 

Example #5: Rolling Hills Apartments: Weaving Together Opportunities for Healthier Lives for a Diverse Immigrant Community

Twin Cities LISC, a local community development financial institution, has partnered with local organizations and city agencies to create quality affordable housing with improved healthcare access, including constructing a Federally Qualified Health Center. LISC also employed community health advocates to weave together the isolated health-related efforts in the neighborhood of focus into a cohesive health agenda. More specifically, they connect and help support existing efforts, identify and help address gaps, and facilitate the conversations and activities that sustain collaboration.

Learn how social determinants of health are being addressed to build healthier lives for immigrants in St. Paul, Minnesota in this Community Close-Up from the Building Healthy Places Network.

Contributed by Lia Thompson, University of Kansas, Community Tool Box Intern.

 

Example #6: Community Development 2.0—Collective Impact Focuses a Neighborhood Strategy for Health

The East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC) has built health into its strategic plan, and in the neighborhood revitalization work of The San Pablo Collaborative (SPARC), convened by EBALDC, health is the first priority. The San Pablo Area Revitalization Corridor neighborhood that stretches between downtown Oakland and Emeryville is considered to be one of the poorest and most disadvantaged areas of Oakland, California. Life expectancy in this area is up to 20 years lower than the neighboring area, Oakland Hills. SPARC works tirelessly to address the physical, social and economic factors-“social determinants”- that shape residents’ health in the San Pablo Avenue Corridor. SPARC partners work collectively in order to create an overall healthier environment for residents throughout the neighborhood. The California Hotel has been successfully preserved as affordable housing and a grocery store has been brought to this long abandoned neighborhood.

Learn how social determinants of health are being addressed to build healthier lives for the most disadvantaged areas of Oakland, California in this Community Close-Up from the Building Healthy Places Network.

Contributed by Lia Thompson, University of Kansas, Community Tool Box Intern.

 

Example #7: Revitalizing People and Place with a Healthy Food Hub Origin

Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, the founders of what became Broad Community Connections (BCC) began to attend community meetings, and investigate with their fellow community members how to rebuild a city in disarray. These discussions highlighted many of the problems that many central New Orleans resident had faced even before the storm, including but not limited to economic disadvantage, community disinvestment, health disparities, and lack of access to many needed goods and services. BCC was designed to revitalize Broad Street, a commercial thoroughfare running through the heart of the city and to connect several of the central city neighborhoods.

Founded in 2008, BCC set its sights on improving health and improving economic vitality in the area. Ultimately, the ReFresh project provided a high-quality grocery store to a low-income food desert and created a multi-faceted hub to improve healthy food access and local food systems, foster community connectivity, support youth development, and anchor economic development.

Read more about the ReFresh project in New Orleans on the Building Healthy Places Network blog.

Contributed by Lia Thompson, University of Kansas, Community Tool Box Intern.

 

Example #8: Supporting Childhood Wellness Through Healthy, Affordable Housing

In a low-income Philadelphia community, for-profit and non-profit developers have partnered to create Paseo Verde, a high-quality housing development highlighting resident and community health. The development prides itself on making healthy housing accessible even for families in poverty. This one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartment complex, Paseo Verde, supports children’s health through its environmentally sustainable design, on-site health center and pharmacy, resident service programs, and social service programs.

Read more in the profile from How Housing Matters.

Contributed by Lia Thompson, University of Kansas, Community Tool Box Intern.

 

Example #9: Building Strong Neighborhoods with Affordable Housing

The New Settlement Apartments project began in 1990 with the acquisition and restoration of fifteen abandoned buildings, the construction of a new building, in addition to the acquisition of a seventeenth building to provide over 1,022 affordable homes for a community of more than 3,500 people, in which thirty percent are formerly homeless. Presently, the eighteenth building is under construction to provide sixty additional affordable apartments. This project has played a monumental role in transforming one of the worst areas of New York City into a vibrant mixed-income neighborhood.

Read more from the Settlement Housing Fund.

Contributed by Lia Thompson, University of Kansas, Community Tool Box Intern.

 

Example #10: Scholarships for Every Student

In 2005, Baldwin community leaders learned about a plan that had been implemented in the Michigan City of Kalamazoo to provide every high school graduate a full scholarship to attend any public college in the state. The program, called the Kalamazoo Promise, was made possible by a group of anonymous donors. Unlike Kalamazoo, Baldwin didn’t have any local prospective big businesses or deep-pocketed philanthropists. As written, “Rick Simonson, a Baldwin native who chaired President Gerald Ford’s election campaign in Michigan and later served as a legislative staffer and lobbyist in Michigan, told them about a law that the legislature had just passed aimed at creating 10 “promise zones” in the state to offer Kalamazoo-like scholarships.” If communities raised sufficient seed money, they would be allowed to support the scholarships by keeping a portion of annual property tax revenues that they would otherwise have to pass on to the state. Astonishingly, within a year, Baldwin had raised enough money to initiate the scholarship program. The Baldwin Promise is an extraordinary representation of a small town’s aspiration to provide a better opportunity for its youth. While there are promise scholarships in various communities across the nation, Baldwin was the first place to raise the seed funds through grassroots contributions.

Read more about Scholarships for Every Student.

Contributed by Lia Thompson, University of Kansas, Community Tool Box Intern.

 

Example #11: The Hunger Hack

After a storm led to the cancellation of a church event in the Washington, D.C., suburbs last year, Tierney Screen found herself in a room filled with 3,600 unclaimed paper lunch bags, each containing a sandwich, fruit, chips, and cookies. Unable to distribute them by herself and the thought of having to toss them in the garbage pained her. A few months earlier she met a student who spoke about a website she and some other students created in which restaurants and community establishments could donate excess food to organizations that feed the hungry. Screen decided to call the student, Maria Rose Belding, who explained how to post the lunches on the site and within four hours, a nearby food pantry claimed them. The bags would be handed out to homeless people in Washington D.C.

Read more about The Hunger Hack.

Contributed by Lia Thompson, University of Kansas, Community Tool Box Intern.

 

 

• What do we mean by increasing access?

• Why should you make your organization or initiative more accessible?

• When should you make your organization or initiative more accessible?

• Who can help you increase access?

• How do you go about increasing access?

Disability is a common part of human experience. In the United States, more than one in four adults reports having a disability, and worldwide an estimated 1.3 billion people experience significant disability.

People with disabilities are a diverse group. Disabilities may be physical, sensory, cognitive, intellectual, developmental, neurological, or related to mental health or chronic health conditions. Some disabilities are apparent, while others are not. A person's experience of disability is also shaped by the accessibility of the environments, systems, services, technologies, and communities around them.

Despite progress in disability rights and accessibility, people with disabilities continue to encounter barriers to education, employment, health care, transportation, communication, civic participation, recreation, and other aspects of community life. Increasing access means identifying and removing those barriers and designing organizations and communities in ways that support full and equitable participation.

Accessibility issues can take many forms. For example:

• Jamahl had long been interested in volunteer work and was excited to attend a community lecture on volunteerism. Jamahl uses American Sign Language, but no interpreter or other effective communication support was available. Because he could not fully access the presentation, he left before information about volunteer opportunities was distributed.
• Katrina wanted her son Ricky to participate in a citywide afterschool tutoring program. Transportation was provided for students, but the vehicles were not wheelchair accessible. Ricky wanted additional support with math, but the transportation barrier prevented him from participating.
• After Emilio's wife died, he began attending a local grief support group. The facilitator regularly distributed articles that participants found useful, but the materials were not available in a format Emilio could read with his low vision. After repeatedly being unable to access the same information as other participants, he stopped attending.

These examples illustrate an important point: people are often excluded not because of disability itself, but because services, environments, transportation, information, or communication were not designed to include them.

Some accessibility improvements are simple, while others require more planning, expertise, or resources. Accessibility is most effective when it is built into an organization's regular planning and decision-making rather than addressed only after someone encounters a barrier.

What do we mean by increasing access?

Increasing access means creating environments, programs, services, information, and opportunities that people with disabilities can use and participate in equitably.

Accessibility is often associated only with physical features such as ramps, elevators, or accessible restrooms. Physical access is essential, but true accessibility is broader. It also includes communication, digital technology, information, transportation, organizational policies, attitudes, program design, and opportunities to participate in decision-making.

Increasing access may involve:

• Building disability inclusion into the attitudes, practices, and culture of your organization or initiative
• Providing effective and accessible communication
• Making physical spaces accessible
• Making websites, documents, registration systems, social media, videos, and other digital information accessible
• Reviewing policies and procedures that may unnecessarily limit participation
• Providing reasonable accommodations and other supports when individual access needs arise
• Including people with disabilities in planning, leadership, implementation, and evaluation

Accessibility and accommodation are related but not identical. Accessible or universal design tries to reduce barriers for as many people as possible from the beginning. Individual accommodations address access needs that remain. Strong organizations plan for both.

Why should you make your organization or initiative more accessible?

Accessibility supports equity, participation, and community inclusion. It allows more people to use services, attend events, volunteer, work, lead, contribute ideas, and take part in community life.

In the United States, organizations may also have legal responsibilities under disability-rights laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and, in some settings, other federal, state, or local requirements. The specific requirements depend on the type of organization, program, facility, and activity involved.

Accessibility also strengthens organizations. When people with disabilities can participate fully, organizations benefit from a broader range of experiences, knowledge, skills, perspectives, and leadership.

When should you make your organization or initiative more accessible?

Accessibility should be considered from the beginning and throughout the life of an organization, initiative, program, or event. It should not depend on whether you already know that a person with a disability will participate.

Accessibility is especially important to consider:

• When developing a new program, service, or initiative
• When choosing, building, renovating, or moving into a physical space
• When planning a conference, meeting, training, retreat, public event, or other gathering
• When creating or redesigning a website, app, online registration system, document, video, or other digital resource
• When developing organizational policies and procedures
• When recruiting staff, volunteers, board members, participants, or community partners
• When participants identify barriers or request accommodations

An organization may have few known participants with disabilities precisely because barriers have prevented people from participating. A lack of visible participation should not be interpreted as evidence that accessibility is unnecessary.

Imagine that a public building can be reached only by climbing a long flight of stairs. Staff members might say that they rarely see wheelchair users there. But the stairs themselves may be the reason wheelchair users have not been able to enter. Accessibility should be evaluated by looking at barriers, not simply at who has managed to participate despite them.

Who can help you increase access?

Accessibility can involve many different areas -- physical design, communication, technology, policy, transportation, accommodations, and organizational practices. You do not have to figure everything out by yourself.

One of the most important resources is people with disabilities themselves. People who experience barriers have firsthand knowledge of what works, what does not, and what organizations often overlook. Include people with disabilities meaningfully in planning, decision-making, evaluation, and leadership rather than asking for input only after decisions have already been made.

Useful sources of assistance can include:

• Centers for Independent Living (CILs) -- community-based organizations led by people with disabilities that provide advocacy, information and referral, peer support, independent living services, and expertise on disability access
• The ADA National Network -- regional centers that provide information, training, and technical assistance related to the Americans with Disabilities Act
• The U.S. Access Board -- a federal resource for accessibility standards and guidance related to the built environment, transportation, and information and communication technology
• The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) -- a resource for workplace accommodations and disability employment questions
• Disability-led community organizations and advocacy groups
• Accessibility consultants, architects, web accessibility specialists, interpreters, captioners, and other professionals with relevant expertise
• Attorneys or other qualified professionals when you need guidance about specific legal requirements

When possible, compensate people with disabilities for substantial consultation, training, accessibility review, or other professional contributions rather than assuming they should provide this expertise without compensation.

How do you go about increasing access?

Build disability inclusion into your organizational culture and practices.

Accessibility begins with recognizing people with disabilities as full members, leaders, employees, volunteers, participants, customers, and partners in community life.

Examine whether assumptions about disability affect who is invited to participate, whose input is taken seriously, who is considered for leadership, or how your organization defines competence and independence.

Reach out to people with disabilities who are already involved in your organization and to disability-led organizations in the community. Ask where barriers exist and what changes would make participation more equitable.

Representation matters, but meaningful inclusion goes beyond representation. A person with a disability should not be expected to represent every disabled person or serve as the organization's unpaid accessibility expert simply because of their identity. People with disabilities should have real influence over decisions that affect them.

Staff, board members, volunteers, and leaders may also benefit from training on disability inclusion, ableism, accessibility, accommodations, and respectful communication. Whenever possible, involve trainers with lived experience and relevant expertise.

Use respectful and responsive communication.

Respectful disability language changes over time and preferences differ among individuals and communities. Rather than relying on one universal rule, listen to how people describe themselves and use the language they prefer.

