Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to join?
Any individual age 15-25 who has been challenged with mental health, addiction, or cancer.
Who are peer mentor Buddies?
Peer mentors (Buddies) are people either in recovery from addiction, mental health or cancer. Who have adopted their journeys as a powerful way to impact and empower those still struggling. They include many diverse individuals from many different walks of life or background experience. who personally know what it took to gain back their recovery. Now, they implement that into assisting others and walking side by side through whatever process they might be going through.
How am I matched with a peer mentor?
Matches are made by Youth Buddies. For every person who requests a peer mentor, we strive for a peer mentor who has a background similar to yourself and experience in the topics of interest you may be drawn to.
How do I connect with my peer mentor?
You can choose to connect over video, phone, or in person depending on current availability. Just be sure to communicate what you most prefer, and know with the epidemic, resources currently available, you may not always have all of the options available. Regardless of the method you WILL be supported in any way you choose, and we are able to accommodate.
How long will the peer connect “Buddies” last?
The program mentoring time period consists of a one hour session per week for 26 weeks. Anyone can be matched with a buddy FREE OF COST. You define what recovery means to you. Identify what it is you wish to accomplish and we support you in the journey to realize and move forward to those goals. We are harm reduction based. Meaning we empower members to identify what recovery means to them, and support them in the reduction of any behavior or activity that may have inherent risks. Again, we do not demand, force, or invest anything towards our members. It is your life, and there is no person that knows how you truly feel other than yourself. We just offer a safe, judgment free, and healing community that assists in helping you be exactly what you want to be.
Do peer mentors (Buddies) give medical advice or therapy?
No. Buddies may share their personal stories and experiences if applicable. However, Buddies cannot give medical advice, counsel, provide therapy or any licensed professional service. Information shared between mentors and patients concerning treatments, medications or therapies should always be discussed with a physician. It is important to consider the entire founding idea as a service that provides a special kind of service from a person who truly understands and is not trying to implement a kind of predetermined treatment model. Rather than tell you what to do, Buddies implore you to discover what suits you best, and assists in not only getting you there but also show you how they themselves achieved a life they love enough to remain in recovery.
What should I do if the pair doesn't feel right?
You can simply ask your Buddy, or at any point contact Youth Buddies via email or phone and we can either find a better pair or stop the services. Remember nothing we offer is forced or required other than showing up to continue receiving services. So you are at any point free to do what you prefer, we only ask you to communicate in any way so we can then offer that service to someone else who may also need it.