# Presentation: 002431

## Mentorship

***This Lesson Plan Produced By Your Drug Demand Reduction Program***

**Notes:**
During this discussion we will examine your role of being a mentee while seeking guidance and advice from a knowledgeable mentor.  We will also look at how to prepare/enable you to become a mentor while being aware of the mentorship process, being mentored, and how this will provide you the tools for being a better CAP cadet.  What is mentorship?

## What Is Mentorship?

- A formal relationship between a student and a professional adult to further the student's knowledge, skills or career.
- What does mentorship have to do with you?
- Where do you fit in the mentorship process?

**Notes:**
According to Webster’s New Millennium Dictionary of English, mentorship is “a formal relationship between a student and a professional adult to further the student’s knowledge, skills, or career.”  Just what does that definition have to do with you as a CAP cadet?  Where do you fit in the mentorship process?

“What does mentorship have to do with you?”  First of all, you are a student and cadet, not yet a wise professional that may have the correct answers to all your questions.  Therefore, more senior CAP cadets or adult members should be looked up to for “all the correct answers.”  Is this always the case?  NO!  It is not.  No one person has all the correct answers and you, the seeker of help, must determine in your own mind which person will best suit you as a helpful mentor during a certain situation.

“Where do you fit in the mentorship process”?  Since you are seeking help on a particular situation – let’s say you need help with pressure being applied to you regarding a particular illegal drug – you are the mentee seeking assistance on the current drug problem from a mentor that is knowledgeable of dangers of illegal drugs.  Lynn Stuart in a Rocky Mountain Region Newsletter stated, “Peer influence has been identified as the most important precursor of adolescent drug abuse.  Peer groups can affect teenage attitudes and behavior in both positive and negative ways, either by providing support for healthy adolescent development or by encouraging problem behavior.”

## How To Be An Effective Mentee

- Want to be a partner in mentorship process
- Do homework prior to mentor meetings
- Establish a goal or goals
- Know your needs – look inside yourself
- Be responsible for personal goals
- Receive and act on mentor feedback

**Notes:**
As a cadet seeking assistance on a drug problem, you have to want to be a partner in the mentorship process.  To that end, prepare and do appropriate homework for meetings with your chosen mentor.  Establish a goal or goals that you wish to attain and focus on those goals throughout the mentorship process.

Be aware of your needs and able to discuss them clearly with your mentor.  Also, look inside yourself to identify those areas that may need improvement and share them with your mentor.

As the mentee, take personal responsibility for your near-term and lifetime goals.  Although you may have the benefit of your chosen mentor’s guidance and knowledge, you are responsible for your own path.  Your mentor may guide you on the route to better understanding your feelings toward drugs, but it is up to you to understand and complete the work associated with that decision.

Receive and act on constructive feedback in response to your personal situation, whatever it is, from your mentor’s viewpoint.  A major value in the mentor-mentee relationship is the ability to have a more experienced person’s viewpoint on your situation.  Taking all this into consideration will help you to fully understand and complete that difficult decision concerning illegal drugs.

## What To Look For In A Mentor

- Pick someone that you can respect
- Look for a mentor that has things in common with you
- Look for a person that is patient and has time for you
- Select someone that knows how to communicate and actively listen
- Seek out someone who has pride in his unit, school, organization or business

**Notes:**
Here are some helpful tips on what to look for in a mentor:

  The most important consideration is to pick someone that you can or do respect.  That person should be someone that you admire and has accomplished those things that you hope to achieve.
  Naturally, your primary goal as a CAP cadet is advancement in grade and responsibility.  You should be looking for a mentor that has things in common with you, but older and wiser.
  Look for a person that is patient and has the time to discuss your goals and work with you on your plan of action.
  Select a person who is genuinely interested in the people they work with, has a desire to help others, and knows how to effectively communicate and actively listen.
  Seek out someone who takes pride in his unit, relishes challenges, and understands the mission, vision and values of Civil Air Patrol.

Since this series of lessons is devoted to the Drug Demand Reduction Program, let’s take a closer look at a possible scenario in which you may seek guidance on a drug-related issue.

## Scenario -Lifelong Friend

- Close since kindergarten
- Shared same experiences
- Forthright until recently
- Subtle changes in persona
- Suspect drug-related issue

**Notes:**
How does this scenario apply to your relationship with your mentor?  Hypothetically, this following situation could happen to any of you during your lifetime.  Let’s say you have a close school friend that you have known since kindergarten.  Both of you have shared similar experiences over the years.  Your buddy has always been forthright and truthful until just recently.

You have noticed subtle changes in your buddy that just don’t seem right to you.  Since drug users are generally secretive about their “problem,” it is kind of hard to tell what the exact problem is.  Here are some tell-tale signs that might indicate a probable drug-related problem.