• Treat adults as adults and communicate directly with the person rather than automatically speaking to a companion, interpreter, aide, or support person.
• Don't make assumptions about what assistance someone needs. Ask before helping and respect the person's answer.
• Remember that two people with the same disability may have very different experiences and access needs.
• Remember that many disabilities are non-apparent. Do not assume that someone does or does not have a disability based on appearance.
• Hold staff members and volunteers to relevant performance expectations while also providing reasonable accommodations and avoiding assumptions about what people with disabilities can or cannot do.
• Respect mobility devices, communication devices, service animals, and other disability-related equipment as part of a person's personal space. Do not move or handle them without permission.

Use language that respects people's preferences and identities.

Person-first language, such as "person with a disability," is preferred by many people. Others prefer identity-first language, such as "disabled person," "autistic person," or "Deaf person." Preferences can vary by person, community, and context.

When writing about a specific person, use the terminology that person prefers whenever possible. When communicating with a broader audience, use respectful contemporary terminology and recognize that no single style is universally preferred.

Avoid outdated or stigmatizing expressions such as "the handicapped," "crippled," "wheelchair-bound," or describing someone as a "victim" of or as "suffering from" a disability unless the person uses that language for themselves. Avoid using "normal" as the opposite of disabled; terms such as "nondisabled" may be more appropriate when the distinction is relevant.

Disability does not always need to be mentioned. Include it when it is relevant to the topic or when the person identifies it as important, rather than treating disability as either something that must always be emphasized or something that should never be discussed.

Provide effective communication.

People communicate in many different ways. The most effective approach is to ask what communication method or support works for the individual and consider the nature, length, complexity, and context of the communication.

Depending on the situation, effective communication may include:

• Qualified sign language interpreters
• Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) or other real-time captioning
• Captioned video
• Assistive listening systems or devices
• Large-print or Braille materials
• Accessible electronic documents that work with screen readers and magnification software
• Audio versions of written information
• Augmentative and alternative communication
• Plain-language or Easy Read materials when appropriate
• Additional time for communication

Do not assume that every Deaf or hard-of-hearing person uses sign language, every blind person reads Braille, or every person with the same disability communicates in the same way.

Qualified interpreters or other appropriate communication supports may be necessary for complex communication. Organizations covered by disability-rights laws should understand their responsibilities for providing effective communication rather than expecting participants to supply their own interpreters or other supports.

Make physical spaces accessible.

Inclusive attitudes and communication matter, but they cannot substitute for physical access. If people cannot enter, navigate, or use a space safely and independently, they cannot participate equitably.

Accessibility should be included in budgets and planning from the beginning whenever possible. Retrofitting inaccessible environments later can be more difficult and expensive than incorporating accessibility during initial design or renovation.

When building or renovating facilities, use current accessibility standards and qualified professionals. Consider universal design approaches that make spaces usable by people with a wide range of abilities, ages, and circumstances.

Consider universal and inclusive design.

Universal design is an approach to creating environments and products that can be used by as many people as possible without requiring specialized adaptation. Its traditional principles include:

• Equitable use: The design is useful to people with diverse abilities
• Flexibility in use: The design accommodates a wide range of preferences and abilities
• Simple and intuitive use: The design is understandable regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, or concentration
• Perceptible information: Important information is communicated effectively in more than one way when appropriate
• Tolerance for error: The design reduces hazards and the consequences of accidental actions
• Low physical effort: The design can be used comfortably and efficiently
• Size and space for approach and use: People have sufficient space to approach, reach, use, and move through the environment

Universal design can reduce many barriers, but it does not eliminate the need for individual accommodations. Continue providing ways for people to identify access needs that have not been addressed through general design.

Evaluate the accessibility of meeting and event spaces.

When holding meetings, trainings, conferences, retreats, or public events away from your own facility, evaluate accessibility before committing to the location. Do not rely only on a venue's statement that it is "ADA accessible" or "wheelchair accessible."

Ask specific questions and, when possible, review the space using a current accessibility checklist and input from people with disabilities. Consider:

• Accessible parking and routes from parking or public transportation
• Entrances, doorways, elevators, ramps, and interior routes
• Accessible restrooms
• Seating and table arrangements
• Accessible stages, podiums, microphones, and presentation areas
• Emergency evacuation procedures
• Lighting and acoustics
• Service-animal access
• Availability of assistive listening systems, captioning, or interpretation
• Accessible virtual participation when hybrid options are offered

Event announcements and registration materials should explain available accessibility features and provide a clear way for participants to request accommodations or ask accessibility questions. Avoid requiring people to disclose more medical or personal information than is necessary to arrange the accommodation.

Basic Logistics:

• Make presentation materials available in advance when possible, particularly for participants who use screen readers, interpreters, captioners, assistive technology, or other communication supports.
• Integrate accessible seating throughout the room rather than limiting wheelchair users to one area.
• Keep aisles, routes, doorways, and access to seating wide enough and free of obstacles.
• Make sure doors and entrances can be used independently whenever possible. If a temporary barrier cannot immediately be removed, provide appropriate assistance while working toward a more permanent accessible solution.
• Caption prerecorded videos and provide appropriate access for live audiovisual content.
• Make microphones, tables, podiums, stages, and the routes to them accessible to speakers and participants with disabilities.
• Prepare accessible versions of materials far enough in advance to allow participants to use them at the same time as everyone else.
• Provide interpreters and captioners with presentation materials, names, technical terminology, and other relevant information in advance whenever possible.
• Confirm assistive listening systems, microphones, captioning equipment, internet connections, and other accessibility technology before the event begins.
• Check all accessibility arrangements before participants arrive rather than assuming they have been put in place correctly.
• Make sure staff and volunteers know how participants can request assistance or report an access problem during the event.

Fragrance and chemical sensitivities

Some people experience health effects from fragrances, cleaning products, smoke, or other environmental exposures. When relevant to participants' access needs, organizations can reduce barriers by avoiding unnecessary scented products, choosing lower-fragrance cleaning practices, maintaining appropriate ventilation, and asking attendees to limit fragrances when an accommodation has been requested.

Avoid promising a completely "scent-free" environment unless you can actually control all possible exposures. A fragrance-reduced environment and clear communication about what the organization can reasonably provide may be more accurate.

Accessible formats for information

Accessible communication does not mean creating one alternative format for everyone. Different people use different formats and technologies, so ask what will provide effective access.

Sign language interpretation can provide communication access for people who use sign language. Use qualified interpreters who can interpret accurately, effectively, and impartially. Depending on the situation, interpreters may participate in person or through video remote interpreting when that method provides effective communication.

Sign languages are complete languages with their own grammar and structure. American Sign Language (ASL), for example, is distinct from English and from sign languages used in many other countries. Do not assume that every Deaf or hard-of-hearing person uses ASL or any sign language.

Accessible electronic documents can be used with screen readers, screen magnification, refreshable Braille displays, text-to-speech software, and other assistive technologies. Websites, forms, presentations, PDFs, and other electronic materials should be created with accessibility in mind rather than relying on older physical media or inaccessible scanned documents.

Audio versions of written materials may be useful for some people with vision, reading, cognitive, or other disabilities. Whenever possible, provide accessible electronic text as well, since it allows people to use their own preferred assistive technology.

Large-print materials may be useful for people with low vision and others who benefit from larger text. Ask participants about their preferred text size and format. Use readable fonts, good contrast, uncluttered layouts, and sufficient spacing.

Braille may be requested by people who read Braille. Do not assume that all people who are blind use Braille; accessible electronic text, audio, or another format may be preferred.

Assistive listening systems and devices can improve access to spoken information for some people with hearing loss. The appropriate system depends on the venue, communication needs, and equipment being used.

Captioning makes spoken information and other meaningful audio available as text. Prerecorded video should include accurate captions, and live events may use real-time captioning such as CART. Captions should identify speakers and include meaningful non-speech audio when relevant.

Relay, text, and video communication can provide telephone access for people who are Deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind, or have speech disabilities. Telecommunications relay services, video relay services, captioned telephone services, text communication, and other technologies may be used depending on the person's preferences.

Don't forget digital accessibility.

Organizations increasingly communicate and provide services through websites, social media, online forms, mobile apps, virtual meetings, videos, electronic documents, and other digital tools. These resources can create barriers just as physical buildings can.

Digital accessibility may include:

• Providing text alternatives for meaningful images
• Captioning video and providing transcripts when useful
• Ensuring websites and forms can be navigated by keyboard
• Using clear headings, labels, and form instructions
• Creating documents that work with screen readers
• Using sufficient contrast and avoiding communication that depends on color alone
• Making virtual meetings accessible to people using interpreters, captioning, screen readers, and other assistive technology

Use current accessibility standards and guidance when creating or purchasing digital systems. Accessibility should be considered during design and procurement rather than added only after problems are reported.

In Summary

Accessibility is an essential part of meaningful community participation. People with disabilities should be able to use community services, attend events, obtain information, work, volunteer, lead, and participate in organizations on an equitable basis.

Increasing access requires more than modifying buildings. Organizations should also examine communication, digital technology, transportation, policies, organizational culture, program design, and decision-making. Universal and inclusive design can prevent many barriers, while individual accommodations help address access needs that remain.

Most importantly, involve people with disabilities in the process. People who experience barriers bring essential knowledge about what accessibility looks like in practice. By identifying barriers, planning proactively, providing effective communication, and sharing decision-making with people with disabilities, organizations can build communities in which more people are able to participate, contribute, and lead.

What do we mean by increasing access?

___Changing attitudes within our organization or initiative

___Changing the way we communicate with others

___Changing physical things, such as the structure of the spaces we use and the formats in which we present information

Why should you make your organization or initiative more accessible?

___It's simply the right thing to do

___Makes for a larger pool of potential volunteers, members, and staff

___Increase diversity in your initiative or organization

___Makes it possible for more people to make use of any services or programs you provide

When should you make your organization or initiative more accessible?

___With the advent of the Americans with Disabilities Act, it's also the law

___When you are looking to increase your numbers of volunteers, members, or staff.

___When you are thinking about new spaces

___When you're planning a conference, retreat, or some other special gathering

Who can help you increase access?

___Local Independent Living Centers (ILC's)

___Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTAC)

___Attorneys

___People with disabilities in your community

How do you go about increasing access?

___Change attitudes within your organization or initiative

___Change the way you communicate with regard to disabilities

___Change the physical structure of the spaces we use and make information available in alternative formats

Example #1: Interview with Brigid Schwilling

Brigid Schwilling is a graduate student at the University of Kansas who has extensive volunteer experience. She spoke with the Community Tool Box about her experiences as a person with a disability volunteering with a variety of nonprofit organizations and community health agencies. To learn more about the agencies at which she volunteers, just follow the links within the interview.

CTB: Can you tell me about your experience with organizations that do community health and development work, either as a volunteer or a staff member or as a recipient of services?

Schwilling: Well, I do a lot of volunteer work. Most of the places where I have volunteered are accessible. Some organizations, due to lack of funding, haven't been able to make it accessible. And I'd say in a case like that I'm pretty understanding, but I've also been in situations where other organizations have not been willing to do things just because they're being jerks.

I do think it's important to consider accessibility for your staff as well as your clients. I volunteer for places like the Kansas Audio-Reader Network and Independence, Inc. and they're accessible. But I remember when I first started volunteering for Audio-Reader the doors weren't constructed so that a person with a wheelchair could go over. And they had to fix that, mainly because I complained about it.

One thing I have found in terms of accessibility is that people that are designing these things often just don't think. When people are thinking about accessibility issues, if they don't have employees (who are disabled), they need to get themselves a wheelchair and get in it and try navigating around the facility in that wheelchair. Can they make it through the door? Can they get into the bathroom? Are they able to use the toilet? Are they able to get behind their desk? Or if they want to transfer to a chair, do they have room to do that?

CTB: In terms of the places you volunteer, can you tell me a little bit more about what kind of accommodations they'd need to make in order to make it more possible to volunteer there?

Schwilling: Taking Headquarters [a telephone and walk-in crisis counseling center where Schwilling volunteers] for example, if they were going to make their present location more accessible, they would need to have a ramp, either at the front door or the back door. If they did it in the back door, they'd have to widen the back door. I don't have to take my scooter, but if I did, that's what I'd need. Even if I didn't want to take my scooter, a ramp would be a lot more convenient, because those steps in the back are really narrow, and in bad weather both the steps in the front and the back can be slick.

And I know that there is an upstairs area and they don't have an elevator, but what they do is they make an effort to accommodate their staff downstairs, so that works. And the downstairs bathroom is really nice and roomy, but if you were going to accommodate a person in a wheelchair, you would want to widen its door and get rid of things being stored in there that block parts of the floor.

CTB: So it's not just a matter of having it built the right way--you also have to maintain it.

