Guidelines for Mentors and Mentees

Welcome to our ground-breaking LA-CAMFT TOC Mentorship Program. We are excited to offer this program and invite you to participate in our community of mentorship for Therapists of Color by Therapists of Color. Please ensure have reviewed the Program Overview and Guidelines for Mentors and Mentees.

Guidelines for Mentors

Mentor’s Role

The mentor's role is to guide professional development opportunities that align with the mentee's professional goals.

As an advocate and leader, a mentor can help a mentee by providing knowledgeable and strategic advice. A mentor shares information and expertise from a clinical perspective as a mental health professional of color.

A Mentor Is Expected to:

• Help identify areas for growth, networking opportunities, and relevant resources.
• Provide constructive feedback and recognize the mentee's accomplishments.
• Help the mentee practice critical thinking and decision-making skills.
• Model professional behavior within a cultural context, by showing humility when addressing cultural differences.
• Demonstrate both self-awareness and awareness of others by respecting and embracing individual differences.
• Provide encouragement and support while helping to navigate structural inequalities within the system.
• Discuss ways to advance in their careers (such as how to get a job in the field, grow and develop in private practice or community mental health, or even become a supervisor).
• Teach marketability and profitability (such as how to be aware of new opportunities, shift from one setting to another, and advocate for personal/self-care, and financial needs).
• Assist with submission of BBS paperwork, if needed.
• Cultivate and promote a culture of support within our professional careers, between graduate students and end of career clinicians.

Mentor's Commitment

As a mentor, you agree to:

• Determine alignment with the prospective mentee's desired goals and your skill sets.
• Evaluate and communicate with your mentee to confirm the match is a good fit or suggest that a new match is needed.
• Work together to develop communication protocols, meeting agendas, and schedules.
• Share your network of contacts and resources, and identify opportunities for mentee’s growth.

Considerations for Mentors

Acknowledge your time commitment. Communicate clearly about your time and availability. Be willing to share personal challenges and successes. Keep sensitive conversations confidential.

Rewards for Being a Mentor

Working with a professional mentee offers many rewards:

• Achieve satisfaction by guiding, teaching, and inspiring the next generation of mental health professionals.
• Advance your professional leadership by remaining current on social and cultural considerations.
• Expand your past and present professional support networks.
• Build intergenerational relationships.
• Model ethical behavior through sharing your wisdom and professional experience.
• Observe contributions of mentorship as former mentees progress within the field.
• Promote and encourage values critical to the mentee’s cultural professional framework.
• Free access to 3 LA-CAMFT CEU networking events within the initial 6 month period of mentorship, or 1 Free Year of LA-CAMFT Membership. (mentor’s choice)
• 3 free months of promotion in LA-CAMFT eBlast advertising. 

Guidelines for Mentees

Mentee’s Role

Initiate communication with your mentor and be clear about what you are seeking from this experience.

Clarify the frequency and length of your mentorship commitment.

Prepare for each meeting with your mentor. Areas of guidance you may be seeking: objectives, visions, and dreams as well as any struggles, difficulties, or obstacles on the path. Identify the skills, knowledge, and/or goals you want to achieve.

A Mentee Is Expected to:

• Display openness to feedback: Be humble, listen attentively, and be curious.
• Discuss how to effectively cancel or reschedule a meeting.
• Commit to keeping schedule changes to a minimum and arrive at your meetings at the agreed-upon time.
• Respond to your mentor in a timely manner.
• Set conversational boundaries around personal topics you do not wish to discuss.
• Thank your mentor and acknowledge their gift of time. Be prepared to provide your mentor with feedback about your experience.
• Communicate concerns to the TOC mentorship committee if discrepancies arise.

Mentee’s Commitment

As a mentee, you agree to:

• Initiate contact with your mentor.
• Be proactive in shaping the overall experience.
• Work together to develop communication protocols, meeting agendas, and schedules.
• Please provide feedback to the LA-CAMFT TOC Mentorship Committee during the mentoring relationship and at its close.

Considerations for Mentee’s

Acknowledge your time commitment. Communicate clearly about your time and availability. Be willing to share personal challenges and successes. Keep sensitive conversations confidential.

Mentee’s Rewards

Working with a professional mentor offers many rewards:

• Focus on your career path and long-term goals.
• Guidance based on real-world experiences.
• Create a lasting professional relationship.
• Receive honest and informal feedback.
• Develop self-awareness and new skills.
• Expand your professional network.
• Advance your leadership skills.
• Build intergenerational relationships.
• Gain new approaches to problem-solving.
• Insight from alternative areas of experience.
• Recommendations for specific clinical practices.