Mentor Defined: a Quintessential Paraprofessional

Studies suggested paraprofessionals are well equipped to contribute in many helping arenas. In the Chronicle of Evidence-Based Mentoring, Dr. Jean Rhodes summarized research that highlighted the effectiveness and affordability of youth mentoring models.

Dr. Rhodes writes:

Smith et al.’s study suggests that, while professionals may perform slightly better on treatment fidelity, paraprofessionals present significant advantages in terms of cost-effectiveness and accessibility. This suggests that paraprofessionals may be particularly effective in a stepped-care models, where they handle less intensive tasks, alleviating the workload of licensed professionals who can then focus on more complex cases.

Mentoring is such a role, where volunteers augment the network of care students receive at school and in the community. However, the study highlighted the importance of training and supervision for volunteer mentors, “recommending that paraprofessional programs adopt standardized guidelines and certification to ensure consistent quality of care across diverse settings.”

Grand Area Mentoring offers a thorough orientation program and then ongoing advanced training to ensure mentors are prepared to meet youth needs. Moab therapists have time and again noted the importance of mentoring to help address our community’s mental health needs. Best practices in youth mentoring make this program a leader in family support and advocacy.

(https://www.evidencebasedmentoring.org/expanding-access-reducing-stigma-new-review-compares-professional-helpers-to-paraprofessionals/)