Interagency Youth Resiliency Team (IYRT) Mentoring Program

About the Program

Category: Children and Youth (Best in Category)

Year: 2013

The County of San Bernardino Department of Behavioral Health (DBH), in collaboration with Children and Family Services (CFS), the Department of Probation, County Schools, local child-serving agencies and other stakeholders wanted to find a more meaningful way to connect youth with supportive adults and increase the chances for youth to effectively transition to self-sufficiency. As a result, the Interagency Youth Resiliency Team (IYRT) Mentoring Program was developed. The IYRT Mentoring Program provides intensive mentoring services to underserved and inappropriately served system-involved youth. Mentors are former foster or probation youth, who understand the unique difficulties and dynamics inherent in being system-involved. By matching mentors with mentees, based on gender, language, experiences, goals, culture, hobbies, etc., culturally appropriate, trauma-informed mentoring services are provided to system-involved youth residing in the County of San Bernardino (and their caregivers). The project requires: 1) Development of a trauma-informed mentoring program and training curriculum, 2) Training provided to IYRT staff and child-serving professionals, and 3) Implementation/Evaluation the program. The contracted agencies include EMQ Families First, Inc., Reach Out and Valley Star Children and Family Services (CFS). The program will be evaluated using surveys, interviews, life stories and the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS).