Panyappi Indigenous Youth Mentoring Program Evaluation

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Panyappi Indigenous Youth Mentoring Program Evaluation …letting the mentors fall a little. Letting them practice and not waiting for them to be fully trained and perfect before letting them experience. I would have let them go and fall on their knees and get up again. Support them totally, but let them go and give it a go. (Program collaborators) Differences in opinion about what “good support” and “appropriate direction” mean for workers relate to a combination of personality, confidence, maturity, work approach, initiative and experience. As described above, mentors are often new to and confronted by the issues in the lives of these young people and families. At the same time they are trying to absorb both the explicit and unspoken culture of human services work. They are keen to work with more clients, but as already identified, funding issues have prevented the program from taking on clients due to sustainability questions. Alternatively, they must demonstrate the initiative that would indicate they could manage working with more clients. When these areas are out of balance mentors may perceive a need for even more support than is consistently offered. In particular, they may want it to always be offered rather than learning that they can ask for it. They may not yet perceive that directly asking is not shameful and they will not be judged negatively. In fact, it is a sign of good practice in human services to recognise limits and seek support, or gain support for stretching your limits even if this involves possible “mistakes.” Caseloads As all mentors needed to complete in-class and on the job training in studying for their Certificate III, as well as complete other training requirements or opportunities, this limited their caseload capacity in the first few months of their work to ensure they had sufficient time to spend with a young person. All mentors have small caseloads initially. As they complete their training and also demonstrate greater confidence, ability and independence in the role, their caseloads were increased. People beyond the program did not always understand this process. One impact of misunderstanding the role and nature of mentoring for these young people is the judgement about “how many” young people can be serviced at any point in time and over what length of time. Some program collaborators questioned whether the program should have a higher caseload capacity, for example: None of mine have been picked up because they don’t have enough mentors. I think they could have 3 clients each, rather than just one per mentor. We are on a waiting list and this can be frustrating. There is a lack of communication there and we don’t really know what they are doing or why there is only one client per mentor in some cases. (Program collaborator) Some advisory group members also suggested that the numbers involved may be perceived poorly by other agencies who see the number of young people in need and wonder about the worth of a program that has a slow uptake and then discharge of clients. In these comments it was apparent that some program collaborators thought - 68 -
Panyappi Indigenous Youth Mentoring Program Evaluation more mentors were available. Alternatively they acknowledged the resources were very limited given the need. At times the intensive nature of the work was not always appreciated, and neither was it acknowledged that many young people Panyappi works with have already been through a number of workers within a single service, or several previous services that have failed to engage them or support the family. Quick success is highly unlikely in this circumstance. Moving young people on too soon can risk sending the young person back into a repeat cycle before new patterns and family/community supports are established. Choosing to “mentor beyond the trouble zone” in order to make sustainable gains will have an impact on caseloads at any point in time, as well as over a period of time. Another external factor was that in the last 12 months mentors have been ready to increase their caseload capacity on at least two occasions, and were very keen to do so, but were faced with a dubious future regarding an accurate accounting of their budget within DHS and whether there would be further funding for the program. These situations compromised Panyappi’s ability to respond to need, and its reputation with other workers and services. It could not risk increasing caseloads when it was not possible to guarantee young people and families an ongoing service. They were aware of frustration from other program collaborators: If I don’t have a good mentor or I don’t have any mentors there is nothing I can do about it and I would rather give no mentor than give one that is not going to do the job properly because I am only damagi ng that chil d . Some departments don’t understand that. I look at the bigger picture of the effects that we may be causing so I think very seriously when I get my referrals in. I’m waiting to do a recruitment drive, but i t’s funding again. (Panyappi Coordinator) A range of mentors There was a consistent theme that having the “right staff” is critical to the success of a program that is strongly relationship based, such as mentoring. When this did not occur people told stories of relationship breakdowns and poor staff performance. When this did occur, then stories reflected all of the themes outlined in the Young people and family themes section above. Most of the mentors to date have been relatively young. This has benefits because they may have better awareness of young people’s issues, being less distant from that stage in their life, and young people may be more willing to relate to them. I think it is good having young people working with young people. They know what these young people are going through. They relate better. It’s important to have a balance. I think it would be nice to have a varied age group as mentors. (Advisory Group Member) It also may have disadvantages when young people would respond better to an older person or benefit from their increased life wisdom. Exposure to this wisdom may assist - 69 -
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Panyappi Indigenous Youth Mentoring
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© Panyappi Indigenous Youth Mentor
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Beginning the Story… Panyappi Ind
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Executive Summary What is Panyappi?
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Program funding Panyappi Indigenous
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Page 21 and 22: JUSTICE Strong support from the Cri
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Page 29 and 30: ATSIC recently reported: Panyappi I
Page 37 and 38: Evaluation questions Panyappi Indig
Page 71: Support for mentors Panyappi Indige
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Page 77 and 78: ω ω ω Panyappi Indigenous Youth
Page 83 and 84: Recommendations Panyappi Indigenous
Page 85 and 86: Outcome Formative or process Append
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Panyappi Indigenous Youth Mentoring Program Evaluation

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