Attributes of Healthy Start Peer Mentor Program

The purpose of the program is to increase Mentee's (1) understanding of expectations for Healthy Start grantees, (2) ability to establish links within the Healthy Start community, and (3) confidence to seek and obtain needed support and resources from Healthy Start peers.

The goal of the Healthy Start Peer Mentor Program is to identify and optimize the strengths, experiences, skills, and competencies of experienced Healthy Start programs (Mentors) to engage their less experienced Healthy Start programs (Mentees) in a meaningful learning exchange that will result in increased competencies for the Mentee.

Mentoring is a relationship between an entity that has successfully experienced or by virtue of experience has developed a set of skills, knowledge, or expertise that can be shared with a mentee. Early examination of the first Healthy Start programs illustrated that the most successful Healthy Start programs had a common characteristic of strong, continuous leadership. Additional studies found that new employees paired with a mentor are twice as likely to remain in the workforce than those who do not receive the support of a mentor. Mentoring, if successful, is about the relationship between the mentor and the mentee and the knowledge exchange, thus increasing program expertise.

There are new Healthy Start programs and programs that have experienced turnover in grantee leadership which could benefit from having an experienced Healthy Start program as a Mentor. The ideal candidates to serve as a Mentors possess the following:

  • Tenure as a Healthy Start program.
  • Those who have NOT experienced a change in Management/Leadership (i.e., change in project director and/or manager) in the last two years.
  • At least four years as a Project Director, with strong leadership, time management, and communication skills. The Project Director must commit time to build a relationship with a new Project Director.
To maximize compatibility, factors to be considered in the Mentor/Mentee match include:

  • Grantee demographics such as urban, rural, etc.
  • Organizational type, such as health department Federally Qualified Community Health Center or 501c3.
  • Population(s) served.
Healthy Start programs have individuals with a range of leadership skills, relevant Healthy Start experience/ expertise, the capacity to provide practical support, and a strong base of knowledge around the core Healthy Start services and various program areas. Aside from individual expertise, several Healthy Start grantees have also developed expertise in specific program areas such as data collection and evaluation, Community Action Networks, outreach and recruitment, and father engagement. Mentoring is an opportunity for an experienced Healthy Start program with proven expertise to mentor another Healthy Start program, regardless of Project Director tenure. This mentoring helps all Healthy Start programs to rise to a level of excellence.

Thank you for your interest in the Healthy Start Peer Mentoring Program. The formal application form is attached.

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* 1. Name of Healthy Start Program

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* 2. Project Director

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* 3. Tenure of Project Director with Healthy Start?

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* 4. How long HS Project funded?

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* 5. Contact Information

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* 6. Location

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* 7. Federal Project Officer

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* 8. Please check the competency areas that reflect your greatest strengths:

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* 9. For each of the competency areas you checked, please identify a staff person to provide the mentoring and include examples of why this competency area is considered a strength of your Healthy Start program. Include reports, publications, citations, or objective reviews.

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* 10. Previous Mentoring Opportunities or Experiences

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* 11. Name (person completing application)

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* 12. Name (person providing mentoring)

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