Mentorship in Illinois The Illinois staff mentoring project is part of a statewide system of training options developed to assist early intervention personnel to meet new credentialing standards set by the Human Resource Committee of the Interagency Council and to upgrade their skills. Staff mentoring was developed as a process for matching early interventionists with trainers who have expertise in early intervention. The first mentoring program started in April 1993. To date, approximately 45 dyads have been matched. Early interventionists participating in the program include speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, audiologists, nurses, pediatricians, special educators, regular educators, psychologists, and social workers. Funding The program is facilitated and supported through a 5-year, federally funded statewide Partnerships Project. The grant ends in August 1997. The University of Illinois and the Illinois State Board of Education together will review evaluative data to decide if they will refund the program. Mentors Flyers seeking applications from potential mentors were posted throughout the state and information was disseminated to individuals working in early intervention settings. Each potential mentor is asked to submit an application and two letters of recommendation, one letter from a supervisor and one from a parent to whom the applicant has provided services. This application process is designed to identify mentors who demonstrate successful experience with infants and toddlers and their families. A one-day training session is held to review the philosophical basis of the project, to discuss how this applies to the mentoring process, and to provide potential mentors with an overview of their primary responsibilities. The mentor receives a $100.00 honorarium for one 8-hour day, mileage is reimbursed at $.25 per mile, and a per diem of $35 is provided for meal expenses. Mentees Information is circulated to individuals working in early intervention settings throughout the state describing the availability of staff mentoring and its link to the early intervention credentialing system. Mentees then submit a request for mentoring. If it is determined that the request can be addressed through the project, a demographic data form is sent to the potential mentee. A Partnership staff member calls the mentee to clarify information as necessary and then matches the mentee with one or more mentors having the needed experience and expertise, using mentors from the same geographic area if possible. If no match is found, the staff member contacts known providers in the community who match the mentee's need and asks them to consider mentoring. Program The mentor contacts the mentee to negotiate a training contract that specific goals, training activities, and time lines. Both mentee and mentor must approve the contract before the on-site visit. The contract is then sent to a Partnership staff member. The mentor spends a minimum of 8 contact hours with the mentee, with at least 4 hours being at the mentee's work site. At the end of the visit, an action plan is formulated to assist the mentee in integrating new knowledge and skills into her daily work. Once the visit is completed, the mentor-mentee relationship is formally at an end, and the Partnership staff assumes responsibility for follow-up with the participants. This includes ensuring that the following steps are completed. The mentor signs a certificate of completion and returns it to the Partnership's office, along with an evaluation of the process and a request for reimbursement. The mentee also completes an evaluation. She is then sent a certificate of completion to be included in the credentialing portfolio. Completion of the mentoring process may be counted towards the requirements for initial approval as an early intervention specialist or towards annual maintenance of the credential. Approximately 2 months after the visit, a second evaluation form is sent to the mentees to evaluate the progress they have made on the goals stated in their action plan. Evaluation Formal evaluations are pending. Informal evaluation indicates that mentor-mentee relationships are maintained beyond the formal 8 contact hours, and that they continue to be a resource to each other. Contact: Dr. Tweety Yates University of Illinois 61 Children's Resource Center 51 Gerty Drive Champagne, IL 61820 Office: (217) 333-4123 Fax: (217) 244-7732 E-mail: t-felner@uiuc.edu Supporting Documents Available From Illinois: Staff Mentoring Paperwork Process Information Sheet on Staff Mentoring Staff Mentor Application Staff Mentor Demographics Training Contract (Staff Mentor Visit) Training Action Plan Mentor Exit Evaluation of Staff Mentoring Process Staff Mentor Follow-Up Evaluation Request for Staff Mentoring Mentee Demographics Mentee Exit Evaluation of Staff Mentoring Process Mentee Follow-Up Evaluation Certificate of Completion Developed with funding from the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, under Contract No. RR93002001. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the position or policies of OERI or the Department. Digests may be freely reproduced. downloaded at www.schoolhousedoor.com