Your Role & Mission
No matter what kind of obstacle you may encounter or question you would have, you will not be alone.
You’ll find here information about people who will support you as a BTS Mentor.
A response for every struggle
1.
MEA Support
Relational issues with your Mentee that couldn’t be solved directly with them
Communication issues with your Mentee (difficulty to get in touch and connect together)
Conflict with your Mentee that requires a third party to mediate
You feel overwhelmed/burnt out by your role and need to talk about it
Your Mentee is not respecting the boundaries that you’ve set together
Any practical question about the program and requirements
2.
Staff Support
Situations that don’t require immediate action but to be monitored:
Your Mentee has active thoughts of suicide and a plan for it
Your Mentee is currently victim of abuse
Your Mentee has known a traumatic experience during the year of the program and is highly vulnerable
Situations that require staff intervention and go against the program’s policy:
You are being harrassed by your Mentee or MEA
You are being discriminated or victim of racism by your Mentee or MEA
3.
Professional services (emergencies)
Your Mentee is actively abusing someone (partner, child)
Your Mentee is actively suicidal and about to hurt themselves
Your Mentee is having a mental decompensation (psychotic break)
Your Mentee is planning on hurting someone
Your MEA
Match Experience Ambassadors (“MEA”) are volunteers who applied to support both Mentors and Mentees during their year of mentoring. Their primary goal is to support the well functioning and growth of the matches they are connected with.
Your MEA will be your very first contact person in case you need support or encouragement regarding your relationship with your Mentee. In practice, they will listen to you, help answer questions and celebrate your growth with you.
A safe person to talk to
If you struggle meeting with your Mentee because they cancel repeatedly, if you feel like there are unsaid tensions between you and them, if you doubt about your capacities as a Mentor, if you feel overwhelmed, if you fear making your Mentee uncomfortable… these are typical situations that you are safe to discuss with your MEA.
The space that you will share together is meant to be supportive and confidential. Unless a conflict needs to be mediated directly with your Mentee or a situation of emergency requires the intervention of our Staff, the information you’ll share with your MEA is not meant to be disclosed.
Your Mentee, your MEA and you will all be present on the BTS Discord server, which will be the most convenient place to message them. On their end, your MEA will reach out to you regularly - make sure to respond to them!
Staff Support
BTS is under the oversight of Heartsupport’s Program Director who is also in direct contact with MEAs currently involved in the program.
We will ask you to contact them if you encounter any of the situations listed below, by email to [email protected]. They will hear you out and consider the situation with the care and discretion it requires.
1) Escalation
We have listed four cases where your Mentee would face a situation that could evolve into something damaging or dangerous for them. These situations don’t require a direct intervention or emergency services, but are to be communicated systematically to your MEA and our Staff as they can be distressing for both your Mentee and you. This will allow your support team to be aware of what’s going on, to support you best in your role and help de-escalate a situation if needed.
Your Mentee has active thoughts of suicide and a plan (refer as needed to our training on how to support someone with suicidal thoughts)
Your Mentee is currently victim of abuse (they are being hurt repeatedly by someone in their current life environment)
Your Mentee confessed having commited a crime
Your Mentee has known a traumatic experience during the year of the program (assault, violence, etc.)
2) Non-compliance with BTS Program policy
We have at heart to keep this program safe at all times and for everyone. If you encounter any behaviors from someone at BTS that go against our program’s policy, we will hear you out and take action accordingly.
You are being harrassed by your Mentee or MEA
You are being discriminated or victim of racism by your Mentee or MEA