News and Media

We proud to announce that a research article from the Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring and colleagues has been recognized as one of the top 10 most cited papers in the American Journal of Community Psychology over the past two years.

The article, titled “Paraprofessional Youth Mentoring: A Framework for Integrating Youth Mentoring with Helping Institutions and Professions,” (co-authored by Drs. Sam McQuillin and Matt Hagler) proposes an innovative framework for leveraging paraprofessional youth mentors to address the growing demand for child mental health services. The paper outlines three key tasks for paraprofessional mentors:

         1. Reducing barriers to mental health services

         2. Increasing engagement in services

         3. Providing direct services

“This recognition underscores the critical importance of reimagining how we deliver mental health support to our youth,” said Dr. Jean Rhodes. “By integrating paraprofessional mentors into existing systems of care, we can significantly expand access to evidence-based interventions and improve outcomes for children and adolescents.”

The framework presented in the paper aligns closely with the Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring’s mission to revolutionize mentoring through evidence-based practices. It emphasizes the need for competency-based training, professional supervision, and rigorous documentation to ensure the safety and effectiveness of paraprofessional mentoring efforts.

Dr. Alex Werntz added, “The high citation rate of our article reflects the growing recognition that innovative approaches are needed to address the mental health needs of our youth. We’re excited to see how this framework is inspiring new research and practices in the field.”

Read the article.

We are thrilled to welcome a new doctoral student from the University of Massachusetts Boston to our lab!

Jordan Cherry is a first year graduate student in Clinical Psychology at UMass Boston. She holds a BA in Psychology and Medical Anthropology from the University of Virginia and has research interests pertaining to bridging barriers in accessibility to mental health care, specifically for different cultural communities.

Jordan is enthusiastic about promoting community-driven solutions to address mental health concerns within marginalized groups. Her particular interest lies in exploring how individuals with limited formal training in mental health, like mentors and community leaders, can play a significant role in alleviating mental health struggles. Her aim is to examine how taking cultural differences into account when understanding mental health and well-being can enhance access to support for communities that have been historically overlooked by established psychological frameworks.

The Community Psychologist (TCP) is SCRA’s (Society for Community Research and Action) newsletter, provides an informal venue for SCRA members to exchange ideas and information. It includes brief reports and reflections on the practice of community research and action, as well as updates and announcements of interest to members. Regular features include columns on women’s issues, public policy, international issues, students’ concerns, racial and cultural affairs, and job opportunities. SCRA members receive four issues of TCP each year.

Assistant Director Megyn Jasman recently wrote for The Community Psychologist’s Student Column about inspirations to pivot her career path from individual-treatment models to community- level prevention. In addition to working at the Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring, Megyn is a graduate student in Community Psychology, exploring ways community-based programs can help prevent the development of adverse mental health conditions, as well as bridge gaps in services, particularly among disadvantaged populations.

Her excerpt discusses how the Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring is currently working on innovative approaches to college student support, by leveraging technology to connect mentees to networks of mentors and personalized resources. See below for the full issue or visit here.

On June 5th, 2023, our colleagues from The European Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring visited us at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Nearly a decade ago, Dr. Jean Rhodes helped to found the European Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring. This Center is the research division of Mentoring Europe. They work on developing and launching research lines on mentoring, in collaboration with various European universities, research institutions, and the UMass Boston/MENTOR National Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring. These research lines include research on mentoring programmes and practices, in order to improve our understanding of when, why, and for whom mentoring works best.

Mentor Europe also hosts an annual European Mentoring Summit.

To learn more about the European Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring and Mentoring Europe, you can visit their website here.

Pictured from left to right: Szilvia Simon (Community Manager), Dr. Jean Rhodes, and Gysbert Bergsma:

The Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring is thrilled to announce its first LIVE course! The course is titled Mentoring for Youth Mental Health, and those who participate will learn evidence-based strategies to support youth mental health as a mentor. Associate Director Dr. Alexandra Wentz will be leading this course in the Spring of 2023. 

This course is designed for mentors who work directly with youth, in addition to program staff with an interest in expanding their program’s offerings. Course participants will receive exclusive access to digital tools developed by the Center for use with youth. The course will be taught synchronously over Zoom, so attendees can participate from anywhere! Participation in this course will also come with access to this course through MentorCorps, Dr. Jean Rhodes’ newest digital tool to support mentors and programs. MentorCorps allows course participants to interact with each other to create networks and engage in discourse.

Learn more about the course and how to sign up.