Schwilling: I want to make it clear, I know they're doing the best they can, and I'm really appreciative of how they accommodate me in what ways they can.

CTB: Well that's actually the other thing I thought maybe you could talk about--that accessibility is more than physical stuff, it's also attitude and language. Could you tell me what kind of attitude you look for when you're thinking about volunteering some place, and if you have any anecdotes about things that have been said to you or the way people have dealt with you?

Schwilling: Well, as a volunteer or a paid employee, one of the things I do look for is whether they're willing to work with my needs. And to be honest with you, sometimes as a person with a disability it's really tempting for me to want to say, "I don't have any special needs!" because I feel like some people do look at being disabled as a disadvantage. But I just have to find those people that don't see it that way, that see I have some unique needs, but I also can offer a lot. And I feel like Headquarters has been good about that. In terms of their attitude, on occasions when I couldn't get there because of transportation, they've been great about getting somebody else to work for me. That's not an ideal thing, but it has happened, and they do understand that. And in terms of scheduling, I have to schedule my rides literally a week in advance, so I've worked out something with the scheduler where I can just say, "Okay, on this particular week, I'd like to work this shift." And they schedule me for that shift. If it doesn't work for them, they tell me with plenty of advance notice. But that's something they don't do for everyone. So that's an example of taking my needs into account, because I can't just jump in car and be there in 15 minutes. I have to plan it out so that I have a ride.

So they're very accommodating to what I need. That allows me to give them what they need. Beyond the whole ride thing, I have a service dog, and he has blankets that he lays on when he's there, and they let me keep his blankets there under the desk. And I know that he sheds, and they tolerate that too. And also, I notice that when I am there, if I need help with something or if I look like I need help with something, the staff and other volunteers are great about offering to help - like getting a file for me or if it's faster for them to jump and answer the door. I find that to be a very accommodating environment.

I've been in environments that were not accommodating, and ended up being a failure for me. For example, my undergrad degree is in elementary ed, and when I got to my student teaching, I got placed with a teacher who was very negative and she didn't want me there and she wasn't helpful at all.

CTB: What kinds of things happened?

Schwilling: Well, I was having a lot of physical problems, and when you're having physical problems it's hard to concentrate on what you need to do. And so I was having problems, and she didn't try to make anything easier or in any way ask what she could do to help me make it a successful experience. I don't expect people to do things for me because that's just real life--you have to be able to be an asset to whatever organization you're working for--but she was unwilling to do absolutely anything, and her attitude made it harder for me.

CTB: It sounds like her attitude was the real roadblock to accessibility there.

Schwilling: The school itself had maybe one accessible door, but I didn't have my scooter at the time. So to me the issue wasn't accessibility in terms of the physical, but it wasn't accessible in terms of attitude. I ended up from actually withdrawing from the program. That was my choice, but like I said it was such a negative experience, and she had told me at one point that the only reason she accepted me as a student teacher was because she wanted my dog in her classroom.

CTB: That's so demeaning!

Schwilling: Yeah, my confidence took a shot, and I really questioned who I was and what I was doing, and it's really scary as a person with a disability when I think about employment because I never want to be in that position again. I'm studying social welfare right now, and I'm going to be doing practica in a year, and that's one thing I have to keep in mind; not only is the facility accessible, but what are their attitudes? Are they going to believe in me? Are they going to encourage me?

CTB: What would be a few tips you'd give people about their attitudes?

Schwilling: A tip I would give to employers would be to keep an open mind. So many people see people with disabilities and they automatically assume that they can't do something. Don't assume that. Keep an open mind, sit down and talk with the person, and talk to them about their capabilities. Most people with disabilities are not going to be offended by talking about their disability or what their needs are or what their capabilities are. And assure them that if they have any needs that need to be addressed that you're willing to talk with them about it and try to make accommodations. Just like with any person, there are people with disabilities that take advantage  - some people, if you give them an inch, they'll take a mile. But most people with disabilities will just ask for what they need because they want to succeed just like somebody who doesn't have a disability. They want to have a job or volunteer and feel good about what they're doing. Don't just have that talk once, go up to them every so often and say, "How are things going?"

One thing that really has bothered me in employment settings is when I have not done something right, my employers almost always don't say anything. I wonder if because I have a disability they think they're going to just shatter me if they say, "We need to work on this." So I think that another tip would be that if you have an employee with a disability and there's something they need to improve on, you should go to them and say nicely, "You know, I've noticed you're having a problem with this. Let's talk about it." Get their perspective, and maybe then you can figure out ways to help them do their job better.

It's just like anybody else's working environment -you want to make it pleasant, and it's pleasant if you communicate, and it's not pleasant if you don't. It's the same thing with people with disabilities, except there might be some unique issues to them that need to be addressed.

CTB: Is there anything else that you'd like to add?

Schwilling: I wish in general that people could get over their own discomfort and talk to people with disabilities. I've had friends that have told me, "Oh, you know, when I first met you I was really nervous. I could see your disability and now I know you so well I don't even see it." I'm just like everybody else; I have dreams, desires, goals, and people with disabilities just want other people to talk to them, to treat them like normal human beings instead of assuming that they can't do things. Even if you're feeling uncomfortable, take a chance and talk to them, and you're going to find that you're talking with somebody that you have a lot in common with. And I think that if employers did that, it would be so much better.

I do have an anecdote I want to share with you... I had a friend with cerebral palsy, very smart, who's studying to be a lawyer. He was applying for this job, and they set up an interview with him. So he gets ready for his interview, and before he goes to his interview he checks his mail. In the mail there was a letter from this place he was going to go interview at that said, "Thank you for your interview, but we've decided to accept somebody else."

CTB: Before he'd even gone?

 

Example #2: A Warrior’s Workout

Dave Vobora challenges wounded vets to push themselves beyond what they believe could ever be possible. He separates himself from other trainers, as he doesn’t use sophisticated equipment specifically designed for rehabilitation programs. Many workouts are improvised activities involving balancing pipes filled with water, flipping giant truck tires, standing on modified surfboards, and hauling a sled stacked with weights – all to the deafening bass of rock and rap music. Vobora who is in fact not a certified trainer possesses two important traits that enable him to train disabled veterans: a strong desire to help, and the ability to put a smile on his client’s faces as they perform feats that most four-limbed people would find impossible.

Read more about A Warrior's Workout.

Contributed by Lia Thompson, University of Kansas, Community Tool Box Intern.

 

Example #3: Employing the Full Spectrum

John, a businessman who had developed a successful document-management technology used by several large New York City law firms, had saved money to pay for, his Autistic son, Andrew’s ongoing care. But he decided he needed to do more. One day, while at a car wash John said, “I’m watching this zoo, a disorganized array of nonsense, where one car’s moving, one car’s not, three guys on this car, one guy on that car, everybody getting antsy waiting for their car,” he recalls. “But I’m thinking to myself, ‘Andrew can do this.’” John thought that if Andrew was to thrive at such a job, it would be a good idea for him to work with a few other young people with autism, and in order to make that happen, he thought it best to own the car wash. His goal went beyond employment, as he desired to also profit from this business. He wanted to set up a moneymaking operation that would prove that autistic individuals could be efficient employees.

Read more about Employing the Full Spectrum.

Contributed by Lia Thompson, University of Kansas, Community Tool Box Intern.

 

 

Tool #1: Disability Quiz for the Non-Disabled

This quiz can be distributed as part of a staff development exercise on disability issues, or you can just take it yourself to get an idea about how much you do and don't know about disability issues. It's a good exercise to do at the beginning of training on disability issues, as it gets people's misconceptions out in the open and can stimulate dialogue.

True or false (circle one)

1. Using a wheelchair limits one's capacity for having a fulfilling life.

 T     F

2. Slow speech is a sign of a slower-than-average mental process.

 T    F

3. When you are introduced to someone who has an artificial arm, you should not offer to shake hands.

 T    F

4. Most people who are deaf read lips.

T     F

5. Being blind means a person lives in total darkness.

T     F

6. Deaf people can have excellent speech.

T    F

7. People who have a visual disability make up for it in part with more highly sensitive senses of smell, taste, hearing, or touch.

T    F

8. People paralyzed from the waist down cannot have children.

T    F

9. Someone who has a disability may be mistaken for a person who is drunk.

T   F

10. Most blind people read Braille.

T   F

Answers:

1. False. Using a wheelchair means that person gets around in some way besides walking, but people who use wheelchairs can and do have lives just as fulfilling as anyone else's.

2. False. Slow speech can be caused by a variety of disabilities, such as cerebral palsy or other neurological disorders, and does not mean that a person has any sort of slowed mental process.

3. False. Use the same social courtesies with people with disabilities as you would with anyone else. If that person is unable to shake hands, he or she will let you know.

4. False. Research has shown that less than 30% of spoken English sounds are visible , and 50% of spoken English sounds look like another sound and can therefore easily be mistaken. Therefore, lip reading cannot be relied upon as the only method of translation for people who are deaf or hearing impaired.

5. False. Many blind people have limited sight capability and can make out shapes , light, and colors. Some may have only peripheral vision, while others may only be able to see things directly in front of them. The term blind refers to a variety of severe visual impairments.

6. True. Many deaf people are able to speak, either through being taught or because they became deaf at some point in life after learning how to talk.

7. False. They learn how to make better use of their other senses, but those other senses are no more sensitive than anyone else?s. People who are blind do not, for example, have super-sensitive hearing.

8. False. Spinal cord injuries that cause lower body paralysis impact the feeling and mobility of those parts of the body, but they do not stop the reproductive system from working. Many people who are paralyzed from the waist down go on to have children after their injuries.

9. True. Communication disabilities may cause speech to become slurred or difficult to understand, and some disabilities can cause people to walk in an unsteady way that makes it look as if they are drunk.

10. False. The use of Braille has declined considerably in the past few years, mainly due to the increased use of computers for the communication needs of blind people . According to the American Foundation for the Blind, only 85,000 out of 1 million legally blind people in the United States use Braille. This means that your organization or initiative should consider using more alternative formats than just Braille to get information out to people who are blind.

Tool #2: Disability Etiquette Tips

Meeting someone	When you meet someone with a disability, offer your hand for a handshake. If someone is unable to shake hands, he or she will let you know, but people with limited hand use or who wear an artificial limb can usually shake hands. Shaking hands with the left hand is perfectly acceptable. When first encountering a person who is blind, identify    yourself and anyone with you before launching into a conversation: "Hi, it's Judy from the coordinating committee . My boyfriend Bob is to my right. How have you been?" You may have to offer a little information to jog his or her memory, since he or she isn't able to rely on visual cues.
Helping	It's okay to offer assistance to someone with a disability, but wait for a response before doing it. Then listen to, or ask for, instructions. When you do offer assistance to a person with a disability, offer your arm. This lets you guide without pushing or pulling the person around awkwardly. If you are helping to orient a person with a visual impairment, be very descriptive and be sure to tell him or her what's coming up: "Okay, step up onto the curb here," or "There's a garbage can partially blocking us on the left," for example. Be specific when giving instructions to a person who has a visual disability: "Then you will turn right and go about a hundred yards," for example. You might offer to read printed information for a person with a visual impairment : "There is a bus schedule posted here. Would you like me to read it to you? " If asked to carry, fold, or store a wheelchair or other assistive device, treat it with respect and care. These types of equipment are expensive, difficult to get repaired, and cause real inconvenience to their users when they aren't working properly . Try to store mobility equipment as close to its user as possible, in case it's needed in an emergency.
Conversation	When you are talking to a person with a disability, address that person, not his or her companion or assistant or sign language interpreter. Listen attentively when you're talking with a person who has difficulty speaking . Be patient and wait for the person to finish. If necessary, ask short questions that require short answers, a nod or a shake of the head. Never pretend to understand if you don't--instead, repeat what you understand and allow the person to respond to you. Ask the person to write down a word if you're not sure what he or she is saying. When talking to someone who is blind or has a visual impairment, be clear about who you are addressing if there is a third person present, when the conversation is over, or if you've moved from one spot to another. When talking to someone who uses a working dog (either a seeing-eye dog or any other type of service dog), keep in mind that if the dog is on its leash or harness , that animal is working and should not be distracted with whistling or petting. You shouldn't approach a working dog as you would a regular pet. If the dog is off-leash , ask the owner first for permission to pet the dog. Don't feel sorry for working dogs--they love what they do, and they get plenty of time off-leash to play and just be a pet! When talking to someone who is deaf or has a hearing impairment, you may have to get their attention first with a wave or a tap on the shoulder. Look directly at the person and speak clearly and not too quickly. Use written notes or gestures if necessary, but don't resort to shouting. Talking with your mouth full isn't just something your mother said was rude! When talking to someone who lip-reads, don't smoke, chew gum, or eat while speaking, because it makes your speech harder to understand. Don't stand with a window, the sun, or any other source of bright light behind you--the glare can make it difficult to see your face. If you talk to a person who uses a wheelchair for more than a couple of minutes , put yourself at eye level with that person. For people with hearing impairment or learning disabilities, one-on-one conversation is usually easier than talking with two or more others at once. If you are taking part in a group conversation, lots of interjections and interruptions can be make the discussion hard to follow. If someone asks, "What did you say?" don't answer , "Nothing," or "It's not important" --that is insulting and belittling. Make the effort to fully include the person in the conversation, even if that means taking the time to repeat or explain things.
Socializing	Don't feel awkward using common figures of speech like "See you next week" or "I've got to run" --folks with disabilities use the same expressions. Don't touch or lean on someone's wheelchair--that's a lot like leaning on someone's shoulder without asking. The chair is part of the personal body space of the person who uses it. Relax. Just as in any new situation, everyone will feel more comfortable if you just be yourself.

