Introduction
A Peer mentorship program entails a formal relationship between a more experienced person in the department and the rest who are still learning, and intending to share skills, wisdom, and knowledge. According to Buck (2020), peer mentoring is becoming more popular in criminal justice, with many volunteers emerging to support rehabilitative settings. However, it is still a new field and a paucity of studies are documented on the programs. Its diverse practice can involve group work, one-on-one sessions, and informal leisure activities (Buck, 2020). This proposal aims to illustrate a simple peer mentorship program in the hope that it will be adopted and implemented by the department.
Vision and Mission
The vision of the peer mentorship program is to establish a positive department where everybody is well-equipped to function optimally. There will be a fostered relationship of mutual growth and concern among colleagues. The mission is to enhance supportive associations between the people working in the department and ensure daily learning, work, and life concerns for the benefit of the institution and clients. The initiative will transform the culture of the department by encouraging workers to share facts, bond with each other, and work as a team. Thus, the entire organization will have more productive employees, leading to satisfied customers.
Program Design
The employees in the department who have similar or related career backgrounds will be grouped so that they can discuss topics and questions that are relevant to their work. In addition, people who have retired and used to work in the same department will be approached so that they can volunteer to share their insights. Notably, for peer mentorship to be effective, it should embrace multiculturalism such that there will be no discrimination based on gender, sex, ethnicity, or race (Buck, 2020). The role of senior mentors is mainly managerial, where they organize meetings, facilitate collaboration and networking, do reviews, and assist peers in improving their work performances. Other peer members should be ready to learn by making inquiries, attending meetings, and suggesting focus areas.
Training and Sponsorship
Before the formal launch of the program, experts in peer mentorship will be invited to train all the department members and retirees willing to join the program. Although the members are mainly responsible for the learning, the department will consider having occasional expert seminars. The organization will sponsor the formal aspects of the program by offering readily available resources, but the members can contribute to informal leisure activities. Moreover, getting support and sponsorship from the government and other institutions may be possible.
Program Evaluation
The mentees will have a self-assessment sheet where they can document all their skills, knowledge, and wisdom. Any time they learn something new, they can journal, eat, and then include it during formal self-assessment. In addition, there will be an evaluation form for all the meetings held personally or in groups. The evaluations will be continuous and done regularly whenever there is a meeting. The results will help continually improve the program and ensure the goals and objectives are met.
Conclusion
The peer mentorship program proposal will be implemented in the department to help ensure continuous learning among colleagues. As workers enhance their competencies, productivity will increase, and more clients will be satisfied. The people will be grouped based on their career background and multicultural setting to develop a positive environment for growth. The peer mentorship program will help improve the satisfaction of clients while improving productivity in the organization.
References
Buck, G. (2020). Peer mentoring in criminal justice. Routledge.