Shared Services Mentorship Program

Derived from a partnership between Mental Health and Addictions Services, both Moose Jaw School Divisions, the YMCA, and the Ministry of Social Services and is overseen by a volunteer community committee comprised of representatives of those agencies. Students are referred to this program by the agencies above.

Mentorship runs over 2, 15-week sessions from September – June.  Mentors are trained staff who are partnered with a child/youth or small group of children/youth who have a need to enhance their self-esteem, self-regulation, and resiliency skills. Activities are designed to meet the needs and interests of the mentee and to help develop self-confidence, community connectedness, and life skills. Mentors coach and reinforce pro-social development, act as an agent for participation in positive leisure and recreation and support the expansion of social support networks.

The program is designed to address the needs of school-aged children and youth aged 6 – 18 years. The youth that are referred to the project demonstrates both persistent behavior, emotional or social struggles. The youth often have difficulty with peer relationships and/or have barriers to making friends, as well as lacking a connection in some way to the community or an existing support network. Mentors spend time with at-risk children and youth, either directly in the school, at the John Chisholm location, or out in the community, based on each child’s unique individual needs.