FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Is your mentoring program effective?

Yes, our Reentry Mentorship Initiative aligns with 90% of the standards from MENTOR National’s benchmarks for mentoring programs. Click here to see which standards we satisfy. We plan to complete the remaining 10% as we expand and develop. These remaining benchmarks include recruitment, training, reporting, program procedures, reporting, and program completion.

What if I have been incarcerated? Can I still be a mentor?

Yes, we welcome individuals with similar lived experiences to be mentors. Our mentors will be background-checked, so your criminal record does not disqualify you from being a mentor. Writers in Residence reserves the right to determine an individual’s volunteer participation for any reason to fulfill our mission and vision.

How long does it take for me to get matched with a mentee?

We strive to match our mentors and mentors as quickly as possible. But we serve youth across Ohio so depending on their location and their availability, making matches may take an extended period of time. When our mentor is ready to be matched, our Reentry Director will communicate with them on a regular basis about the potential matches.

How long does the mentoring relationship last?

The goals that our youth and their legal guardian(s) want to accomplish generally take 12-18 months. However, because every mentoring relationship is different, and while there will be formal changes in the mentoring relationship when the youth completes their goals, we are happy to have our mentors maintain open lines of communication with their mentees at the end of the program as long as every party agrees to the extension.

What is the time commitment for mentoring?

Our mentors must spend 2-4 hours per month with their mentees. These interactions may be arranged on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis either in person or remotely via Google Meet, Zoom, FaceTime, etc. Our mentors must maintain consistent communication with their mentees so they know how and when to reach their mentor, feeling supported by them.

What are the requirements to be a mentor?

To be a mentor, we require that you are 18+ years old and possess some of the following qualities to successfully assist our youth in their reentry:

Positive
Consistent
Responsible
Passionate
Open-minded
Empathetic

We also require our mentors to complete our onboarding process:

Submit an application
Participate in trainings from Writers in Residence and the Department of Youth Services
Fill out volunteer agreements
Meet one-on-one with the Reentry Director
Await a match

Mentors don’t need to have a particular degree or specific experience in an employment field. Mentors need to be committed to helping their mentees achieve their goals.

Do I need to have writing experience to be a mentor?

No, you don’t need writing experience to be a mentor because our Reentry Mentorship Initiative does not focus on creative writing like our Creative Writing Workshop where we first engage with the majority of our youth. At the start of the Reentry Mentorship Initiative, the youth and their legal guardian(s) create a care plan with goals for the mentee to work on with their mentor. Some youth may desire to write outside of our Creative Writing Workshop, so we ask our mentors to encourage this interest and activity, but it is not a requirement of our mentoring program.

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