Youth mentorship program
The Youth Mentorship Program is part of the Youth Engagement Strategy at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. The program was redesigned and launched in 2012.
The Youth Mentors enhance the experience of clients and families at Holland Bloorview by offering a peer perspective. Youth Mentors support the delivery of programs and services by assisting with workshops, meeting with members of the Holland Bloorview community, and being available to connect with clients when requested by a staff member.
Quick Facts for Youth Mentors
What is a Youth Mentor?
A mentor is a trained person who speaks to youth with disabilities about their own life experience and answers questions about living with a disability. This is a volunteer role for current or former Holland Bloorview clients.
How do I become a Youth Mentor?
- Attend an interview with the mentorship program coordinator
- Participate in the 3-day training. At the end of training, all candidates will be evaluated to see if they are ready to be Youth Mentors
- Complete Volunteer and Mentor Registration packages
Who is Mentorship Training for?
Current or former Holland Bloorview clients ages 16 and older headed to or attending University or College or recent grads who are interested in sharing their life experience with others.
What will training be like?
Training will be offered in workshop style sessions about a variety of topics including Advocacy, Communication and Confidentiality.
What happens after I complete the training?
After you complete training you can choose to do different type of mentorship roles. Examples include:
- talking 1-to-1 with Holland Bloorview clients about your life experience on particular topics
- speaking to small groups of youth with disabilities at life skills workshops, panels, and webinars
- joining Holland Bloorview projects or working groups (with staff, families, and other youth) to represent the perspectives of Holland Bloorview clients
Trained Youth Mentors can also be eligible to be hired for certain paid roles in the hospital, such as Teen Lounge Host. Ask our team for more information.
How long will I be a Youth Mentor for?
If you complete mentor training we will ask you to agree to be part of our program for 1 year. There will be workshops for trained mentors offered a few times throughout the year for you to attend and learn about topics related to being a Mentor. During the year, we will contact you when mentorship opportunities come up to see if you are interested and available.
What if I am going away to College or University?
You can still be a mentor! Many mentorship roles can be done virtually. Discuss this with the mentorship program coordinator.
What if I have questions?
Contact Youth Leaders at 416-425-6220 ext 3782 or youthleader@hollandbloorview.ca.
