Cherry and Her Mentee Attend Their Fourth KTO Workshop
The gravity of the SAYes mentoring relationship could be felt by everyone who attended this past Saturday’s Key Transition Outcome (KTO) workshop. The focus of the workshop was Living Situation and Citizenship, and we were privileged to hear from a number of mentees who were willing to share their experiences of leaving the group home environment.
While they might have felt nervous standing up in front of all of us and delivering such personal speeches, each mentee spoke brilliantly. They shared their stories with confidence and were willing to answer questions from the audience as they described why they left their group homes and what their lives have been like since. It was a great opportunity for the younger mentees to understand both the advantages and disadvantages of making such a pivotal decision. It was also interesting to hear why the mentees left. While some of them were encouraged to leave due to their age and expected ability to take on more responsibilities, others felt ready perhaps before they actually were.
Having gone through something similar with my own mentee, I can say that it’s important for mentors to prepare for this conversation. Once a young person feels that itch to leave, especially if they believe they’ve outgrown the rules and regulations of a group home, they may decide to act quickly without giving their decision much thought. Like most teenagers, mentees reach a certain age when they feel like that they’re already adults, and they desperately want to be fully independent.
If your mentee is considering this big step, make sure you engage with them and explore all of their options. If they decide to take that plunge, it’s important for mentors to realise that the relationship you have with your mentee will now change significantly. Chances are, they will need you for emotional support now more than ever before.
Thanks for reading, Cherry