This program is for Hispanic youth.

The ASPIRA Mentoring Program, a community- or school-based program, is designed to support Hispanic youth as they learn about and pursue careers in the fields of substance abuse prevention and mental health.

No peer-reviewed publications evaluating the effectiveness of this program were located.

The ASPIRA Mentoring Program was developed to address various needs of Hispanic communities, such as access to quality health care with an emphasis on substance abuse and mental health.  This program provides one-on-one and group mentoring that are designed to support and encourage youth as they consider pursuing careers in mental health and the prevention and treatment of substance abuse.

• One-on-one mentoring - engage in activities such as shadowing, internships, and electronic communications.
• Group mentoring - engage in activities such as student counseling sessions, informal luncheon sessions, monthly meetings, panels, workshops, and conferences.

Program activities include the following:

• General Student Ice Breaker activity:  Student pairs learn more about each other by asking general questions and sharing answers with the larger group;
• Decision Making Activity:  Small groups of students discuss important decisions they have made, why the decisions were important, and what they might do differently;
• Classified Ads Activity:  Students review the classified ads of a newspaper for jobs of interest to them in the field of substance abuse or mental health; and
• Career Exploration Activity:  Students conduct research on the internet, conduct research in the library, or interview professionals to gather and learn information about a chosen career path.

Although there are no educational requirements for mentors, it is preferable that they have some experience in the fields of substance abuse and mental health. Mentors should be sensitive to the culture and language of students.

The ASPIRA Association, Inc., was founded as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization in 1961.  ASPIRA programs are currently delivered to more than 25,000 youth across the United States and in Puerto Rico.

No training is required to implement this program.  Individuals or groups who wish to use this program to become or supervise mentors should obtain and study the mentoring manual on the ASPIRA website located in the Contact section.

Considerations for implementing this program include obtaining the manual from the ASPIRA website, which includes having access to a computer and internet capabilities; acquiring buy-in and commitment from potential mentors and from youth; and finding time and locations to hold mentoring sessions.  

The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

If you are interested in implementing the ASPIRA Mentoring Program, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you!
Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Implementation time will vary based on individual needs.

The mentoring manual is available for free on the ASPIRA website provided in the Source section.

To move the ASPIRA Mentoring Program to the Promising category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence, at least one evaluation should be performed demonstrating positive effects lasting at least one year from the beginning of the program or at least six months from program completion.

The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu

You may also contact the ASPIRA National Office by mail 1220 L Street, NW Suite 701, Washington, DC 20005, email info@aspira.org, or visit https://aspira.org/about-us/contact-us/

https://aspira.org/book/aspira-mentoring-program