Mentoring Central: Mobile and Web Training for Mentees and their Caregivers

描述（由申请人提供）：培训被指导的青年和他们的照顾者与他们的导师和指导计划成功地一起工作，对于实现安全，高质量，持续的指导关系以及获得积极的青年成果至关重要。对被指导者及其照顾者进行培训被认为是指导领域的最佳做法；然而，许多项目努力为他们提供系统和充分的培训经验。这也许可以解释一些导师在与被指导者的照顾者的关系中遇到的挑战，包括沟通中断、关系的意外终止、边界侵犯和权力滥用。这些领域的培训可以为家庭提供所需的技能、知识和认知，从而与他们的导师和指导计划的工作人员建立牢固的关系。考虑到过早终止关系的负面影响，项目报告说，非常需要找到维持和支持师徒关系的方法，培训学员和他们的照顾者是一项至关重要的策略。通过移动技术的进步以及互联网和移动技术使用的兴起，现在有机会为全国各地的父母和青少年，包括生活在农村地区的父母和青少年提供创新和可访问的网络和移动培训资源。拟议项目的总体目标是使用迭代过程为学员及其护理人员开发可通过互联网、平板电脑和智能手机设备访问的培训。完成后的项目将包括一个多媒体互动课程，供家庭成员一起完成。课程内容将涉及以下主题：定义指导，解释培训的重要性，指导的好处，指导的共同动机和期望，参与指导关系的每个人的角色，儿童安全和边界问题，以及为第一次配对会议做准备。护理人员和学员将能够利用可下载的提示表来帮助指导与导师和指导项目工作人员的对话。计划开发一套完整的移动应用程序，供学员和护理人员在培训中使用。通过我们与青年辅导领域的领导人的联系，以及该领域对这类资源日益增长的需求，将促进拟议产品的商业化。在第一阶段，将由导师、学员及其护理人员组成三个焦点小组。他们将对课程内容和方法提供反馈。一对一的评估研究与五个学员/护理人员对程序的可用性和消费者满意度提供反馈。最后，将进行可行性研究，以检验对被指导者和照顾者进行培训的短期有效性，以改善他们对准备师徒关系的态度和知识，并获得消费者满意度反馈。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Training mentored youth and their caregivers to work together successfully with their mentor and mentoring program is critically important for achieving a safe, high-quality, sustained mentoring relationship, and for obtaining positive youth outcomes. Training for mentees and their caregivers is considered a best practice in the field of mentoring; however, many programs struggle to provide them with systemic and adequate training experiences. This may explain the challenges that some mentors report in their relations with the caregivers of their mentees, which include communication breakdowns, unexpected termination of the relationship, boundary violations, and misuse of power. Training in these areas can provide families with the skills, knowledge, and cognitions needed to develop a strong relationship with their mentor and mentoring program staff members. Given the negative impact of prematurely terminated relationships, programs report a great need for figuring out ways to sustain and support mentoring relationships, and training mentees and their caregivers is one critically important strategy. Through advances in mobile technology and the rise of internet and mobile technology use, there now exists an opportunity to provide innovative and accessible web and mobile-based training resources for parents and youth across the country, including those living in rural areas. The overall goal of the proposed project is to use an iterative proces to develop training for mentees and their caregivers that is accessible via Internet, tablet, and smartphone devices. The finished project will include a multimedia, interactive course designed for family members to complete together. The course content will address topics such as defining mentoring, explaining the importance of training, the benefits of mentoring, common motivations and expectations for mentoring, roles of everyone involved in a mentoring relationship, child safety and boundaries issues, and preparing for the first match meeting. Caregivers and mentees will be able to utilize downloadable tip sheets to help guide conversations with the mentor and mentoring program staff. A complete set of mobile applications for mentees and caregivers to use in training are planned for development. Commercialization of the proposed product will be facilitated through our connections with leaders in the field of youth mentoring and the rising demand from the field for this type of resource. In Phase I, three focus groups will be conducted with mentors, mentees, and their caregivers. They will provide feedback on program content and methods. A One-to-One Evaluation study with five mentee/caregiver dyads will provide feedback on program usability and consumer satisfaction. Finally, a Feasibility Study will be conducted to examine the short-term effectiveness of the training for mentees and caregivers for improving their attitudes and knowledge regarding preparing for a mentoring relationship and to obtain consumer satisfaction feedback.