 Tool #3: Accessibility Checklist

If parking is provided, are there reserved parking places that are clearly marked with the access symbol on a raised sign?	Y	N
Is there an unobstructed path of travel from the parking space to the curb cut to the building entrance or the event area?	Y	N
Is the entrance to the building at least 32" wide in order to accommodate a wheelchair user?	Y	N
Is the doorway threshold no higher than 1/2"?	Y	N
Do entrance doors open easily (with automatic doors, a door opener button, or levered handles and a minimum of force needed)?	Y	N
Are directional signs in large print and/or Braille present?	Y	N
Are building corridors at least 36" wide and free of obstructions?	Y	N
Is the meeting room or event area on the building entry floor or accessible by elevator?	Y	N
If the event is an open-air event, is it being held on a flat outside surface?	Y	N
Are any ramped or steep areas sloped 1:10-1:12, with handrails on either side?	Y	N
Are there Brailled numbers on the elevator control panels?	Y	N
Are drinking fountains no higher than 48" from the floor? (If higher, then drinking cups should be provided).	Y	N
Are telephones no higher than 48" from the floor and equipped with sound amplifiers?	Y	N
Is there an accessible outdoor area set aside where service animals can relieve themselves?	Y	N
Are TDD's available?	Y	N
Are there accessible restroom facilities near the meeting or event? In order to be accessible, a restroom facility should have the following factors: Signs that indicate accessibility Entries free from obstructions Doorways with 32" minimum clearance width Doorway threshold no higher than 1/2" Easily opened door(s) Restroom stall doors that swing outward; at least 32" clearance width. Stall at least 56" wide, 60" deep Grab bars in stall Raised commode 17-19" from floor Faucets with lever type handles Basin with 30" clearance underneath and wrapped pipes Towel dispensers and mirrors no higher than 40" from floor	Y	N

 Tool #4: Information to include on meeting and event notices

• These are suggested ways of wording information on accessibility in notices, invitations , press releases, etc.:
• Sign language interpreters will be present.
• A sound enhancement system will be available at the meeting/event.
• Minutes of the meeting will be available in large print/audio form and/or readers upon request. If you require the use of a reader, please contact ___________________ at ________________, at least 72 hours in advance of need.
• To allow individuals with environmental illness to attend the meeting/event, individuals are requested to refrain from wearing perfume or other scented products.
• The meeting/event will be held at ______________________. The closest accessible bus station is located at ___________________. Accessible subway lines serving this location are ______________________.
• There is accessible parking available at the following location: _____________________.
• Accessible integrated seating for persons with disabilities (including those using wheelchairs)will be available.
• For additional information about the meeting/event prior to the meeting, people who are deaf or hard of hearing can contact the office on the following TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) phone line at _____________ or by using the local relay service at ____________.

Tool #5: SOAP Assessment

Periodically reviewing your accessibility efforts can really help you see how well you're doing. The SOAP model (which stands for "Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan") is a strategy that has been used for a long time by medical professionals to record an individual patient's history, present situation, and future possibilities .The Youth Volunteer Training Corps Training Manual for Working with Youth Volunteers Who Have Disabilities suggest using SOAP as follows:

Subjective: What people who receive your services, staff, volunteers, board members, funding partners , and other involved parties say about your efforts in their own words. For example : Kyoko is a volunteer who has a disability. She really likes volunteering for our project but sometimes feels left out. She says, "I hate that I can't attend the annual planning retreat. I'd like to go but it's an all-day thing and the restrooms at the campground where we have the retreat aren't accessible. That really makes me angry!"

Objective: What these folks think are the positive and negative elements of the program. They may assess the program's quality, size, longevity, inclusivity, diversity, etc. For example: Kyoko is a smart and committed volunteer who uses a wheelchair. She is unable to attend the annual planning retreat because the retreat facility doesn't have accessible restrooms.

Assessment: What the leadership of the organization sees to be as the strengths and weaknesses of the program, based on the above observations. For example: Knowing that Kyoko's absence from the annual retreat is contrary to the organization's goals of diversity , inclusivity, and team spirit, team leader Calvin measures Kyoko's wheelchair and then goes to the campground and measures the restrooms, doorways, and halls to get an idea of what might be done to remedy the problem.

Plan: What plan of action will be taken to address weaknesses or enhance strengths, and how this will be evaluated. For example: Calvin plans to talk to his local ILC to find out what sort of change the campground would need to make to become ADA compliant, meet with the campground management to request that they make their facilities more accessible , set a date by which such changes should be completed, follow up to see if they have made those changes, and decides what should be done if the facility hasn't made the requested changes (such as finding a different location that is accessible). He also plans to meet with Kyoko and other volunteers with disabilities to find out if they're satisfied with these actions.

Using the above model and example as a reference, you can use the worksheet below to map out solutions to accessibility problems using the SOAP method:

SOAP Component	Brief description of your strength or weakness
Subjective
Objective
Assessment
Plan
Additional Comments

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

• What is outreach?

• When is outreach needed?

• What are some common methods of outreach?

• How do you implement outreach?

Creating a useful program or service does not guarantee that the people who could benefit from it will be able to find, access, trust, or use it.

A community health clinic, for example, may provide high-quality services but still reach only a small portion of eligible residents if its hours are inconvenient, transportation is limited, people do not know the clinic exists, information is not available in relevant languages, or previous experiences have made community members hesitant to use the service.

Situations like these highlight an important distinction between making a program available and making it meaningfully accessible.

Outreach can help bridge that gap. Sometimes this means bringing information or services directly into communities. In other cases, it means building relationships, working through trusted community partners, helping people navigate services, or learning from community members about barriers that organizations need to address.

Rather than describing people as "hard to reach," it can be more useful to ask why an organization has not yet connected with them. The challenge may lie in communication, service design, transportation, cost, trust, accessibility, eligibility requirements, or other conditions that can be changed.

What is outreach?

Outreach includes a wide range of activities that connect people with information, services, resources, opportunities, and one another. Effective outreach often takes services or information beyond an organization's usual setting and into places, networks, and communication channels that community members already use and trust.

Outreach can include:

• Providing sterile syringes, safer-use supplies, overdose prevention information, and connections to health services in places that are accessible to people who use drugs
• Bringing mobile screening or health services to rural communities where access to health facilities is limited
• Demonstrating correct child car-seat installation at community events or other places families regularly visit
• Sharing condoms, sexual health information, and information about confidential health services in places where young people can access them comfortably
• Training community health workers, peer educators, or other trusted community members to provide information and help people connect with services
• Helping people complete applications, understand eligibility requirements, schedule appointments, or navigate complex systems
• Holding listening sessions or meeting people in community settings to better understand barriers, strengths, priorities, and experiences

The type and extent of outreach should reflect the purpose of the initiative and the priorities, circumstances, and preferences of the people and communities involved.

Outreach may be used to:

• Deliver services, resources, or products directly in accessible community settings
• Share useful information and support people in developing knowledge or skills
• Work with community health workers, peer educators, navigators, or other trusted community members who can connect people with information and resources
• Build relationships and connections among community members, organizations, and systems
• Learn directly from community members and use what you hear to improve programs, services, policies, and outreach strategies

When is outreach needed?

Outreach can be especially important when people experience barriers to traditional services or when organizations have not developed strong relationships with the communities they hope to serve.

Outreach is commonly used with older adults, people living in rural communities, people experiencing homelessness, people who use drugs, immigrant and refugee communities, people with disabilities, communities that have experienced discrimination or disinvestment, and others who may face barriers to conventional service systems.

These communities should not be treated as inherently difficult to reach. Instead, examine whether existing systems, locations, hours, communication methods, eligibility requirements, costs, or institutional relationships make services difficult to access.

If you're unsure whether outreach would help, consider:

• Who currently uses your program, and whose perspectives or participation may be missing?
• Have you asked community members how they prefer to receive information, services, and support?
• Are there differences between who could benefit from the program and who is actually using it?
• What barriers may be limiting participation?
• Are aspects of the program itself contributing to low participation?
• Which community organizations, leaders, or networks already have trusted relationships with the people you hope to engage?

Many programs have historically been designed around the experiences, schedules, communication styles, and resources of people who already have relatively easy access to services. When communities differ in language, culture, income, disability, transportation access, work schedules, family responsibilities, or other circumstances, a program designed around only one set of experiences may unintentionally exclude people.

Surveys, interviews, focus groups, listening sessions, community advisory groups, observation, and ongoing relationships with community organizations can help you understand these differences. Whenever possible, involve community members not only as sources of information but also as partners in designing the response.

For people to make meaningful use of a program, service, or resource, they generally need to:

• Know that it exists and understand what it offers
• See it as relevant, trustworthy, respectful, and useful
• Be able to access it physically, financially, technologically, linguistically, and practically
• Feel welcome and able to participate without unnecessary stigma, discrimination, or administrative burden

If one or more of these conditions is missing, outreach may help -- but outreach should not automatically be used to persuade people to accept a service that does not meet their needs. Sometimes the appropriate response is to change the program itself.

Outreach to increase access

Some access barriers can be addressed through changes in program design. If clinic hours conflict with people's work schedules, for example, evening or weekend hours may improve access.

Outreach may also help address transportation barriers by bringing services into community settings, providing transportation assistance, coordinating rides, offering mobile services, or using virtual options when appropriate.

If childcare responsibilities make participation difficult, organizations might offer childcare, allow children in appropriate settings, provide family-friendly scheduling, or work with community partners that can provide support.

Language access may involve qualified interpreters, translated materials, bilingual staff, community health workers, accessible digital content, and plain-language information. Ask community members which communication approaches work best rather than assuming one method will meet everyone's needs.

Outreach to strengthen trust, relevance, and participation

When people are hesitant to use a service, avoid assuming that the problem is simply a lack of understanding or an attitude that needs to be changed.

Ask why people may be reluctant. Previous discrimination, poor treatment, confidentiality concerns, immigration concerns, cost, stigma, inconvenient hours, cultural mismatch, inaccessible facilities, complex eligibility rules, or a belief that the service does not meet their needs may all affect participation.

Outreach can create opportunities to listen to these concerns and make changes. Communication campaigns may still be useful when people lack accurate information, but they should be based on what community members actually want to know and should not substitute for improving a service that is difficult to use or trust.

Incentives can sometimes reduce practical barriers or encourage initial participation, but they should not be used to pressure people into services or decisions. Participation should remain voluntary and informed.

Outreach to increase awareness

Sometimes people simply do not know that a service exists or that they are eligible to use it. In those situations, outreach can focus on making information easier to find and understand.

Do not assume that newspapers, television, websites, social media, or any other single communication channel reaches everyone. People get information through many sources, including family and friends, schools, workplaces, health professionals, neighborhood organizations, faith communities, community health workers, libraries, service organizations, messaging apps, social media, and local events.

Work with community members to identify trusted messengers and effective communication channels. Organizations may need to use several approaches to reach people with different levels of internet access, literacy, language proficiency, disability access, schedules, and relationships with institutions.

What are some common methods of outreach?

Once you've decided outreach may strengthen your effort, choose methods that fit your goals and the community context.

Common approaches include:

• Outreach that brings services, resources, or products directly into accessible community settings
• Outreach that shares information, builds skills, or helps people navigate services, often through community health workers, peer educators, or other trusted messengers
• Outreach that strengthens relationships and connections among community members and organizations
• A combination of outreach strategies that provides services, shares information, reduces barriers, builds relationships, and connects people with resources

These categories overlap. Effective outreach often combines several approaches and changes over time based on what community members and outreach workers learn.

Outreach to deliver services or resources

Outreach may involve bringing health and human services directly to places where people already live, work, learn, gather, or receive other services. Examples include mobile health clinics, home visiting programs, school-based services, neighborhood resource events, street outreach, and telehealth when it is accessible and appropriate.

