What are the policies of the One-on-One Mentoring Program?
- Mentors shall complete training prior to serving as a peer mentor
- Participants shall continually assess whether they have adequate time to offer to the mentoring relationship
- Participants shall check in with their peers, as needed
- Participants shall respond to messages and communications from peers
- Mentors shall submit notes forms after each contact with the family.
- Notes shall include the following information:
- time spent
- support offered
- resources utilized
- community/professional referrals
- Notes shall include the following information:
- Participants shall provide notice prior to terminating the mentoring relationship, if possible
Frequently Asked Questions, with Answers
What is the One-on-One Mentoring Program?
- The mentoring experience is designed to provide current NICU families with a helpful resource who can provide support in challenging times, share their own experiences, and assist families in identifying community resources. This support is meant to last only as long as needed during your antepartum, NICU, post-NICU, or bereavement experience.
- Mentoring IS:
- A place to find hope, guidance, advocacy, and camaraderie
- Educational, informative, and supportive
- Empowering and encouraging
- Mentoring is NOT:
- A source of medical information
- A substitute for your healthcare provider
- A mental health professional
- A lifelong commitment
- Mentoring IS:
What time commitment should I be prepared to make?
- The duration of the mentoring relationship varies, lasting as long as it is desired by the caregiver who requested mentoring. It is a good idea to check in with your peer at least once a week, if possible. Bear in mind you will need to allow time to respond to calls, texts, and / or emails from your peer.
What are the steps I need to take to receive mentoring?
- Submit the “Request a Mentor” application.
- Once submitted, you can expect to receive an email from us regarding current information and next steps.
- We will do our best to quickly match you with a mentor based on availability and experience. Once you’ve been matched, your mentor will contact you, and ongoing communication with them can begin.
- Once you feel you no longer require a mentor, the mentoring relationship will conclude. We ask that you please complete a brief follow-up survey at that time.
I have not had personal experience with antepartum, NICU, or bereavement. Can I participate anyway?
- NICU Helping Hands’ One-on-One Mentoring Program is a peer support program specifically designed for those who have been through one of these qualifying experiences. You are required to have personal experience with at least one of the following:
- Hospitalization during pregnancy (antepartum)
- A baby in the NICU
- The death of an infant (bereavement)
I am interested in becoming a mentor, but it has been less than 2 years since my personal experience. Am I eligible to become a mentor at this time?
- No, not yet. We require all mentors to have at least two years’ time separating them from their most recent relevant experience. Whether you experienced an antepartum or NICU stay, or bereavement, there is a recovery period in which you need to focus on healing yourself before trying to help others.
We believe that one day you will make a great mentor! There will be future opportunities for you to get involved, such as during a later mentor training.
What are the steps to becoming a mentor?
- Submit the “Become a Mentor” application.
- Once submitted, you can expect to receive an email from us regarding current information and next steps.
- NICU Helping Hands will perform a background check to confirm validity.
- If you are selected as a mentor candidate, you will be required to complete the Mentor Training Program. We will provide you with current information about upcoming training opportunities.
- Following training, you may be matched with a caregiver (who is requesting mentoring), depending on need. The One-on-One mentoring relationship begins at this time.
- After the mentoring relationship concludes, we ask that you submit a brief follow-up survey. This is a good opportunity to reevaluate your participation, including whether you still have adequate time to continue mentoring, and how many peers you are currently able to work with.
What are the requirements for becoming a mentor in the One-on-One Mentoring Program?
- Requirements:
- Personal experience with one or more qualifying experiences:
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- Hospitalization during pregnancy (antepartum)
- A baby in the NICU
- The death of an infant (bereavement)
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- Minimum of 2 years’ time since your most recent qualifying experience
- Background check clear of:
- Felony charge or conviction
- Any crime involving a sexual offense, an assault, or the use of a weapon
- Any crime involving the use, possession, or furnishing of drugs
- Reckless driving or operating a vehicle while under the influence
What are the policies of the One-on-One Mentoring Program?
- Mentors shall complete training prior to serving as a peer mentor
- Participants shall continually assess whether they have adequate time to offer to the mentoring relationship
- Participants shall check in with their peers, as needed
- Participants shall respond to messages and communications from peers
- Mentors shall submit notes forms after each contact with the family. Notes shall include the following information: time spent, support offered, resources utilized, and community/professional referrals
- Participants shall provide notice prior to terminating the mentoring relationship, if possible
What are the Core Values of NICU Helping Hands?
- We know is incredibly helpful for others to hear and experience your unique perspective
- We believe all families have strengths, and that everyone is capable of learning new skills
- We want to create positive, goal-oriented relationships with parents
- We are committed to helping families reach their potential by fostering cooperation between families and resources, services, supports, and agencies
- We promote healthy relationships
- We believe all families experience stress; and we acknowledge that anyone may have experienced trauma, regardless of status or composition
- We understand there are a wide variety of healthy ways to parent
- We believe in a universal need for parenting knowledge and support
- We agree parents have the power to make the best decisions for their family
- We respect the rights and responsibilities of parents to make decisions
- We view help-seeking behavior as a strength and not a weakness
- We respect and appreciate diversity in families
- We strive for non-judgmental approach to working with those who are different from you
- We believe all families can benefit from and should have access to parenting education and skill building opportunities
- We value connection with service providers and community resources (such as schools, faith-based institutions, and other providers) to provide the best support for families
- We believe it is important for each person to have awareness of personal background and values, and to acknowledge his/her own personal bias toward other cultures/lifestyles
- We insist that all persons should be treated with respect, dignity, and self-determination
- We value confidentiality, and agree it is important not to release information acquired in the course of the peer-to-peer relationship
- We emphasize the importance of recognizing and working to decrease stigma related to mental health during and after the NICU
- We support and value the cyclical nature of parent helping parents
- We believe self-care is important for all parents to practice, in order to better care for the needs of their dependents
- We hold the views all people as valuable regardless of their abilities
- We accept that each person has strengths and weaknesses/challenges
- We believe anyone can learn and improve
- We respect others and do not judge
- We know the importance of sharing personal experiences
- We maintain a positive attitude about professionals encountered while accessing services
- We respect the attitudes, choices, practices, and beliefs of others
- We share resources and information with the goal of navigating challenges with greater ease