Adult Mentoring Program

Who We Are

The Adult Mentoring Program (AMP) is a community-based program that helps people re-establish their lives for newly released detainees.

The mentoring program will match individuals with a team of mentors called a Circle of Support and Accountability, or individuals may be matched up with individual mentors.

These programs tackle the hard issues that newly released from incarceration experience including:

a desire to overcome substance use
skills in stress management
coping skills in the workplace and in personal life
employment issues
fears associated with re-incarceration.

The Circles of Support are volunteer mentoring groups that operate through several churches in the area
The individual mentoring model is an even more individualized program that matches a newly released individual with a mentor

Each of these distinct styles of mentoring share common characteristics

That is why we have mentors who have been helping people through this program for over 15 years.

Structure of the Circles of Support Meetings

The structure of the Circle meeting is based upon the Native American Tribal Council format. All mentors and the core member sit in a circle typically around a table or a candle that may be placed in the center of the Circle. Keep in mind that these meetings take place each week. The leader for the meeting will be one of the mentors and that will be determined by the Circle either on a rotating basis or in some cases, the same person will lead all meetings.

The meeting will begin with the leader choosing some reading, meditation or prayer to bring the circle meeting together. The leader is normally sitting next to the core member in the circle. The leader will then begin by sharing their week with the group. The leader speaks while holding a talking piece (typically a stone or cross or some other type of talking piece), then the talking piece will be passed to the mentor sitting next to the leader, and they share. Then the talking piece gets passed to each mentor until it lands with the core member who will then share the events of their past week and any obstacles or goals that they have encountered.

The core member will also be encouraged to spend time talking about things weighing heaviest on their mind. Then when the core member is completed, they will pass the talking piece to the leader who will give feedback on what the core member has shared and may ask questions about things the core member has discussed.

The talking piece will continue to all mentors in the same fashion, and then it will end up with the core member who will discuss their goals for the next week and plan. The meeting can adjourn if there is a clear plan at this point, or the talking piece can go around again if more needs to be discussed.