Metro Denver Partners

Due to insurance constraints, mentors must be 21 years of age.

At-risk youth can be experiencing problems at school, at home or in the community. Most Partners youth reside in single parent homes, are very low-income and need positive role models and opportunities for positive interactions.

Youth are referred by human service professionals such as school counselors and social workers or juvenile justice officials. We do not accept parent referrals. Youth are referred for countless reasons, but some of the most common are: the need for a positive adult role model (especially male), the desire to experience new things, academic help and the benefit of spending quality one-on-one time with an adult who can listen and be a friend.

No. We do an in-depth intake with both the parent and youth and explain that the program is one hundred percent voluntary. We then spend time with the youth at activities every month, partially to ensure that they are participating freely. If we suspect that a youth is being forced to participate we will not match them.

We work with youth ages 8-17 depending on the program.

Some of the youth do have abuse histories. This is something that we cover thoroughly during the intake interview with both the youth and the parent. We do everything we can to ensure that the abuse is not something that will negatively impact a partnership, and we do fully inform volunteers of the situation before they are matched. We realize that volunteers are not trained professionals and are not equipped to provide counsel on such a matter, nor should they be expected to do so, but a youth may share things from his or her past as time progresses and trust between volunteer and youth is built. This is something that a case manager will fully support a volunteer on.

We will never match a volunteer with a youth that we suspect is currently being abused, and furthermore, we are required by law to report suspected abuse.

A common assumption is that there aren't. However, there is just as much a need in Douglas County as exists in Denver or Adams County for mentors to be matched with youth. Regardless of where a child grows up, he or she will encounter many of the same hardships as any other youth of the same age. Growing pains are universal, and do not discriminate based on neighborhood or income level.

A big part of mentoring is exposing a youth to new things – including activities that you already do in your everyday life. We ask that volunteers spend an average of 3 hours per week with the youth they are matched with. We encourage Senior Partners to simply include their Junior Partners in their lives by taking them to run errands, cooking dinner together, walking the dog, gardening, etc. You don't always have to engage in costly, time-consuming activities. By observing how you live your life a Junior Partner can learn a lot more than you think, especially if you are consistent.

As a volunteer, you also have a great deal of flexibility with regard to setting up activities with the youth and parent that fit your schedule.

We encourage Senior Partners to do free or low-cost activities with the youth they are matched with. What is important to the mentoring relationship is the time you spend together and not how much things cost. As staff, we try to establish that fact with the youth while we are doing waiting activities by emphasizing that we are not made of money, nor will their eventual Senior Partner be. We also inform Senior Partners of free and low-cost activities within their communities on a regular basis so that they can take advantage of them.

In addition, Partners organizes one free or low-cost activity per month which all partnerships are invited to attend. These include but are not limited to: bowling, ice skating, swimming, camping, museum tours and arts and crafts activities.

If you enjoy spending time with kids and have the free time then you have what it takes to be a mentor. Each volunteer brings with him or her a lifetime of different experiences and skill sets that are new to the youth he or she is matched with. A willingness to try new things, an ability to listen, and the desire to make a positive impact in the life of a child are helpful as well – and none of these require any specialized education!

Prospective volunteers are expected to cover the cost of being fingerprinted at their local police station. This is usually between $10 and $20.

Partners, however, pays for the background check through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and for the Motor Vehicle Records check.

In Senior Partner training you will learn about Partners' organizational philosophies, do role play exercises to troubleshoot situations that may arise with your Junior Partner once you are matched, and gain an understanding of some of the requirements and expectations that you will be held to. You will also learn what you can expect from us as an organization, including a wide range of support services that have been established to help guide you throughout your relationship with a Junior Partner.

Absolutely. Throughout the year we offer a series of LifeSkills workshops designed to help Senior and Junior Partners improve their skills with regard to diversity, communication, school advocacy, etc. All partnerships are encouraged to attend.

Senior Partners are also eligible to attend the free Mentor Enrichment Trainings that are put on by the Youth Mentoring Collaborative and held at East High School. These trainings take place once monthly and cover a wide range of topics including: preparing for graduation and college, talking to a youth about sex, building trust, setting effective boundaries, and so on.

We do a very thorough intake with youth who are referred, as well as with their parents. Once youth are accepted to a program, the program coordinator takes the youth on a minimum of one outing per month. By doing so, it helps the program coordinator to get to know these youth and their families well, and to build a relationship of trust that creates a positive foundation for the eventual introduction of a Senior Partner.

We also do a thorough intake with volunteers that includes two full pages of questions regarding what type of youth they hope to be matched with.

We take the information from both intake processes and carefully consider each youth and volunteers' personalities, interests and preferences before moving ahead to a match. Volunteers are able to discuss the youth that we propose they be matched with in depth before the match ever takes place, in order to address any questions or concerns they may have. They also meet with a case manager and the youth's parent to be sure that everyone is on the same page and wishes to move forward with a match.

Yes. However, we prefer that a volunteer complete his or her first year with one child before taking on a second.

The screening process takes an average of one to two months by the time you come in for an interview, we run your background check materials, and all of your references get returned.

In the Denver and Adams County area you can expect to be matched within an average of two weeks from the time that you complete the screening process, barring any extenuating circumstances.

In Douglas County you can expect to be matched within one to two months from the time that you complete the screening process, barring any extenuating circumstances.

Keep in mind that we do everything we can to ensure that a match is compatible and will be successful, which can sometimes lengthen the matching process.

Having a criminal record does not immediately disqualify you from becoming a mentor. It is imperative that you be honest when you apply regarding any past offenses because they will inevitably show up on your record as you go through the screening process. If we do find that you have withheld information you will be rejected. However, we carefully consider each volunteer's background on a case-by-case basis, depending on amount of time that has passed, compliance with court orders, rehabilitation, etc.

Any conviction of child abuse and/or sexual assault will automatically disqualify a potential volunteer.