Are you a community benefit organization providing youth behavioral health programs in Lancaster County? The Touchstone Foundation seeks to establish partnerships with organizations promoting and elevating mental well-being among the youth in Lancaster County.
Donor Name: Touchstone Foundation
State: Pennsylvania
County: Lancaster County (PA)
Type of Grant: Program
Deadline: 02/15/2024
Size of the Grant: Not Available
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Touchstone Foundation is collaborating with organizations in Lancaster County to implement a Youth Mentorship Initiative. This initiative aims to connect the youth with adult mentors from the community.
Touchstone Foundation’s mission is to elevate the mental well-being of youth in Lancaster County.
At Touchstone Foundation, they have three main goals:
- Build the talent pipeline by increasing career pathways for students, promoting mental health careers, and retaining licensed professionals in the community.
- Increase access to mental healthcare, especially for the most vulnerable and at-risk populations, by removing financial barriers, promoting wellness activities, advocating for health policy changes, and addressing the need for diversity, equity, and inclusion across all settings.
- Create awareness and education about identifying the warning signs of depression among children and youth to prevent suicide, especially among high-risk populations such as youth who identify as LGBTQIA+, early-childhood trauma, and youth with alcohol and substance use disorders.
Focus Areas
- Youth Mentorship
- Mental Wellness
- Trauma-Informed Care Training for both youth and mentors.
Program Guidelines
Touchstone Foundation is looking to support existing or implementation of youth mentorship programs that offer:
- Trauma informed and trustworthy adult volunteers interested in supporting youth.
- Preference if they have past youth experience.
- Adult mentors should show evidence of completing trauma informed care training and/or Youth Mental Health First Aid training, at a minimum.
- Each adult or group of adults would be paired with a youth or a small group of youth.
- Mentees can be recommended for this program by school, staff/parents/therapists, or they can sign up for it on their own.
- Parental consent is mandatory.
- The mentor and mentee(s) will engage in approved activities (e.g., hiking, biking, sports, e-sports, crafting, painting, etc.) while addressing mental health issues.
- A relaxed relationship between mentor and mentee that can last long-term (1-5 years).
- Guarantee safety first in all activities, ensuring child abuse prevention by pairing youth in small groups with more than one safe adult present at all times.
- Use a flexible design to allow youth to modify and adapt activities to match their needs.
- Provide professional & personal resources to be available for mentees.
For more information, visit Touchstone Foundation.