## Tell-Tale Signs

- Avoids contact with you
- Difficulty in concentrating on anything
- Stops doing those things that have been a big part of his/her life
- Seems withdrawn
- Eating and sleeping patterns have changed
- Runny nose not related to a cold
- Feels run down
- Sounds self-centered and doesn’t care about others
- Getting in trouble at school or even with the police
- Appears to be drunk or high fairly often
- Tendency to lie about drug abuse

**Notes:**

  Avoids contact with you
  Difficulty in concentrating on anything
  Stops doing those things that have been a big part of his/her life
  Seems withdrawn
  Eating and sleeping patterns have changed
  Runny nose not related to a cold
  Feels run down
  Sounds self-centered and doesn’t care about others
  Getting in trouble at school or even with the police
  Appears to be drunk or high fairly often
  Tendency to lie about drug abuse

These are just some of the overt signs that could lead you to believe your buddy has a possible drug-related problem.

## What Should I Do?

- Where do I fit in?
- Want to help
- Personal confrontation
- Friendship may be in jeopardy
- Seek assistance from a wise mentor

**Notes:**
Let’s discuss just where you fit in this scenario?  You desire to help your buddy and you want him/her to remain just that – your buddy.  Do you believe that confronting you friend with your observations will be good for your relationship?  If you deal directly with your friend you might lose that friendship.  The best thing to do is seek assistance from someone that is older and wiser than you – an adult mentor.  This could be your parents, one of your teachers or coaches, a guidance counselor, or any other adult in your life that could help you understand and sort out your feelings about this situation. 

The mentorship process can help solve a drug-related problem that could save the life of your friend.  With the assistance of an experienced mentor, you can reach out to your friend and help him/her get back on the right track.  However, you should not feel guilty if, after doing all that you believe is right, your friend does not help himself succeed in correcting his drug-related problem.  At least, you will feel better knowing you tried to improve your buddy’s situation.

## Summary

- CAP mentorship program
- What is expected of mentee
- Ask for assistance
- Prepare in advance
- Focus on personal goals
- Respond to mentor feedback

**Notes:**
During this lesson we discussed the CAP mentorship program from your perspective.  You have been provided insights into what is expected of you as a potential mentee and what to expect of your mentor.  Once your mentor has been chosen, either by you or assigned to you, you should enter into a relationship with that person that will aid you in achieving your established goals. In turn, as you become a mentor, you should provide those cadets seeking your help, the same quality help that you received as a mentee.

Whether it is drug-related issue, or any other situation in or outside of CAP that you are involved in, don’t be afraid to ask for assistance.  Asking for assistance is better than receiving counseling for being deficient in your studies, or destroying your life through drug abuse.  This also applies to any other challenging situation that occurs during your lifetime. 

This introduction to mentorship is only one part of the CAP Drug Demand Reduction Program.  There are other DDRP lessons on various illegal drugs that you should be aware of and avoid.  By being aware of all the opportunities available to you in CAP, we will remain a drug-free organization.

## Lesson Plan Resources

- CAPP 52, *Mentoring*
- CAPP 50-7, * Mentoring: Building Our Members*
- Civil Air Patrol Regulation 52-16, *Cadet Program*
- Civil Air Patrol Pamphlet 50-2, *CAP Core Values*

**Notes:**
As you progress in CAP grade, you will be looked at to provide guidance to those junior to you.  To further help you understand the mentorship process in the cadet program, you should read and become familiar with Civil Air Patrol Pamphlet 52-6, Mentoring, which is provided to you as a handout for this lesson.  As you progress to the senior NCO and junior officer grades of the cadet program, it is recommended you also read Civil Air Patrol Pamphlet 50-7, Mentoring:  Building Our Members.  Although this latter pamphlet is applicable to adult CAP members, you will find information relevant to your responsibilities as a cadet senior NCO or junior officer.  Civil Air Patrol Pamphlet 50-2, CAP Core Values and Civil Air Patrol Regulation 52-16, Cadet Program are two additional sources that might prove helpful.

## Questions For Discussion 

- What is mentorship?
- Is it possible to be a Mentor and a Mentee at the same time?
- What do you think mentorship involves?

**Notes:**

1.  What is mentorship?  Mentorship is a “formal relationship between a student and a professional adult to further the student’s knowledge, skills or career.”

2.  Is it possible to be a Mentor and a Mentee at the same time?  Yes.  A Mentor has the answers you need on a particular subject while as Mentee you are seeking information or help or both on a different subject.

3.  What do you think mentorship involves?  One-on-one advice, encouragement, befriending, or any similar definition.