This approach can be especially helpful when people face transportation barriers, limited service availability, inflexible schedules, cost, disability access barriers, unstable housing, or lack of nearby providers.

Outreach services are often used in rural communities, neighborhoods with limited access to health and social services, Tribal communities, and communities affected by disinvestment. They may also support people experiencing homelessness, people who use drugs, older adults, young people, people with disabilities, and others when conventional service locations are not accessible or responsive to their circumstances.

Bringing services into a community should not mean offering a lower-quality version of care or support. Outreach services should maintain appropriate standards for privacy, safety, accessibility, informed consent, cultural responsiveness, and quality.

Outreach to share information, build skills, and support navigation

Informational outreach can range from brief communication about available resources to ongoing education, skill building, navigation, and peer support.

For example, a public health department working to prevent pregnancies among adolescents and sexually transmitted infections might partner with schools and youth organizations to provide age-appropriate education about sexual health, consent, contraception, healthy relationships, and available confidential health services.

Additional outreach might include providing information through social media, youth centers, libraries, community events, or other places young people use. Condoms and other prevention resources might also be made available in accessible and confidential ways.

Community health workers, peer educators, navigators, and similar community-based roles can be especially valuable because they often bring strong relationships, cultural and linguistic knowledge, and firsthand understanding of the systems people are trying to navigate.

Community health workers can help people:

• Find and understand available services
• Navigate health, social service, education, or benefits systems
• Communicate with organizations and providers
• Understand health information
• Identify practical barriers and possible solutions
• Connect with resources and community support
• Share feedback that can help organizations improve their services

Community health workers should be treated as skilled members of the workforce, not simply as convenient messengers. Programs should provide appropriate training, supervision, compensation, support, and opportunities for leadership.

Community-based health outreach

In many Spanish-speaking communities, promotores and promotoras de salud have helped connect people with health information and services through trusted community relationships. Similar community health worker models are used in many communities and cultures.

These approaches are most effective when community health workers have meaningful input into program design, are adequately trained and supported, and can bring community concerns back to institutions rather than functioning only as one-way messengers.

Outreach to strengthen connections between people and organizations

Outreach can also create relationships that expand access to education, mentoring, employment, health care, recreation, civic participation, and other opportunities.

This often involves working through trusted institutions and networks such as schools, youth organizations, libraries, community centers, faith communities, neighborhood groups, cultural organizations, workplaces, or other community-based organizations.

Example: College access and mentoring outreach

A university might partner with local middle schools and community organizations to connect students from communities historically underrepresented in higher education with college mentors.

Students could receive tutoring, explore academic and career interests, visit campus, participate in cultural or recreational activities, learn about financial aid and admissions, and talk with mentors about the transition to college.

Families could be included through information sessions, campus visits, and opportunities to ask questions about college costs, financial aid, academic expectations, disability services, housing, and other concerns.

The program would be strongest if students, families, schools, and community partners helped shape the activities rather than the university deciding by itself what participants need.

Combining outreach approaches

Comprehensive outreach efforts often combine awareness, navigation, direct services, community partnerships, and follow-up.

Consider a program designed to help people enroll in health coverage. Outreach workers might first share information through trusted community organizations, schools, health centers, and local events. They could then help eligible participants complete applications, understand documentation requirements, address enrollment problems, and learn how to use their coverage.

Effective navigation should build people's understanding and ability to use systems without implying that confusion about a complex system is a personal failure. Outreach workers can help participants understand their options while also identifying administrative problems that organizations and agencies should simplify.

How do you implement effective outreach?

The following principles can be adapted to many health promotion, human service, education, and community development efforts.

Guidelines for effective outreach

• Meet people where they are -- physically, socially, culturally, and in terms of their priorities
• Treat people with dignity and respect
• Listen to community members and involve them in shaping the outreach
• Build trust and relationships over time
• Communicate without stigmatizing the people or communities you hope to engage
• Offer information and services in a variety of accessible locations and at times that fit people's schedules
• Make information clear, useful, accessible, and easy to understand
• Provide language access through qualified interpretation, translated materials, bilingual staff, and other appropriate approaches
• Follow up consistently without pressuring people to participate
• Protect privacy and explain clearly how personal information will be used
• Reduce practical barriers such as transportation, childcare, cost, disability access, technology access, and complicated enrollment procedures
• Use community feedback to improve the service itself, not only the outreach strategy

Planning and implementing effective outreach

Depending on the nature of your initiative and the type of outreach needed, consider the following steps.

Determine the purpose and methods of outreach for your initiative.

Be clear about what you hope outreach will accomplish. Are you trying to increase awareness, provide direct services, reduce barriers, strengthen trust, connect people with resources, learn from community members, or accomplish several of these goals?

Determine staffing needs.

Outreach staff should have the skills, relationships, training, and support necessary for the work. People who live in or have strong relationships with the communities involved may bring valuable cultural knowledge, language skills, lived experience, and understanding of local resources and barriers.

At the same time, don't assume that someone automatically understands every member of a community simply because they share an identity or live in the same neighborhood. Outreach workers still need training, support, clear roles, and opportunities to learn from community members.

Outreach workers may need preparation in areas such as:

• Communication and active listening
• Cultural humility
• Disability accessibility
• Language access
• Trauma-informed approaches
• Privacy and confidentiality
• De-escalation and personal safety when relevant
• Community resources and referral systems
• Documentation and data privacy
• Boundaries and informed consent

Organizations should also support outreach workers through fair compensation when outreach is paid work, appropriate supervision, manageable workloads, opportunities for professional development, and meaningful involvement in program decisions.

Choose physical and virtual spaces carefully.

If outreach uses a physical office or community site, consider whether the space:

• Is near public transportation or otherwise reasonably easy to reach
• Is accessible to people with disabilities
• Provides private space for conversations when privacy is needed
• Feels welcoming, respectful, and appropriate to the community
• Can accommodate children and family needs when appropriate
• Provides language, communication, sensory, and other accessibility supports

If outreach is offered online or by phone, consider internet and device access, accessible technology, privacy, language, digital literacy, and whether people have a safe and confidential place to participate.

Plan your services or activities.

Develop strategies and action plans using principles for effective program design. Preparation may include:

• Developing clear procedures and accessible information for outreach workers and participants
• Establishing protocols for referrals, privacy, safety, follow-up, and situations that require additional support
• Coordinating with other organizations and services to reduce duplication and make referrals easier for participants
• Creating ways for participants and community members to provide feedback about the outreach process

Consider potential partners.

Outreach is often stronger when organizations work with partners that already have trusted relationships and relevant knowledge. Partnerships should be mutually beneficial and should respect the expertise, time, and resources that community organizations contribute.

Depending on your initiative, partners might include:

• Community leaders and resident-led organizations
• Faith and spiritual communities
• Hospitals and emergency departments
• Health centers and clinics
• Medical practices and their clinical, administrative, and billing staff
• Pharmacies
• Organizations that help people navigate insurance and medical billing
• Public health and community health programs
• Home health and visiting nurse organizations
• Schools, counselors, nurses, family engagement staff, and student-support programs
• Childcare centers and family, friend, and neighbor care networks
• Housing organizations, tenant groups, and housing authorities
• Courts, public safety agencies, and community-based violence-prevention programs when relevant to the initiative
• Local businesses and employers
• Local, state, and national organizations that provide related services or advocacy
• Shelters, workforce programs, adult education programs, food-access organizations, and other community-support programs
• Local news outlets, community media, social media networks, and other communication partners
• Current or former participants who choose to share their experiences and recommendations

Expand outreach thoughtfully.

New outreach efforts may benefit from starting with existing relationships, learning from early experiences, and then expanding into communities or partnerships where the organization has fewer established connections.

For example:

Beginning with established relationships

• Conduct an outreach activity with a community organization that already knows and trusts your program
• Provide information or referral training to other programs within your organization

Building new partnerships

• Offer a listening session, training, or information session with a school, health provider, neighborhood organization, or community service agency
• Participate in joint outreach with another organization

Developing relationships in communities where you have fewer connections

• Build relationships with community leaders, resident groups, and organizations you do not already know and ask what kind of collaboration would be useful
• Meet with organizations that already conduct outreach to learn from their experience and identify opportunities to coordinate rather than duplicate their work

Make the most of your outreach.

Outreach can fail even with significant resources if organizations do not understand the barriers people experience or if the service itself does not respond to community priorities.

Ineffective outreach may use the wrong language, communication channel, location, messenger, schedule, or format. It may also focus so heavily on delivering a message that it leaves little room to listen.

People may encounter information several times and through several trusted sources before deciding whether a service is relevant to them. Use consistent communication and appropriate follow-up, but avoid overwhelming or pressuring people.

Evaluate outreach regularly. Ask not only, "Did we reach more people?" but also:

• Who did we reach, and who is still being missed?
• Did people find the outreach respectful, useful, and accessible?
• Did outreach reduce barriers or simply increase awareness of a service that remains difficult to use?
• What did community members tell us should change?
• Are our partnerships reciprocal and sustainable?
• Are outreach staff adequately supported?

In Summary

Outreach can be the foundation of a community initiative or one part of a larger strategy for improving health, well-being, access, and participation.

Effective outreach is not simply about finding better ways to persuade people to use a service. It begins with understanding the people and communities involved, listening to their priorities and experiences, identifying barriers, building trust, and examining whether the service itself needs to change.

No single approach works in every community. Outreach should be adapted to local relationships, culture, language, accessibility needs, resources, communication preferences, and community strengths.

Strong outreach meets people where they are, works through trusted relationships, provides useful and accessible information and services, follows up respectfully, and creates ways for community members to influence the programs and systems intended to serve them.

___You have analyzed your target population and initiative to determine what type and degree of outreach can help you achieve your objectives.

___You have determined staffing needs.

___If you decide to use Community Health Advisors or Workers (some form of trained outreach educator), you look for workers who live in the community who understand the needs, concerns, and questions of the people they serve, and know the barriers they face.

___You have developed training for staff.

___You have chosen a physical space carefully if you need one

___You have developed strategies and action plans for your effort using principles for effective program design.

___You have used existing resources for your initiative (such as those made available by national organizations).

___You have identified and contacted potential partners, people and organizations to work with as your allies.

___You have chosen and implemented appropriate (and creative) strategies to reach your target population. These might include:

___You have followed up!

Example #1: American Lung Association of Kansas

In the U.S., asthma is the leading cause of missed school days due to a chronic illness.

With a program called "Open Airways," the American Lung Association of Kansas takes asthma education to children where they are--in public and private schools--to help them gain better control of their illness. This outreach program also expands the knowledge of adults who care for them.

The program provides training to school nurses and community volunteers, who then conduct sessions for children ages 8-12 on how to manage their asthma. The children learn how to take their medicines, what their medicines are, and how to use a peak flow meter to monitor their breathing capacity.

"We're reinforcing the work of their doctors," says Lynne Crabtree, Outreach Program Director. "Many families hear the diagnosis of asthma, but everything that follows doesn't quite sink in."

Open Airways is a national program that is implemented statewide. It was created at Columbia University, so workers at the state level begin with a well-researched program. The Kansas Lung Association is able to offer the program free to schools through funding from grants and individuals.

Implementing the program begins with recruiting the educators. Usually the partner in this outreach effort is a school nurse, but in Kansas many schools are phasing out or reducing the position of school nurse in response to tight budgets. If a nurse isn't available, Crabtree contacts other medical folks in the community--respiratory therapists from local hospitals or people in emergency medical services, such as ambulance workers and firefighters.

Through eight weekly sessions held during the school day, the children become a support group for each other, and the older kids also teach the younger ones. Each school decides what time of day to hold the sessions, so they need not infringe on academic work or recess.

Parents are involved, too. Handouts are sent home to encourage child-parent interaction about asthma management and to inform parents how to avoid asthma activators, such as smoke, dust and mold.

"Like diabetes, it is so important for people to understand and manage this disease. No amount of prescribed medicine will help if a child sleeps in a moldy, damp basement," Crabtree notes.

How does the Kansas Lung Association let people know this program is available? "We usually start at the interest level. It could be the school nurse, parents, families, the PTA, or the district office," says Crabtree.

And how do they evaluate the success of the program? "School nurses, who serve as volunteer Open Airways facilitators for the American Lung Association of Kansas, evaluate the program by the number of children with asthma who are better able to manage their disease after completing the classes," Crabtree explains. Success is measured by the facts that children are attending school more consistently, actively participating in sports, and spending less time in the nurse's office for asthma-related symptoms.

In addition, parents report to school nurses that they have a better understanding of their child's disease after reading the handouts and they appreciate the active role their children take in monitoring their asthma symptoms.

