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Strengthen the Evidence for Maternal and Child Health Programs

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Evidence Tools
MCHbest. Adult Mentor.

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Strategy. Strengths-Based Approach

Approach. Establish mentorship programs using a strengths-based approach to build self esteem in youth.

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Overview. Adopting a strengths based approach to mentoring involves adapting to the needs of the youth mentee, helping them set goals, and connecting them to supportive networks.[1, 2, 3, 4, 5] The mentor-mentee relationship is more impactful when it is lasts for longer durations and takes place in a safe space.[2, 6, 7, 8, 9] The strength based approach occurs when mentors actively listen to the mentee and demonstrate empathy, authenticity, trust, honesty, and acceptance.[5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12] This approach yields a sense of belonging, strong personal identity, higher self-esteem, and positive behavioral outcomes.[13, 14]

Evidence. Moderate Evidence. Strategies with this rating are likely to work...

Access the peer-reviewed evidence through the MCH Digital Library or related evidence source.

Outcome Components. This strategy has shown to have impact on the following outcomes (Read more about these categories):

  • Quality of Care. This strategy promotes the degree to which healthcare services meet established standards aimed at achieving optimal health outcomes.
  • Utilization. This strategy improves the extent to which individuals and communities use available healthcare services.

Detailed Outcomes. For specific outcomes related to each study supporting this strategy, access the peer-reviewed evidence and read the Intervention Results for each study.

Intervention Type. Coalition-Building (Read more about intervention types and levels as defined by the Public Health Intervention Wheel).

Intervention Level. Individual/Family-Focused

Examples from the Field. There are currently no ESMs that use this strategy. Search similar intervention components in the ESM database.

Sample ESMs. Here are sample ESMs to use as models for your own measures using the RBA framework (see The Role of Title V in Adapting Strategies).

Quadrant 1:
Measuring Quantity of Effort (“What/how much did we do?”)

  • Number of mentorship programs that adopt and implement strengths-based approaches in their mentoring practices and curricula. (Measures program adoption of strengths-based practices) Number of mentors and program staff who receive training in strengths-based mentoring principles, skills, and strategies. (Assesses mentor capacity building and training reach)

Quadrant 2:
Measuring Quality of Effort (“How well did we do it?”)

  • Percent of mentor-mentee interactions and activities that focus on identifying, affirming, and building upon young people's talents, interests, and aspirations. (Measures centrality of strengths-based practices in mentoring relationships) Percent of youth participants who report feeling consistently supported, valued, and encouraged by their mentors to discover and actualize their unique strengths and potential. (Shows youth perceptions of mentor relational skills and youth-centeredness)

Quadrant 3:
Measuring Quantity of Effect (“Is anyone better off?”)

  • Number of young people who demonstrate increased self-motivation, personal agency, and ownership over their learning and development as a result of strengths-based mentoring. (Measures impact on youth autonomy and engagement) Number of mentorship programs that demonstrate high rates of youth satisfaction, retention, and positive development outcomes sustained over time. (Shows program quality and long-term impact on youth) Number of youth-serving organizations and systems that adopt and integrate strengths-based mentoring as a core strategy for promoting positive youth development and reducing risk factors. (Measures field adoption and systems integration of strengths-based approach) Number of communities that experience improvements in youth developmental assets, educational outcomes, and social connectedness as a result of widespread implementation of strengths-based mentoring programs. (Assesses collective impact on community-level youth well-being)

Quadrant 4:
Measuring Quality of Effect (“How are they better off?”)

  • Percent of young people who demonstrate increased self-motivation, personal agency, and ownership over their learning and development as a result of strengths-based mentoring. (Measures impact on youth autonomy and engagement) Percent of mentorship programs that demonstrate high rates of youth satisfaction, retention, and positive development outcomes sustained over time. (Shows program quality and long-term impact on youth) Percent of youth-serving organizations and systems that adopt and integrate strengths-based mentoring as a core strategy for promoting positive youth development and reducing risk factors. (Measures field adoption and systems integration of strengths-based approach) Percent of communities that experience improvements in youth developmental assets, educational outcomes, and social connectedness as a result of widespread implementation of strengths-based mentoring programs. (Assesses collective impact on community-level youth well-being)

Note. When looking at your ESMs, SPMs, or other strategies:

  1. Move from measuring quantity to quality.
  2. Move from measuring effort to effect.
  3. Quadrant 1 strategies should be used sparingly, when no other data exists.
  4. The most effective measurement combines strategies in all levels, with most in Quadrants 2 and 4.

Learn More. Read how to create stronger ESMs and how to measure ESM impact more meaningfully through Results-Based Accountability.

