Crossroads Mentoring Program
Elevating Youth Experience Through Mentorship
Program Overview
Crossroads Mentoring Program was born out of a partnership between Bethel’s Global Reach and Houston Independent School District. The program was developed to serve and support students in the greater Houston area who have been adversely affected by drug abuse, truancy, and similar risk factors. Each student accepted into the program will be matched with a trained mentor, who will provide a quality mentoring experience for the student.
Program Services
The mentoring experience provided by the program aims to deliver high-quality services to area youth that reduce drug misuse, juvenile delinquency and school dropout rates, while improving outcomes in academic performance and other positive behaviors.
Our program provides one-to-one mentoring, training, group activities, leadership development, academic support, family engagement activities, and referrals to other services, including mental health counseling and substance abuse treatment.
Target Population
We aim to provide mentoring services to youth between the ages of 12 and 17, at the time of entry into our program.
Program Goals
• Serve a minimum of 110 youth per year
• Recruit a minimum of 110 mentors per year
• Establish a minimum of 110 mentoring matches per year
• Duration of program services: 9 months
• Expected intensity of match contact: 39 hours per year
• Expected length of a match: 9 months
• Expected frequency of match contact: 4.5 time per month
• Number of training hours required before a mentor is matched with a youth: 6 hours
Mentoring Benefits for the Mentee
- Discovering new things
- Receive advocacy and support
- Help with problem solving and decision making
- Sharing FUN experiences with your mentor
- (statistics provided in the brochure)
Who Can be a Mentee in our Program?
Students must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- HISD middle and high school students
- Students affiliated with One Church or any of its entities
- Students receiving support from the HISD Student Assistance
- Youth determined to be at an elevated risk based on ACEs questionnaire
- Students who have misused drugs or have been affected by substance
misuse in their family
Program Requirements for Mentees and Parents
- Reside in the greater Houston area
- Agree to 39 contact hours per year with Mentor
- Agree to all other Program policies and procedures
- Complete all required training
Program Requirements for Mentors
- Be at least 23 years old
- Reside in the greater Houston area
- Submit to a rigorous screening process, including application, interview, and reference and criminal background check
- Not have any substance abuse in the past five years
- Have a valid driver’s license
- Agree to a 12-month commitment to the program
- Agree to 39 in-person contact hours per year with Mentee
- Agree to all other program policies and procedures
- Complete all required training
What Makes Crossroads Different?
Our commitment to SAFETY
- Mentor screening and training
- Policies and procedures designed to prioritize students’ safety
Our Effective Program STRUCTURE
- Local leadership, organization, and support
- Program design based on the latest research in effective mentoring
- ONE mentor for every ONE student, meeting about ONE time per week
- Screening, matching and support done by PEOPLE, not computer programs
Program Designed for Student SUCCESS
- Parent engagement improves communication and positive interactions between students and parents
- Ongoing training for mentors, mentees and parents
- Referral services for students and families who need additional support
- Strong partnership with HISD and local schools that improves school and community relationships and student outcomes