Teen Mentoring

Academics, peer pressures, friendships and hormones can be extremely challenging to navigate for teens and their parents. Although there are informative and informational guides to moving through the teenage years successfully, reading versus applying these suggestions are entirely different actions. Teen mentors act as in-person guides to support teens and their families in finding a healthy balance between school, friends, self-care and family time. To do this, mentors provide each individual with a planner to visually organize and prioritize their schedules while following through with their responsibilities and reaching their goals. If an individual is struggling with focus, completing homework or taking tests, mentors will supply them with helpful tools and necessary resources to work through these challenges. For teens struggling with peer pressures and friendships, mentors will act as a daily support to help them process challenging emotions and stressors while developing and utilizing healthy coping strategies. A teen mentor that is relatable and acts as ‘their person’ can provide teens with a safe person to confide in and process the many challenges of being a teenager in today’s world. Teen mentors will support teens and their families in setting and implementing healthy boundaries necessary to maintaining a healthy and communicative home environment.

At Bridge The Gap Services, we recognize that each individual has specific needs and areas that they need support in. We passionately believe that one size does NOT fit all. Engagement with a therapeutic mentor allows for completely customized and specific care. Upon assessment, each teen is matched with a mentor specific to their needs, personality, and goals. With teens, we believe that the therapeutic rapport and the comfort and trust developed between the teen and their mentor is the most imperative recipe to the success in this unique process. At the beginning of this journey, teens and their parents are asked to identify measurable short term and long term goals. The mentor and teen will collaborate to break down these goals into steps and work towards reaching them. We have found and confidently believe that the teen mentorship process provides teens with a strong relational foundation to help them navigate challenges in a healthy manner, increase self-esteem and self-confidence, and find balance between developing autonomy and being mindful of their responsibilities and commitments.

We are supporting teens and their families in adjusting to the conditions and restrictions of COVID-19. Online school can be challenging to navigate and stay engaged in. Mentors are helping teens find ways to increase engagement, develop routine, and maintain accountability in a new academic environment. This support reduces the pressure placed on parents to ensure that their children are on top of their assignments and present for their education.

Mentors support teens in developing or strengthening:

☑ Academic Skills ➤ Time Management, Personal Organization, Development & Execution of Balanced Schedule

☑ Executive Functioning ➤ Assignment Management, Healthy Study Habits, Attainable Academic Goals

☑ Self-Care Routines ➤ Developing Healthy Hobbies, Finding Passion(s), Setting Healthy Boundaries

☑ Additional Skills ➤ Setting Measurable Goals, Socials Skills, Emotional Support, Utilization of Community Resources

Our Team Collaborates with:

☑ Treatment Providers ➤ Therapist, Psychiatrist, Treatment Team

☑ Schools ➤ Academic Counselor, College Counselor, Teacher(s), School Psychologist

☑ Families ➤ Parent(s), Spouse, Partner(s), Siblings, Loved One(s)

Supporting Teens & Families through COVID-19