Along with Open Airways, the Lung Association markets an EPA-approved program to check the school building itself for activators of asthma and headaches. Any improvements made as a result of the check help the school's staff as well as the students.

The "Tools for Schools" outreach effort teaches school representatives to see with new eyes by walking them through the building to inspect for mold, poor circulation, dirty vents, and radon. Take, for example, that hamster cage in the kindergarten classroom, right next to the return air vent. This could adversely affect someone with allergies, while a simple move of the cage could prevent problems.

Or what about the wonderful school remodeling that was just completed? Yes, it offered more room--but did it also stir up mold and mildew? Did the architects' moving of walls also allow for proper movement of air?

Tools for Schools is marketed to people responsible for the building. In a large school district, that might be the district's risk manager, while in small schools or districts, the contact could be the maintenance person. "This program doesn't put any requirements on the school, but it does help them identify triggers," Crabtree says.

Both programs seek to improve health by bringing education to the people who will benefit. In order to accomplish successful outreach, Crabtree offers the following tips from her experience:

"Our outreach is only as effective as our networking with contacts. Therefore, follow up on all leads and welcome volunteers from all walks of life, including parents, interested individuals, healthcare professionals and community leaders. Often a contact will be a resource for more than one program. For example, someone calling for information about asthma will probably also be interested in second-hand smoke as an irritant and may want to participate in more than one project."

And on a larger scale: "Share information freely with other organizations and welcome coalition building to help strengthen your mission."

 

Example #2: Breaking the Prison Pipeline

An ex-convict, Susan Burton, furnished her house with bunk beds to accommodate ten women and within a few weeks, all ten beds were occupied. Her guests slept in the bedrooms and she slept in the dining room. With no fixed rent, the women chipped in to the best of their abilities with welfare money – if their benefits hadn’t been eliminated because of drug convictions – to help pay the mortgage. They shared their food stamps to stock the refrigerator. Most importantly, they stayed as long as they needed. Burton helped these women transition back into regular life by providing services and opportunities to get a driver’s license, addiction treatment, a job, and a sense of self-worth. Before long, she noticed a change. Women who would have gone without assistance in their old neighborhoods or maybe even be in trouble with the law again were beginning to thrive. Burton claims, she saw the re-emergence of life, right there in front of her. Astonishingly, that was eighteen years ago and since then, Burton has expanded her efforts to five houses in South Central Los Angeles and provided more than 1,000 women a chance to rebuild their lives after prison. In California, about sixty-five percent of former prisoners are re-incarcerated within three years, according to a 2012 report by the state’s department of corrections. Strikingly, last year, the recidivism rate of the women Burton took in was just thirteen percent.

Read more about Breaking the Prison Pipeline.

Contributed by Lia Thompson, University of Kansas, Community Tool Box Intern.

 

 

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

It all started when two emergency department physicians at St. Mary’s Community Hospital happened to have coffee together as their shifts overlapped. Dr. Kowalski, who was just coming off duty, was tired. “I must have seen 45 children today,” he told his colleague, Dr. Liu. “I know what you mean,” she answered. “I’ve been seeing a large number of children, too, and often for routine medical needs. I wonder what barriers families are facing in getting regular primary care.”

As the conversation continued, the two decided to look more closely at the numbers and talk with area pediatricians and family physicians about what they were seeing. They found that many families -- particularly those who were uninsured, underinsured, or enrolled in Medicaid -- were using the emergency department for care that could often be provided in a primary care setting. This contributed to longer waits in the emergency department and also suggested that many families were having difficulty accessing consistent, preventive care for their children.

A core group of pediatricians and emergency department physicians contacted organizations that worked with children, families, and health -- Head Start, the St. Mary’s Youth Development Corps, the local public health department, and others -- to better understand the problem and discuss possible responses. Out of those conversations grew the St. Mary’s Child and Parent Health Clinic, staffed by pediatricians and family practitioners and designed to provide free or affordable care to families with children. The clinic illustrates how community partners can identify an access gap and work together to develop a service that responds to community needs.

This chapter is about ways to develop and improve public and community services. That can mean anything from getting a broken streetlight repaired to starting a community-wide initiative involving several new programs. Either may contribute to solving a problem and improving quality of life. Improving services may be an intervention in itself, or it may provide important groundwork for broader community change.

Developing and improving services can also build relationships, trust, and infrastructure that make future efforts easier. In some sections of this chapter, that groundwork appears as collaboration among organizations and community members. In others, it takes the form of programs and services that support health, economic security, education, safety, participation, and overall well-being.

This opening section discusses what we mean by improving services and some ways organizations can work with communities to make services more useful, accessible, coordinated, and responsive. It provides context for the more specific information in the rest of this chapter.

What do we mean by developing and improving community services?

In a healthy community, people have meaningful access to the services, resources, and opportunities they need to live, participate, and thrive. Community services take many forms and often overlap. One way of thinking about them is to group them broadly into three categories.

• Foundational services include services and systems that help a community function, such as fire and emergency response, schools, public works, transportation, utilities, public administration, and public safety. These services are often built into local government structures and budgets.
• Preventive and quality-of-life services help strengthen community well-being and address conditions before they become more serious. They may include health care, adult education, workforce development, housing supports, youth development, recreation, arts and culture, environmental protection, and other community resources. What belongs in this category will differ across communities. For example, a community facing serious water-quality concerns might consider pollution prevention, cleanup, monitoring, and safe drinking water to be central community services.
• Responsive and emergency services help people meet urgent needs or respond to immediate crises. Examples might include food assistance, emergency shelter, crisis services, disaster response, harm-reduction services, or emergency financial assistance. These services are essential, but communities may also need to address the broader conditions contributing to the immediate need, such as housing costs, economic insecurity, gaps in health care, or limited transportation.

Foundational services are often supported through regular public funding, while preventive, quality-of-life, and emergency services may have less stable resources even when communities rely heavily on them. Improving community services therefore includes both responding to urgent needs and investing in the conditions that can reduce those needs over time.

Preventive services can reduce the need for some emergency responses, but they do not eliminate the importance of immediate assistance. Communities need both: long-term strategies that address underlying conditions and responsive services that help people remain safe and stable in the present.

Preventive and responsive services are often most effective when they work together. For example, a shelter serving people experiencing homelessness might also partner with housing organizations, workforce programs, health providers, benefits navigators, education programs, and other services identified as useful by residents.

Even strong programs may reach only a small portion of the people who could benefit from them. If a community has far more people experiencing homelessness than available housing or shelter capacity, improving services may require expanding capacity, changing the service model, investing in affordable housing, or developing additional approaches identified by people with lived experience.

In this context, developing and improving community services may mean establishing services where they didn't exist before; making existing services more effective; making existing services more widely available; improving access; and/or coordinating services so that organizations work together rather than requiring community members to navigate disconnected systems on their own.

Establishing services that didn’t exist before

When a needed service does not exist, planning, community participation, and resources become especially important.

If you’re starting from scratch, you should:

• Put together an organization, coalition, partnership, or working group, or work with an existing one
• Conduct a careful community assessment to understand strengths, priorities, gaps, and existing resources
• Plan the initiative with meaningful participation from people who may use the service, community partners, and others affected by the issue so the service is accessible, relevant, and responsive
• Identify the funding, staff, volunteers, partnerships, space, technology, and other resources needed to make the service sustainable

Your role may vary. You might participate as a coalition member, community resident, advocate, staff member, funder, volunteer, or leader of an organization developing the service. Whatever your role, the process is stronger when planning is shared with the people and communities most affected.

Making existing services more effective

Sometimes needed services already exist but are not producing the outcomes participants and communities want. The issue may involve service quality, accessibility, trust, staffing, cultural responsiveness, policies, eligibility requirements, location, communication, or other aspects of how the service is designed and delivered.

Improving an existing service requires listening to the people who use it as well as the people who provide it. Staff may see challenges that participants do not, and participants may identify barriers or priorities that staff have overlooked. Meaningful improvement usually takes time, testing, feedback, and adjustment.

Making existing services more widely available

A service may work well but lack enough capacity to serve everyone who wants or needs it. Increasing availability may require more funding, staff, volunteers, locations, technology, partnerships, or different service-delivery approaches.

For example, an English-language learning program serving Cantonese-speaking adults might have far more interested learners than available classroom space. Rather than simply leaving people on a long waiting list, the program could offer conversation groups, online learning, peer tutoring, community-based classes, or other supports while expanding its classroom capacity. These options should supplement rather than replace high-quality instruction when participants want formal classes.

Increasing access to services

Access involves much more than whether a service technically exists. Physical accessibility, transportation, cost, language, communication, technology, scheduling, childcare, privacy, trust, eligibility requirements, and location can all affect whether people can participate.

For people with disabilities, access may include accessible buildings and restrooms, captioning, sign language interpretation, accessible digital information, assistive listening systems, screen-reader-compatible documents, flexible communication methods, and reasonable accommodations.

Increasing access means identifying the barriers people actually experience and working with them to reduce those barriers.

Coordinating services

Another part of improving community services is making systems easier to navigate. When several organizations provide different services, participants should not have to repeatedly tell the same story, search for resources without guidance, or move between organizations that do not communicate with one another.

Coordination may include shared referral systems, warm handoffs, regular communication among organizations, clear consent procedures, case coordination when appropriate, and partnerships that reduce duplication and gaps.

All of these approaches may also involve advocacy, public education, and community engagement. Community members, public officials, funders, organizations, and other partners are more likely to support services when they understand the issue, see how the services contribute to community well-being, and hear directly from people affected by the issue.

Who should be involved in developing and improving community services?

Improving services is rarely the work of one person or organization. Strong efforts bring together people with different kinds of knowledge, experience, authority, and resources.

People who use or may benefit from the services

People directly affected by a service should have meaningful opportunities to help define needs, identify strengths and barriers, design solutions, and evaluate whether the service works.

• Their firsthand knowledge can help ensure that services reflect real priorities and circumstances
• Their participation gives people meaningful influence over decisions that affect them
• Shared decision-making can strengthen trust, relevance, and community ownership
• Participants and community members can help identify effective ways to share information and connect with others
• Their involvement can help organizations understand cultural, linguistic, historical, accessibility, and trust-related factors that influence participation

Other agencies, community-based organizations, and grassroots groups

Working with other service providers, community organizations, resident-led groups, and advocacy organizations can improve both individual services and the broader service system.

• It can help coordinate services into a more coherent system
• It allows organizations to address the same issue from different perspectives and areas of expertise
• It supports cooperative relationships, coalitions, collaborations, and partnerships
• It facilitates appropriate sharing of information, knowledge, and resources

Local and state officials

Local elected and appointed officials, state legislators, and agency staff may play important roles in funding, policy, regulation, infrastructure, and coordination related to community services.

• Community members and organizations can share information with officials about local priorities, barriers, and service gaps
• Officials may be able to help identify funding, policy, or administrative opportunities
• Early involvement can help decision-makers better understand how a service works and what long-term support it may need
• Collaboration can also help identify where policies, systems, or public investments create barriers that require broader solutions

The business community

Employers and businesses may have knowledge, relationships, space, funding, equipment, volunteers, employment opportunities, or other resources that can contribute to community-service efforts.

• Their community relationships may help build support for services and initiatives
• Improvements in transportation, health, childcare, education, housing stability, and other community conditions may also support workers, employers, and the broader local economy
• Businesses may contribute funding, volunteers, expertise, equipment, meeting space, internships, or other resources

The community at large

Broader community participation can strengthen planning and help services reflect local history, relationships, resources, and priorities.

• It can provide a wider range of ideas and information
• It can help organizations understand community history and how that history affects trust and service delivery
• It can strengthen community support and participation
• It may generate resources, relationships, volunteers, and other forms of support
• It can increase shared understanding of the conditions that support a healthy, inclusive, and thriving community

When should you seek to develop and improve community services?

Improving services should be an ongoing community effort. Still, some moments create particular urgency or opportunity.

• At the start of a broad, long-term community initiative. Building service improvement into the initiative from the beginning can strengthen both implementation and long-term impact.

An initiative addressing homelessness, for example, might combine immediate supports such as outreach and emergency shelter with affordable and supportive housing, health and behavioral health care, employment and education opportunities, benefits navigation, transportation, and other services identified by people experiencing homelessness.

• When a need or service gap becomes clear. New data, community feedback, changing conditions, or increased demand may reveal that existing services are insufficient.
• When current approaches are not working as intended. Participant feedback and evaluation may show that a service needs to change.
• When community members identify a priority. Resident groups, coalitions, advocacy organizations, youth councils, neighborhood organizations, or other community bodies may call attention to a gap or opportunity.
• When new funding or resources become available. Funding opportunities can create a chance to address long-standing priorities, particularly when the response is grounded in community input rather than shaped only by the funding source.

