Become a Mentor | Counseling Center | BYU-Idaho

# Become a Mentor

Help fellow students gain the most of out their BYU-Idaho experience! Become a mentor and learn how to help autistic students respect their strengths and participate in activities.

## Mentor Roles and Responsibilities

Thank you for showing an interest in the Autism Mentoring Program (AMP)! Two mentors are paired to provide mentoring for one BYU-Idaho on-campus student who has Autism (mentee).

Autism Mentoring Program is a unique service opportunity that does not require a large amount of time. By dedicating about two hours a week to mentoring, you can gain priceless experience and feel the sense of accomplishment that comes from serving your peers. We rely upon dedicated, caring mentors like you. Join our team today!

Attend the mandatory training meetings

-They will be held ****every other Thursday at 4:15 p.m.**** 
-These meetings last ****45 minutes or less.**** 
-We will train you to be an effective mentor in these meetings.

Set up mentee meetings

-You and your mentoring partner will meet with your assigned mentee once a week. 
-These meetings will occur ****once a week on your own time and schedule.****You will need to coordinated these meetings with your co-mentor and mentee. 
-Your mentee meetings will run approximately ****1 hour.****This time is adjustable based on the needs of your mentee.

Help your mentee set and reach goals

-You will help your mentee set and keep goals pertaining to academics, socializing, extracurricular, etc. 
-Each week you, your co-mentor, and your mentee will work on the steps to pursue these goals.

## New Mentors

If you are new to AMP, welcome! We are excited that you want to join our team. Here are the steps you need to take to become a mentor:

1. Fill out the New Mentor Screening.

Once we receive your screening, we will review it and notify you if you have been accepted into the program. If you have not received a response one week after returning your screening, please email us amp@byui.edu. 
 
New Mentor Screening

2. Attend the Information Meeting

Information Meetings will be held the first Thursday of each semester from 4:15-5:00 p.m. We will send an email with the meeting location to everyone who completes the New Mentor Screening.

3. Sign and return the Consent Form

We will have forms available to sign and return at our first meeting, or you can contact us at amp@byui.edu to get a form.

Once you have completed these steps and been accepted into the program, you are officially an AMP mentor! We look forward to working with you and hope to get you paired with a co-mentor and mentee asap.

Email us at amp@byui.edu if you have any questions or concerns regarding the on-boarding process for new mentors.

Returning Mentors

If you are a returning mentor, welcome back! We are so glad you have chosen to continue to serve as a mentor. All you have to do is fill out the Returning Mentor Screening, which we will review then email you the date and location of our first training. 
 
Email us at amp@byui.edu if you have any questions or concerns. 
 
Returning Mentor Screening

## Frequently Asked Questions

We cannot guarantee how many mentees we will have in any given semester, making this question difficult to answer. The majority of our mentors will be paired in the first three weeks of the semester. However, we do accept new mentees through the 7th week of the semester, so you may be paired at any point up until then. If you do not get paired with a mentee in your first semester, don't get discouraged! If you continue to attend trainings faithfully, you will be at the top of our mentor list the next semester you are on-track. We are always working hard to give every mentor an opportunity to serve, and we greatly appreciate your patience.

Unfortunately, the training meetings are mandatory. The training meetings provide valuable information and allow us to check in on mentor companionships and mentees. We need our mentors to be prepared to faithfully attend all training meetings. Our trainings are held at the same time (every other Thursday 4:15-5:00 p.m.) every semester, so hopefully you can fit this service opportunity into your future schedule.

You can serve as a mentor as long as you want to! We encourage our mentors to serve for at least two semesters, but we accept anyone who can give at least one full semester of dedicated mentoring.

We have a few methods to the selection and pairing process. First off, it is a first come first served system to some extent. The mentors who complete the steps needed to become a mentor first are often the first to be paired. In addition, we try to pair our Senior Mentors with new mentors to help new mentors ease into their roles. We also look at students' schedules, interests, experience, and other factors to help with the pairing process. If you would like to be paired with a specific co-mentor, just let us know. We are happy to pair you with your spouse, friend, roommate, classmate, etc. as long as both of you have completed the on-boarding steps.

Doing fun activities with your mentee can be a great way to help them open up and connect with you. Mentors in the past have taken their mentees on picnics, trips to the park, Game Night on campus, and many other activities. Feel free to try out some fun activities if your mentee is up to it, but keep your mentoring role in mind. Don't let your role slip more into friendship than mentoring as this can make it difficult to be a successful mentor. In addition, always keep safety in mind. Don't ever place your mentee in a dangerous situation or in a situation that makes them feel uncomfortable.

Great question! Email us at amp@byui.edu for learning resources. Taking the time to learn and explore topics outside of our trainings can turn you from a good mentor to a great mentor! And always ask questions when you are unsure about something or want additional guidance.