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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. Professional Development Opportunities

Approach. Establish mentor training programs to provide the necessary skills and supports for a successful mentoring experience.

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Overview. Training for adult mentors can vary from two to 15 hours of content.[1, 2, 3] Some universal training topics include building an effective relationship, understanding their role as a mentor, communication skills, and expectations for the match.[1, 2, 3, 4, 5] Additional content might include setting goals, understanding the needs of youth, and addressing challenges.[1, 2, 3, 4, 5] Having training for mentors has resulted in longer mentor retention, improved relationship quality, and enhanced mentor outcomes.[3, 4, 5] In addition to training, mentorship programs have benefited from monthly peer mentor support meetings, and having program staff available to offer support to mentors.[1, 6]

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):

  • Health and Health Behaviors/Behavior Change. This strategy improves individuals' physical and mental health and their adoption of healthy behaviors (e.g., healthy eating, physical activity).
  • Quality of Care. This strategy promotes the degree to which healthcare services meet established standards aimed at achieving optimal health outcomes.
  • Social Determinants of Health. This strategy advances economic, social, and environmental factors that affect health outcomes. SDOH include the conditions in the environments in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.

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. Health Teaching (Education and Promotion) (Read more about intervention types and levels as defined by the Public Health Intervention Wheel).

Intervention Level. Community-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 mentors who participate in initial and ongoing training sessions to enhance their effectiveness in supporting youth development. (Assesses mentor engagement and participation in professional development) Number of training hours and learning modules completed by mentors to build specific skills and strategies for successful mentoring relationships. (Shows dosage and depth of mentor training)

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

  • Percent of mentor training programs that are based on research-informed practices, adult learning principles, and competency-based skill-building approaches. (Measures use of evidence-based and engaging training methods) Percent of mentor training and support activities that are differentiated and tailored to the needs of mentors. (Assesses individualization responsiveness of professional development)

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

  • Number of mentors who report increased confidence, self-efficacy, and satisfaction in their mentoring roles and relationships as a result of professional development support. (Assesses impact on mentor motivation and retention) Number of mentors who apply new skills, strategies, and approaches learned through training to strengthen the quality and effectiveness of their mentoring interactions with youth. (Shows transfer of learning to practice) Number of mentors who advance into leadership roles, such as trainers, coaches, or program managers, as a result of their own professional development and growth through mentoring programs. (Assesses leadership development and career advancement impact) Number of cross-sector initiatives and investments leveraged to build a robust pipeline and ecosystem of support for mentor education, training, and professional development. (Shows systems-level impact and field-strengthening efforts)

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

  • Percent of mentors who report increased confidence, self-efficacy, and satisfaction in their mentoring roles and relationships as a result of professional development support. (Assesses impact on mentor motivation and retention) Percent of mentors who apply new skills, strategies, and approaches learned through training to strengthen the quality and effectiveness of their mentoring interactions with youth. (Shows transfer of learning to practice) Percent of mentors who advance into leadership roles, such as trainers, coaches, or program managers, as a result of their own professional development and growth through mentoring programs. (Assesses leadership development and career advancement impact) Percent of cross-sector initiatives and investments leveraged to build a robust pipeline and ecosystem of support for mentor education, training, and professional development. (Shows systems-level impact and field-strengthening efforts)

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] Laco, D., & Johnson, W. (2019). “I Expect It to Be Great . . . but Will It Be?” An Investigation of Outcomes, Processes, and Mediators of a School-Based Mentoring Program. Youth & Society, 51(7), 934-960. https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X17711615

[2] Sánchez B, Pryce J, Silverthorn N, Deane KL, DuBois DL. Do mentor support for ethnic-racial identity and mentee cultural mistrust matter for girls of color? A preliminary investigation. Cultur Divers Ethnic Minor Psychol. 2019 Oct;25(4):505-514. doi: 10.1037/cdp0000213. Epub 2018 Oct 1. PMID: 30272473; PMCID: PMC6443497.

[3] Drew AL, Keller TE, Spencer R, Herrera C. Investigating mentor commitment in youth mentoring relationships: The role of perceived program practices. J Community Psychol. 2020 Sep;48(7):2264-2276. doi: 10.1002/jcop.22409. Epub 2020 Jul 11. PMID: 32652581.

[4] Barbara J. McMorris, Jennifer L. Doty, Lindsey M. Weiler, Kara J. Beckman, Diego Garcia-Huidobro, A typology of school-based mentoring relationship quality: Implications for recruiting and retaining volunteer mentors, Children and Youth Services Review, Volume 90, 2018, Pages 149-157, ISSN 0190-7409, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.05.019. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740917310824)

[5] @misc{https://open.bu.edu/handle/2144/33249, title = {Understanding mentors’ experiences in order to improve mentor retention: a three-study, multi-method dissertation}, author = {Drew,, Alison, Lynne}, year = {2018}, URL = {https://open.bu.edu/handle/2144/33249}, publisher = {OpenBU}

[6] Keller TE, DuBois DL. Influence of program staff on quality of relationships in a community-based youth mentoring program. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2021 Jan;1483(1):112-126. doi: 10.1111/nyas.14289. Epub 2019 Dec 23. PMID: 31868259.

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.