Volunteering in the CAMHS Mentoring Programme has been an amazing learning experience, where I could build on and practise important skills like self-reflection, setting boundaries, and being a supportive role model to a young person. I came across the programme while completing my Psychology degree and was eager to join as I was looking to gain experience in supporting young people with their mental health. As I am aiming to complete a doctorate in Clinical Psychology in the future, this programme has been invaluable in building my knowledge of the mental health sector.

Working with young people has been something I’m passionate about, especially as I am currently working in a secondary school as a teaching assistant and learning mentor, supporting Special Educational Needs (SEN) students and providing pastoral care to all students. I’ve been able to transfer my skills from my professional life and provide my mentee with the best resources to improve her confidence and gain access to further education. Not only that, but this programme has also allowed us to create a friendship where my mentee could feel comfortable to talk and be open about her struggles. We were able to build our connection through shared interests like visiting museums and talking about our favourite tv shows. This opened up the door to conversations involving deeper topics and any worries my mentee had, which we discussed.

Over the past eight months, mentoring has allowed professional growth for me and self-growth for the both of us. It is something that I feel anyone can benefit and learn from, while also being able to witness the rewards of providing essential care and support to a vulnerable young person. I could not recommend it enough!

You can find out more information on how to join the CAMHS Mentoring Project and other volunteering schemes the South London and Maudsley Trust has to offer: https://slam.nhs.uk/camhs-mentoring-project.

I have been volunteering for over a year. I wanted to volunteer as a way for me to help young people who are embarking a difficult time in their life. I had learnt some theory during my degree and wanted to put these into practice during my time volunteering.

I found the initial training super useful and beneficial- it was in a comfortable environment where I was happy to openly talk and discuss my thoughts and feelings.

What have you learnt from the project? 

I am a student, and I felt taking part in this programme was a way for me to put my skills and knowledge into practice. I gained greater skills when it comes to working with service users, such as how to formulate sessions and goals. I gained confidence as well as learning new theory and skills to use when working with the young person.

What type of activities did you do with your mentee? How do you think they benefited from the experience?

I built a good relationship by ensuring I was listening empathetically, not pressuring the young person to talk if they don’t work, and ensuring each session is service-user led to make sure they feel comfortable and safe.

We talk about feelings. I use a colour emotion wheel to help the young person identify and discuss their feelings more easy. We focused on different goals and areas the young person wanted to work on. In my case it was confidence, self-esteem and independence.

Why should people take part in the mentoring programme?

I think it finds a way to get you own your comfort zone- to challenge yourself by focusing on how you can help someone else achieve their goals. It also helps learn new skills such as how to listen emphatically, build a rapport, working as part of a care team, and using your initiative when things get tough.

You can find out more information on how to join the CAMHS Mentoring Project and other volunteering schemes the South London and Maudsley Trust has to offer: https://slam.nhs.uk/camhs-mentoring-project.

The mentoring program has been an exciting journey for me. It has exposed me to different kinds of challenges and opportunities for me to learn and develop myself personally and professionally.

There are so many transferable skills that I have gained and being able to work with my mentee with ADHD has allowed me to build upon these skills, whilst continuing to give my best in supporting my mentee in navigating the challenges they face.

Because of the unique position we have as mentors, our relationship with our mentees are quite flexible. In achieving the goals and objectives set out at the start of the mentoring journey, it allows us to use personalised approached in navigating our relationship by drawing upon our personal experience and knowledge, allowing us to communicate with our mentee on a more personal level. They could learn from our experiences and make the appropriate decisions from there. That in itself is life-changing as we get to empower and equip them with the right information for them to take the next steps. And because we get to explore other fun activities like playing games, we get to have fun too! My mentee has a PS3 and Switch, and we would occasionally play them together.

My mentoring journey has been an exciting one, I learnt so much from it, and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a unique experience to gain more skills and experience in this area.

You can find out more information on how to join the CAMHS Mentoring Project and other volunteering schemes the South London and Maudsley Trust has to offer: https://slam.nhs.uk/camhs-mentoring-project.

How long have you been a volunteer for the project?

I have been volunteering for almost 2 years now. I came across the program towards the end of my last year at uni as I wanted to help people struggling with their mental health and as my first experience working within the field I can say I’m glad I became a mentor and I would recommend it to anyone looking to support young people.

What have you learnt from the project? 

As a mentor I have been able to build therapeutic relationships, develop my communication skills and learn from supervision – all skills that have allowed me to constantly improve delivery of sessions and my general approach in supporting mentees making progress toward their goals. Additionally, I have been able to use these skills in my work as a support worker and I will continue to do so throughout my career.

What type of activities did you do with your mentee? How do you think they benefited from the experience?

Above all, I have especially enjoyed taking part in activities with mentees. In my experience I have been able to use sports that mentees enjoy, to build rapport. Not only do I enjoy sport too, but it also allows for trust to be built and as a tool to create goals mentees can work toward in a way they find interesting, which I have also found to be key to engaging mentees.

Using this approach, alongside being empathetic and non-judgemental, will allow mentees to be themselves and enjoy improving their wellbeing. Therefore, I would recommend to anyone who wants to help young people and values these qualities to become a mentor.

You can find out more information on how to join the CAMHS Mentoring Project and other volunteering schemes the South London and Maudsley Trust has to offer: https://slam.nhs.uk/camhs-mentoring-project.