The Development of a Peer Mentoring Program for Postsecondary Students with Mental Health Issues – MHIF (Round 1)
Project Summary
The goal of this project was to develop a system-wide, research-based and evaluated peer mentoring program focused on mental health in order to support students with mental health problems. The M2 Peer Mentor Program matched students with mental health issues (mentees) with an upper-year student mentor who provided personal support and suggested learning and coping strategies through weekly meetings. Mentors were selected using a careful and systematic hiring process and received intensive training in the following areas:
- Peer helping skills and communication skills
- Mental health education
- Stigma-reduction
- Boundaries and confidentiality
- Coaching healthy lifestyle choices
- Learning strategies
- Responding to a crisis
- Resources and referrals
A rigorous assessment of the program (for both mentors and mentees) was carried out using focus groups. Individual interviews and self-report scales (e.g. self-efficacy) and reflection diaries.
Key Outcomes
The M2 Peer Mentoring Program was successfully piloted at Queen’s University in the 2014-15 year.
Reports & Resources
The Peer Mentor Training Manual is a comprehensive curriculum package with everything necessary to train peer mentors for a mental-health focused peer mentoring program. The Training Manual includes an overview of the program structure and the pilot program at Queen’s University, as well as lesson plans, learning outcomes, activities, and handouts for all training sessions. The Power Point presentations for all training sessions are available below.
PowerPoint Slides:
Lead Institute