References

[1] Lyons MD, McQuillin SD, Henderson LJ. Finding the Sweet Spot: Investigating the Effects of Relationship Closeness and Instrumental Activities in School-based Mentoring. Am J Community Psychol. 2019 Mar;63(1-2):88-98. doi: 10.1002/ajcp.12283. Epub 2018 Dec 12. PMID: 30548458; PMCID: PMC6590442.

[2] Duron JF, Williams-Butler A, Schmidt AT, Colon L. Mentors' experiences of mentoring justice-involved adolescents: A narrative of developing cultural consciousness through connection. J Community Psychol. 2020 Sep;48(7):2309-2325. doi: 10.1002/jcop.22415. Epub 2020 Jul 15. PMID: 32667063.

[3] Lester AM, Goodloe CL, Johnson HE, Deutsch NL. Understanding mutuality: Unpacking relational processes in youth mentoring relationships. J Community Psychol. 2019 Jan;47(1):147-162. doi: 10.1002/jcop.22106. Epub 2018 Jul 5. PMID: 30506928.

[4] Erin A. Harper, Anthony G. James, Chamina Curtis & Demoni’ Ramey (2021) Using the Participatory Culture-Specific Intervention Model to Improve a Positive Youth Development Program for African American Adolescent Girls, Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 31:1, 61-81, DOI: 10.1080/10474412.2019.1652618

[5] Galit Yanay-Ventura, Gila Amitay, Volunteers' practices in mentoring youth in distress: Volunteers as informal agents for youth, Children and Youth Services Review, Volume 99, 2019, Pages 418-428, ISSN 0190-7409, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.02.022. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740918311010)

[6] Damm AP, von Essen E, Jensen AJ, Kerrn-Jespersen F, van Mastrigt S. Duration of Mentoring Relationship Predicts Child Well-Being: Evidence from a Danish Community-Based Mentoring Program. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Mar 2;19(5):2906. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19052906. PMID: 35270599; PMCID: PMC8910230.

[7] Duron JF, Williams-Butler A, Schmidt AT, Colon L. Mentors' experiences of mentoring justice-involved adolescents: A narrative of developing cultural consciousness through connection. J Community Psychol. 2020 Sep;48(7):2309-2325. doi: 10.1002/jcop.22415. Epub 2020 Jul 15. PMID: 32667063.

[8] Deutsch, N. L., Mauer, V. A., Johnson, H. E., Grabowska, A. A., & Arbeit, M. R. (2020). “[My counselor] knows stuff about me, but [my natural mentor] actually knows me”: Distinguishing characteristics of youth’s natural mentoring relationships. Children and Youth Services Review, 111, Article 104879. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.104879

[9] Lester AM, Goodloe CL, Johnson HE, Deutsch NL. Understanding mutuality: Unpacking relational processes in youth mentoring relationships. J Community Psychol. 2019 Jan;47(1):147-162. doi: 10.1002/jcop.22106. Epub 2018 Jul 5. PMID: 30506928.

[10] Vaida Kazlauskaite, Jacqueline E. Braughton, Lindsey M. Weiler, Shelley Haddock, Kimberly L. Henry, Rachel Lucas-Thompson, Adolescents’ experiences of mentor alliance and sense of belonging in a site-based mentoring intervention, Children and Youth Services Review, Volume 114, 2020, 105040, ISSN 0190-7409, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105040. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740920300098)

[11] Austin LJ, Parnes MF, Jarjoura GR, Keller TE, Herrera C, Tanyu M, Schwartz SEO. Connecting Youth: The Role of Mentoring Approach. J Youth Adolesc. 2020 Dec;49(12):2409-2428. doi: 10.1007/s10964-020-01320-z. Epub 2020 Sep 24. PMID: 32974870.

[12] Duron JF, Williams-Butler A, Schmidt AT, Colon L. Mentors' experiences of mentoring justice-involved adolescents: A narrative of developing cultural consciousness through connection. J Community Psychol. 2020 Sep;48(7):2309-2325. doi: 10.1002/jcop.22415. Epub 2020 Jul 15. PMID: 32667063.

[13] Logwood, Dyann C., "Critical Black feminist mentorship: A review of a middle school and university sponsored program for adolescent Black girls" (2020). Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations. 1050. https://commons.emich.edu/theses/1050

[14] Alwani, N., Lyons, M.D., & Edwards, K.D. (2022). Examining heterogeneity in mentoring: Associations between mentoring discussion topics and youth outcomes. Journal of community psychology.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U02MC31613, MCH Advanced Education Policy, $3.5 M. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.