Options for developing and improving community services

The options outlined in the rest of this chapter include general approaches to improving services as well as strategies related to specific community needs. They should be adapted to local strengths, priorities, and conditions.

Developing and implementing programs to help people set and attain personal goals

These programs may include workforce development, substance use treatment and recovery support, health and wellness programs, parenting support, education, financial coaching, or other forms of assistance. Their purpose should be to support goals identified by participants and expand access to useful resources and opportunities.

Different programs require different types of expertise and support. Some may require licensed professionals, while others may rely on peer support, trained community members, volunteers, or a combination of approaches. The appropriate model depends on the service, the evidence supporting it, participant preferences, and community context.

Promoting coordination, cooperative agreements, and collaborative agreements among agencies

Community services are often stronger when organizations communicate, coordinate referrals, and understand one another's roles. When people use more than one service, coordination can reduce duplication and make systems easier to navigate.

Coalitions, regular interagency meetings, shared referral systems, community resource networks, or funding structures may all support collaboration. Whatever brings organizations together initially, maintaining trust and communication over time is important.

In a rural county, for example, a group of health, education, and human service organizations might come together to seek funding for young children and families. As the organizations work together, they may identify additional areas where coordination would strengthen services beyond the original grant.

Developing multisector collaborations

Partnerships among public agencies, community organizations, businesses, schools, health systems, residents, and other sectors can address issues that no single organization can solve alone.

For example, youth services might be strengthened through collaboration among youth organizations, schools, recreation programs, libraries, health providers, families, local businesses, young people themselves, and other community partners.

Developing employment programs

Stable employment with adequate pay and opportunities for advancement can be an important part of economic security. Employment programs can include several approaches:

• Employment preparation. Resume development, interviewing, workplace communication, transportation planning, digital skills, professional networking, and other skills participants identify as useful
• Education and employment training. Industry credentials, apprenticeships, technical education, digital skills, skilled trades, or other training connected to real employment opportunities
• Employment matching. Connecting people with jobs that fit their skills, interests, schedules, access needs, and goals
• Employment development. Working with employers to expand hiring opportunities, reduce unnecessary barriers, provide accommodations, create career pathways, and develop jobs that respond to both workforce and community needs

Developing programs for physical activity and recreation

Physical activity, recreation, arts, cultural activities, and opportunities for play and relaxation all contribute to quality of life. Community recreation can strengthen relationships, support physical and mental well-being, create opportunities for social connection, and provide spaces where people from different backgrounds interact.

Community recreation may include sports, walking and biking programs, public performances, arts programs, after-school and summer activities, community theater, music groups, accessible parks, nature programs, and many other possibilities.

Recreation should not be treated as an optional luxury. Safe, accessible, affordable opportunities for recreation and cultural participation are part of a healthy community.

Developing and increasing access to health and community services

A strong service has limited value if people cannot use it. Access may be affected by cost, transportation, service quality, trust, location, hours, language, disability accessibility, technology, eligibility requirements, privacy concerns, or how participants are treated.

Improving access therefore requires looking at both outreach and the design of the service itself.

Establishing peer education programs

Peer education can be effective when people prefer to receive information from others who share relevant experiences, identities, language, or community connections.

Examples might include young people educating peers about sexual health or substance use prevention, community health workers providing information about cancer screening, or people with lived experience helping others navigate health and social service systems.

Peer educators should be trained, supported, and compensated when appropriate, and they should not be expected to represent everyone who shares their identity or experience.

Expanding youth development and enrichment opportunities

Young people benefit from safe, welcoming, and engaging opportunities to connect with peers and supportive adults, develop skills, explore interests, contribute to their communities, and take on meaningful leadership roles.

In some communities, transportation, cost, limited programming, lack of accessible spaces, or underinvestment may restrict these opportunities. Expanding youth programs can help address those gaps.

Programs might include arts, sports, technology, recreation, civic engagement, employment, internships, mentoring, entrepreneurship, community service, environmental projects, media, or other activities young people identify as meaningful.

Young people should have meaningful roles in planning youth programs. Adults may misjudge what activities feel relevant, welcoming, or worthwhile. Youth advisory groups, listening sessions, paid youth leadership roles, surveys, and shared decision-making can help programs better reflect young people's interests and priorities.

Establishing school-linked health programs

Adolescents and young adults may face barriers to health care related to cost, transportation, confidentiality, insurance, scheduling, trust, or lack of age-appropriate services. Young people who are not currently enrolled in school may face additional barriers.

School-linked or school-based health services can improve access to primary care, mental and behavioral health services, sexual and reproductive health care, health education, substance use prevention and treatment, and other services relevant to adolescents.

Programs should be designed with youth input and should clearly communicate privacy, consent, accessibility, and confidentiality policies.

Implementing home visiting programs

Home visiting can make services more accessible for families, older adults, people with disabilities, people with limited transportation, and others who prefer or benefit from receiving support at home.

Home visitors may provide education, health support, parenting resources, care coordination, disability supports, or connections to community resources. Strong programs emphasize partnership rather than surveillance or judgment. Visitors should ask what participants want support with, respect privacy and autonomy, and build on existing strengths.

Home visiting can also help identify environmental or access barriers that may be difficult to understand in an office setting, allowing participants and visitors to explore practical solutions together.

Planning and establishing adult education and literacy programs

Adult education can support employment, health, civic participation, family goals, further education, and many other areas of life. Programs may include reading, writing, numeracy, digital literacy, English-language learning, high school equivalency preparation, or other learning opportunities.

Educational needs vary by community and by individual. Some learners may want English-language instruction, while others may be focused on digital skills, math, reading, workplace credentials, or preparation for further education.

Strong programs respect adult learners' goals, experiences, languages, and existing knowledge and give learners meaningful influence over what and how they learn.

Enhancing developmental assets for children

Children and young people benefit from supportive relationships, safe and welcoming environments, opportunities to contribute, access to learning and recreation, positive identities, and the resources needed for healthy development.

Communities can assess which supports are already strong and where additional investment or change is needed. Improvement may involve expanding programs, strengthening relationships, improving policies, investing in safer environments, or increasing young people's opportunities for leadership and participation.

Enhancing resources for youth development

Communities can support youth development through funding, staff, volunteers, facilities, transportation, mentoring, education, employment, arts, recreation, and opportunities for civic participation.

Resources do not need to be purely financial. Community members, businesses, schools, organizations, and institutions can contribute time, expertise, relationships, equipment, internships, space, and other forms of support.

Mentoring and youth programs should be built around young people's strengths and goals rather than defining participants as "at-risk" or treating adult guidance as a rescue strategy.

Enhancing childcare programs

Safe, reliable, nurturing, and affordable childcare is an essential resource for many families. Childcare can affect whether parents and caregivers are able to work, pursue education, attend appointments, participate in community programs, or meet other responsibilities.

Cost, limited availability, transportation, hours of operation, disability access, and shortages of qualified providers can all create barriers.

Improving childcare may involve expanding capacity, supporting and fairly compensating childcare workers, improving training and professional development, providing subsidies, increasing accessible options, developing employer-supported childcare, or investing in other models identified by families and providers.

Each of the remaining sections in this chapter discusses one of these options in greater detail. Whatever strategy a community chooses, improvement requires sustained attention. Programs and systems change over time, as do community priorities, resources, and conditions.

Think of community services as infrastructure that requires ongoing care. Buildings need maintenance, and so do programs, partnerships, policies, and systems. Regular feedback, evaluation, investment, and community participation can help services remain useful and responsive for as long as they are needed.

In Summary

Communities rely on many kinds of services: foundational public systems; preventive and quality-of-life services; and responsive or emergency supports. Developing and improving community services may involve creating new services, strengthening existing ones, expanding capacity, improving access, or coordinating systems so people can move through them more easily.

People who use or may benefit from services should have meaningful roles in planning, implementation, and evaluation, alongside community organizations, public agencies, businesses, funders, and other partners.

Improving services is not a one-time project. Communities change, needs and strengths evolve, and programs must adapt. Sustained investment, collaboration, accessibility, community voice, and ongoing learning are essential to building services that support health, opportunity, participation, and quality of life over the long term.

What do we mean by developing and improving services?

___A-level services are the essential services that make it possible for a community to exist as such – fire, police, schools, public works, local government

___B-level services exist to prevent problems and to maintain the quality of life in a community

___C-level services specifically exist to solve problems and correct deficiencies

You might develop and improve services by:

___Establishing services that didn’t exist before

___Making existing services more effective or more widely available

___Increasing access to services

___Coordinating services

Who should be involved in developing and improving services?

___The target population

___Other agencies, community-based organizations, and grass roots groups

___Local and state officials

___The business community

___The community at large

When should you seek to develop and improve services?

___At the start of a wide-ranging, long-term community initiative

___When a need makes itself clear

___When what you’ve been doing isn’t working

___When the community asks for a service

___When funding becomes available for something that’s been needed for a long time

Options for developing and improving services:

___Developing and implementing programs to help people set and attain personal goals

___Promoting coordination, cooperative agreements, and collaborative agreements among agencies

___Developing multisector collaborations

___Developing employment programs

___Developing programs for physical activity and recreation

___Developing and increasing access to health and community services

___Establishing peer education programs

___Enhancing supervised alternative activities for youth

___Establishing school-linked health programs

___Implementing home visitor programs

___Planning and establishing an adult literacy program

___Enhancing developmental assets for children

___Enhancing resources for youth development

___Enhancing child care programs

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

• Why is it important for organizations to work together?

• What are the different ways that organizations can work together?

• How do we choose among relationships?

• What are some of the challenges that organizations confront when they are working together?

• How do groups begin to build organizational relationships?

Why is it important for organizations to work together?

Community challenges are often too complex for any one organization to address alone. Issues related to education, employment, housing, health, the environment, public safety, and community well-being are often connected and shaped by many different systems and conditions.

Organizations also bring different strengths to the table. One may have strong relationships with residents, another may have specialized expertise, another may have funding or facilities, and another may have authority to change policies or systems. When organizations and community members combine these resources thoughtfully, they may be able to accomplish more together than they could separately.

This section is about organizations working together to accomplish shared goals. By networking, coordinating, cooperating, and collaborating, organizations can share information, reduce gaps and duplication, strengthen services, expand community participation, and work on challenges that require action across multiple organizations or sectors.

Working together can also broaden participation in community decision-making. Strong partnerships create opportunities for residents, organizations, institutions, businesses, and public agencies to contribute different kinds of knowledge and help shape decisions that affect their communities.

What could your organization accomplish by working together with others?

What are the different ways that organizations can work together?

Organizations can develop many different kinds of working relationships. Some relationships focus mainly on sharing information. Others involve adjusting activities, sharing resources, or jointly planning and implementing work.

No one type of relationship is always best. The appropriate approach depends on what the organizations hope to accomplish, the resources available, the level of trust among partners, and how much responsibility and decision-making they are prepared to share.

Networking

Organizations have a networking relationship when they exchange information in ways that help each organization do its work more effectively. For example, if a school and a community counseling center share current information about services available to young people, that is a form of networking. If community organizations share calendars of public events, they may be able to avoid scheduling conflicts and identify opportunities to support one another.

Networking generally requires less time and formal commitment than the other relationships described below, but it can still produce meaningful results.

Networking can also be a starting point for deeper relationships. For example, staff members from several nonprofit organizations might begin meeting regularly to exchange information about funding opportunities. As relationships develop, they may discover shared priorities and decide to work together on projects that benefit their organizations and the broader community.

Organizations can network in many ways, including meetings, community events, shared email lists or online workspaces, professional networks, conferences, and informal conversations.

Coordination

Organizations have a coordinating relationship when they adjust their activities so that services, programs, or resources work better together.

For example, a school and community counseling center might coordinate schedules so that counseling is available at times when young people can use it. Community organizations might coordinate major events to reduce scheduling conflicts. Health and human service organizations might create referral procedures so participants do not have to repeatedly navigate disconnected systems.

Coordination can reduce service gaps and unnecessary duplication. It can also make programs easier for community members to use. For example, students transferring from a two-year college to a four-year institution may face unnecessary delays if course requirements are poorly aligned. Similarly, people seeking health or social services may face barriers if several organizations require them to repeat the same eligibility or intake processes.

Coordination requires more communication, planning, and trust than simple networking, but it can significantly improve participants' experiences and the effectiveness of community services.

Cooperation

When organizations cooperate, they go beyond exchanging information and coordinating activities. They also share resources to help accomplish common goals.

Organizations may share staff time, volunteers, expertise, facilities, equipment, funding, technology, transportation, or other resources. For example, a school might provide space for a community counseling organization to offer evening services, while the counseling organization provides trained staff and resources.

