Fifth Rule for Mentoring/Coaching Youth

1. Respect the youth’s rights and dignity

Mentor/coaches should respect the rights and dignity of all persons with whom they work. Although the mentor/coach relationship does not have the same legal protections as a doctor-client relationship, every attempt should be made to respect the youth’s rights and make clear to him or her limits of the relationship.

· Mentor/coaches should try to understand youth’s personal goals, desires, and values and not undermine their ability to make their own decisions.

· Confidentiality issues: mentor/coaches should inform youth of limits of confidentiality. The mentoring/coaching relationship does not have the same rights to confidentiality as a therapist/doctor-patient relationship. Mentor/coaches may have to disclose information to parents or proper authorities, and these limits on disclosure should be explained to the youth. Other than parents and proper authorities, such as judges, school counselors, direct supervisors, or clinical consultants involved directly with the case, information gained through the mentor/coach relationship should remain confidential. No information about a youth should be disclosed to a mentor/coach’s own family, friends, or colleagues unless that person is directly involved with the mentored youth. If a situation is discussed in training settings with other mentor/coaches, then all attempts must be made to hide identifying information. In all cases, youth’s disclosure of intention to harm themselves or others and acknowledgement or suspicion of any abuse or neglect should be reported to the proper authorities.

Fourth Rule of Mentor/Coaching Youth

Act with integrity

Mentor/coaches bear responsibility for finding ways to effectively and consistently communicate with youth, to honor plans and commitments, and seek guidance and consultation from the program if they are unable to do so. Guidance and consultation with appropriate professionals (e.g., program trainers, other mentor/coaches) is vitally important in ethical decision making. If you don’t know what to do, consult with others before acting.

Third Rule of Mentor/Coaching Youth

Be trustworthy and responsible

Always follow the program guidelines and be aware of your responsibilities to the youth and the program. Be aware of:
• program guidelines and procedures
• your responsibilities for meeting (phone contact) frequency and duration
• how to establish, maintain, and terminate mentoring/coaching relationships

Second Rule of Mentor/Coaching Youth

Promote the youth’s welfare and safety

The second guiding ethical principle is promoting the welfare and safety of the youth. There are a number of components to consider when considering how to best promote their welfare and safety:
• Build rapport with the youth’s primary caregivers to develop understanding of family circumstances, belief systems, and expectations for the child. Because the Right Back on Track mentoring/coaching program is unique in that it is done through phone mentoring/coaching, rapport building with caregivers can be more challenging than face-to-face mentoring/coaching. However, contact with school counselors can help bridge this gap. Building rapport and connections with the youth’s support systems improves the youth’s chances for success.
• Obtain ongoing training to expand your cultural knowledge. In addition to formal training on working with youth from different cultural backgrounds, it is important to understand the youth’s perspective on his or her life and culture. It can be helpful if you have a similar background to the youth, but remember that regardless of the similarities, the youth has his or her experiences that must be understood.
• Clear and appropriate boundaries: mentor/coaches should be aware of multiple roles and mindful of situations in which youth make disclosures or raise concerns that would be better handled by a parent or professional (e.g., psychologist, physician) and encourage the youth to take his or her concerns up with them. Mentor/coaches are not parents, licensed counselors, clergy, or friends with the youth there are mentoring/coaching.