Young Adult Peer Mentoring is a specialty expertise based on sharing one’s lived experience of mental health challenges with purpose and intent to inspire hope and motivation in a young adult who is struggling with similar concerns. Young Adult Peer Mentors (YAPM), use their lived experience as an active ingredient in a therapeutic process. The YAPM Practice Profile describes six core elements that reflect the practice level work of the YAPM. For each core element there is a detailed document that describes ideal, developmental, and insufficient practices at the level of “saying and doing”.

The YAPM Practice Profile is a “co-created” product that was produced by the CBH Knowledge Center in partnership with the Department of Mental Health’s SAMHSA funded Success for Transition Age Youth grant, MassHealth’s Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative, young adult peer mentors, state agency staff, and supervisory staff from young adult peer mentoring provider agencies. A review of the relevant research literature also informed the content within each core element. The YAPM Practice Profile can be used to engage system partners, for staff selection and recruitment activities, and to support ongoing training and staff development activities. Click here to download a list of creative suggestions for implementing the practice profile. 

Check out “Sharing Your Story” - The first video in our YAPM animated micro-learning series:

Click below to review each core element in the YAPM Practice Profile