Mentorship
All youth participating in the YRAP mentorship program will be matched with a youth mentor who spends time with them and supports them through their court involvement and consequences. Mentorship is an essential part of YRAP because it builds long-term relationships founded on trust while offering a positive role model who is close in age.
A mentor is a member who works one-on-one with a young person in the program.
The mentor’s role can vary case-by-case, but they are generally someone of a similar age who is a support and a positive influence. The mentor’s contact with the young person can range from just checking in occasionally to helping out with finding school, work, or community service hours and being a close support/advocate for them.
Figuratively, YRAP is a group of experts and non-experts. We have our own training, support structure, and standards of conduct, but overall, we’re just people interested in the well-being of others and of the community. We can also be there as nonjudgmental supporters. New mentors are given an interview and orientation, and they have the chance to meet other mentors and get an idea of what to expect before mentoring.