The amplified mentoring program, facilitated by volunteers of america, utah, aims to augment mentoring services for youth between the ages of 10 and 17 in salt lake county, focusing on those…

The Project Grant award of $650,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (CFDA 16.726 Juvenile Mentoring Program) to Volunteers of America of Utah, Inc. aims to expand the organization's Amplified Mentoring Program. The program provides group and one-on-one mentoring services to approximately 1,200 youth aged 10-17 in Salt Lake County, with a focus on those impacted by opioid misuse and drug addiction. Over the 3-year project period from October 2024 to September 2027, the program will sustain existing mentoring offerings and grow its services, leveraging evidence-based practices to reduce substance use and juvenile justice involvement among participants. Key expected outcomes include increased perceptions of social support and more positive attitudes toward schooling among youth served.

The amplified mentoring program, facilitated by volunteers of america, utah, aims to augment mentoring services for youth between the ages of 10 and 17 in salt lake county, focusing on those impacted by opioid misuse and drug addiction. With over 25 years of experience in prevention and substance abuse treatment, volunteers of america, utah leverages its expertise to address risk factors related to substance misuse and delinquency through proven mentoring strategies. The program will sustain and grow its group and one-to-one mentoring services, employing evidence-based practices to further reduce substance use and juvenile justice involvement among the youth. Currently conducting 40 group mentoring cycles yearly across 16 community sites and supporting 40 individual mentoring pairs, the program is set to expand these offerings. Over the proposed three-year project period, the program aims to serve approximately 1,200 youth and maintain 60 active one-to-one mentoring matches annually by enlisting additional volunteer mentors. Expected outcomes of the program include increased perceptions of social support and a more positive attitude toward schooling among participants. Preliminary data indicate significant improvements in these areas, with notable declines in drug use and enhanced awareness of its risks post-intervention. Adapting and amplifying these mentoring activities aims to reach and benefit more at-risk youth, reinforcing protective factors and mitigating risk behaviors that lead to substance abuse and criminal activities.