Cooperation requires organizations to share some responsibility and decision-making. Partners need clear expectations about what each will contribute, how resources will be used, and how credit and accountability will be shared.

Collaboration

Collaboration involves organizations working together in ways that strengthen their collective ability to achieve shared goals. Partners may jointly plan programs, pursue funding, share expertise, develop new approaches, or build one another's capacity.

For example, a school and community counseling center might jointly seek funding to train staff from both organizations. Several community organizations might jointly design and host an event that advances a shared community priority.

Collaboration usually involves greater shared responsibility, decision-making, risk, and accountability than networking, coordination, or cooperation. Partners need to be clear about roles, resources, power, expectations, and how decisions will be made.

Strong collaborations also share recognition. When a successful project involves several partners, communications with funders, media, and community members should accurately acknowledge the contributions of everyone involved.

Collaboration can require substantial time and trust, but it can also create opportunities to address challenges that individual organizations cannot solve on their own.

Multisector collaboration

Multisector collaboration brings together organizations and community members from different parts of the community, such as public agencies, businesses, schools, health systems, nonprofit organizations, neighborhood groups, and resident-led organizations.

These collaborations are often used to address complex community issues that involve several systems at once. Examples may include improving access to health care, expanding affordable housing, strengthening educational and employment opportunities, improving transportation, supporting young people's development, or addressing environmental conditions.

For example, community organizations, schools, young people, employers, workforce programs, and local government might work together to expand employment and career opportunities for young people. Schools and youth organizations could bring knowledge about young people's interests and experiences; employers could identify career pathways and skills needed in local industries; workforce organizations could provide training and support; and young people could help shape the opportunities so that they are relevant and accessible.

Multisector collaboration is more complex than many other organizational relationships because partners may have different responsibilities, resources, priorities, cultures, and levels of influence. Effective collaboration does not require organizations to abandon their own missions, but it does require them to identify meaningful shared goals and decide how responsibility and decision-making will be distributed.

Building trust and agreement may take considerable time. Partners should also pay attention to differences in power and resources so that smaller organizations, community-based groups, and residents are not invited only to provide input while institutions with greater resources make the final decisions.

At its best, multisector collaboration gives community members meaningful roles alongside organizations and institutions in shaping decisions that affect their communities.

How do you choose among relationships?

Networking, coordinating, cooperating, collaboration, and multisector collaboration accomplish different things and require different levels of time, trust, skills, staffing, shared decision-making, and financial resources.

Choose a relationship that fits what you are actually trying to accomplish. More intensive collaboration is not automatically better. Sometimes organizations only need to exchange information or coordinate schedules. In other situations, shared planning, resources, and decision-making may be necessary.

Organizational relationships can also develop over time. Groups may begin by networking, build trust through successful coordination or cooperation, and later decide that deeper collaboration would be useful.

As you choose an appropriate relationship, consider:

• What does each organization or community partner hope to accomplish by working together?
• What kind of relationship is actually necessary to accomplish those goals?
• What resources are available, including staff time, skills, funding, facilities, technology, relationships, and community knowledge?
• Is there sufficient trust and commitment for the level of partnership being considered?
• How will decisions, responsibilities, resources, and credit be shared?
• Are there differences in organizational power, funding, or influence that need to be addressed?
• How will community members affected by the work participate in decisions?
• Does the partnership have enough capacity to follow through on the commitments it is making?

What are some of the challenges that organizations confront when they are working together?

Working together can produce significant benefits, but organizational relationships also take time and effort. Partners may have different goals, histories, cultures, resources, expectations, and decision-making processes. Recognizing these challenges early can help groups prepare for them.

Organizations may be accustomed to working independently

Organizations often develop their own programs, funding sources, procedures, relationships, and areas of responsibility. Working with others may require staff to spend additional time communicating, adjusting plans, or sharing decisions that were previously made internally.

Partners should be clear about what they gain from working together and which parts of their work should remain independent. Collaboration should add value rather than becoming an expectation that every organization must participate in every decision or activity.

Trust may be limited or may need to be rebuilt

Trust cannot be assumed. Organizations or communities may have histories of competition, broken commitments, exclusion, unequal partnerships, poor communication, or experiences in which information was gathered but community input did not influence decisions.

Building trust requires consistent follow-through, transparency, accountability, honest communication, and time. When trust has been damaged, acknowledging what happened and changing the practices that caused the problem may be necessary before a stronger relationship can develop.

Partners may need stronger communication and facilitation practices

Working across several organizations makes communication more complex. People may use different terminology, decision-making styles, timelines, communication methods, or expectations.

Clear agendas, accessible information, active listening, facilitation, written agreements, regular updates, and opportunities to clarify misunderstandings can help groups communicate more effectively.

Racism, discrimination, and unequal power can affect organizational relationships

Historical and ongoing racism, classism, ableism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination can shape relationships among communities and institutions. These issues should not be reduced to simple misunderstandings between individuals.

Partners may need to examine how resources, authority, representation, and decision-making power are distributed within the relationship. Organizations should also learn about relevant community histories and understand how previous experiences with institutions may affect trust.

Cultural differences in communication, leadership, decision-making, time, conflict, and relationship-building may also influence collaboration. Cultural humility, respectful curiosity, and ongoing learning can help partners work across differences without expecting one group to adapt entirely to another's norms.

Leadership may be unclear or concentrated in too few people

Collaborative work needs leadership, but effective leadership does not always mean one person directing everyone else. Depending on the partnership, leadership may be shared among organizations, residents, staff, and other participants.

Strong collaborative leadership helps create clarity, facilitate participation, manage conflict, maintain accountability, share information, and keep the group connected to its purpose. It also creates opportunities for new leaders to emerge rather than concentrating authority in the same people throughout the life of the partnership.

Past exclusion may affect people's willingness or ability to participate

People who have repeatedly been excluded from decisions, invited only after major choices have already been made, or asked for input without seeing any response may reasonably question whether participation will matter.

The solution is not simply to encourage people to speak up. Organizations should create meaningful roles, share decision-making power, provide accessible ways to participate, communicate how input is used, remove practical barriers such as transportation or scheduling, and compensate community members when substantial participation requires significant time or expertise.

Funders may require collaboration

Funders sometimes encourage or require organizations to collaborate. This can create useful opportunities, but a funding requirement alone does not create a strong partnership.

Organizations should be realistic about whether the proposed relationship makes sense, what each partner can contribute, and how decisions will be shared. When possible, partners and funders should allow enough time for relationships, roles, and agreements to develop rather than assuming that collaboration begins as soon as a grant is awarded.

How do groups begin to build organizational relationships?

The following guidelines can help organizations begin developing relationships that are useful, respectful, and sustainable.

Involve the stakeholders

Identify the people and organizations affected by the work or able to contribute useful knowledge, resources, or decision-making authority. Stakeholders may include organizational leaders, staff responsible for implementation, program participants, residents, community-based organizations, public agencies, businesses, funders, and others affected directly or indirectly.

Meaningful involvement can take different forms. Some people may participate in ongoing planning and decision-making, while others may contribute through advisory groups, listening sessions, surveys, interviews, or specific project roles.

Participation should be more than symbolic. People should understand what decisions are open to their influence, how their input will be used, and where decision-making authority ultimately rests.

For example, if several organizations are working together to expand counseling hours for young people, planning could involve counselors, young people, parents or caregivers, school staff, community organizations, and others who understand how the service is currently used and what barriers exist.

Establish one-to-one relationships, and begin to build trust

Organizational relationships are built partly through relationships among the people representing each organization. People who will share information, resources, responsibility, or risk need opportunities to understand one another's roles, perspectives, and expectations.

Relationship building might happen through individual conversations, small-group meetings, community events, retreats, informal gatherings, or facilitated discussions.

Whatever method you use, make sure to:

• Allow enough time for relationships to develop. Urgency may be real, but trying to force trust can create additional problems.
• Give participants opportunities to explain their organization, community connections, interest in the work, priorities, concerns, and expectations for the partnership.
• Establish expectations for honesty, confidentiality when appropriate, respectful communication, and accountability.
• Establish a tone of cooperation while allowing organizations to be transparent about areas where their interests may differ.
• Strengthen communication, facilitation, and conflict-resolution skills as needed.

Trust should continue to be attended to throughout the relationship. Successful work can strengthen trust, while missed commitments, exclusion from decisions, or poor communication can weaken it. When trust is damaged, address the issue directly rather than assuming it will resolve itself.

Clarify the goals each organization wants to accomplish

Each organization should clarify why it wants to participate, how it understands the issue, what outcomes it hopes to achieve, what resources it can contribute, and what limitations or concerns it has.

Partners should then identify where their goals overlap and where important differences remain. A strong partnership does not require everyone to have identical priorities.

Decide on an organizational relationship that makes sense

Once goals, resources, responsibilities, and expectations are clearer, decide what type of relationship fits the work. Partners may only need to network or coordinate, or they may decide that cooperation or collaboration is necessary.

Avoid creating a more complicated partnership structure than the goal requires.

Establish procedural ground rules

Early in the relationship, establish clear agreements for important procedures, such as:

• How decisions will be made
• Who will communicate publicly or speak to the media
• What information should remain confidential and what information can be shared
• How information will be distributed
• The responsibilities and authority of representatives
• How resources, expenses, and credit will be shared
• How disagreements and conflicts will be addressed
• How community members and other partners will participate in decisions
• Any other procedures needed to support transparency and accountability

Clarifying these expectations early can prevent misunderstandings. Important decisions should not be made informally by a small subset of partners when others who share decision-making authority have not had an opportunity to participate.

Learn how to listen

Listening is essential to organizational relationships. Partners need opportunities to explain what matters to them -- their goals, experiences, knowledge, concerns, and ideas -- and to know that others are considering what they say.

Listening does not require agreement. It requires enough attention and curiosity to understand another person's perspective before responding.

Groups can build listening into their meetings by making space for people who speak less often, using small-group discussions, providing several ways to contribute, summarizing what has been heard, and checking whether people believe their views have been represented accurately.

Build on points of agreement

Partners do not need to agree on every issue. Identify areas of shared purpose and determine whether useful work can begin there.

If organizations cannot agree on an entire strategy, they may be able to agree on a smaller project, shared principle, or first step. Successful work on one area can provide information and experience that helps partners decide whether deeper cooperation makes sense.

Do not treat disagreement as something that always needs to be eliminated. Differences can reveal overlooked concerns, competing priorities, or unintended effects that improve the final approach when they are taken seriously.

Practice cultural humility and learn about relevant histories

When organizations work across differences in race, ethnicity, culture, language, religion, socioeconomic background, disability, geography, or other experiences, partners may benefit from learning about one another's communities, histories, values, and organizational practices.

This includes understanding how discrimination, exclusion, disinvestment, or previous relationships with institutions may shape trust and expectations in the present.

Cultural learning should not require people to disclose painful experiences or speak for an entire community. Partners can use facilitated discussions, community histories, training, cultural events, and other approaches to strengthen understanding while respecting participants' boundaries.

The goal is not to erase differences but to build relationships in which differences can be discussed respectfully and taken into account when decisions are made.

Don't require organizations to give up their identities

Each organization has its own mission, relationships, culture, and responsibilities. Working together should not require every partner to become the same or give up what makes its work distinctive.

Partners should be clear about which responsibilities will be shared and which will remain with individual organizations.

Expect problems and disagreements -- and have patience

Setbacks and disagreements are normal in organizational relationships. When they occur, create space to understand the concern, determine what needs to change, and decide together how to move forward.

Avoid minimizing disagreements simply for the sake of maintaining harmony. Some conflicts reveal important problems related to decision-making, resources, representation, workload, or trust and should be addressed directly.

Celebrate progress, large and small

Recognizing progress can help partners maintain energy and connection over time. Celebrations may be informal or formal depending on the group -- a shared meal, recognition at a meeting, a community event, or simply taking time to acknowledge what participants have accomplished together.

Make sure recognition reflects the contributions of organizations, staff, volunteers, residents, and community partners whose work made the progress possible.

In Summary

Organizations can often accomplish more when they build thoughtful relationships with others. Networking, coordination, cooperation, collaboration, and multisector collaboration offer different ways to share information, align activities, combine resources, strengthen capacity, and work toward shared community goals.

Strong partnerships require more than bringing organizations into the same room. They depend on trust, clear goals, shared expectations, communication, appropriate distribution of responsibility and decision-making power, attention to inequities among partners, and meaningful participation from people affected by the work.

Organizations do not need to agree on everything or give up their individual identities in order to work together. By identifying areas of shared purpose, listening across differences, addressing conflict openly, and building relationships over time, partners can develop approaches that draw on the strengths and knowledge of the broader community.