Probation department partners community members with
teenagers
Richard Vasquez, the mentor coordinator for the San Benito
County Probation Department, is seeking out community members who
want to have a positive impact on the lives of local youths.
Vasquez, who retired as a Hollister police captain in June,
started working on the foundation of a mentor program last summer
and set up for the first pairings in September. Now he is looking
for more mentors to expand the program. The goal of the program is
to increase the number of positive role models juveniles on
probation have in their lives and to offer support to them in
making positive decisions. He is looking for men and women from a
variety of career fields who are willing to make a six-month to a
year-long commitment.
Probation department partners community members with teenagers
Richard Vasquez, the mentor coordinator for the San Benito County Probation Department, is seeking out community members who want to have a positive impact on the lives of local youths.
Vasquez, who retired as a Hollister police captain in June, started working on the foundation of a mentor program last summer and set up for the first pairings in September. Now he is looking for more mentors to expand the program. The goal of the program is to increase the number of positive role models juveniles on probation have in their lives and to offer support to them in making positive decisions. He is looking for men and women from a variety of career fields who are willing to make a six-month to a year-long commitment.
When he worked with the police department, he was involved with a program that offered a mentoring component to at-risk youth.
“During my time doing (the Juvenile) Impact (Program), I noticed a lot of kids raised by single parents,” he said. “I had Brent (Cardall, chief probation officer) look at the stats and we saw 50 percent (of students on probation) are raised by single parents – a mother, a father or even a grandparent.”
Parents or guardians will be involved in the mentor program, and Vasquez said the goal is not to replace parents, but to offer assistance to them.
“It’s not that the parents are doing a bad job,” he said. “Just a lot are struggling to put food on the table. If the kids don’t get help from positive people, they will look for it from peers. They sometimes turn to negative sources.”
The mentoring program is voluntary for the juveniles and will not be court ordered. Instead probation officers will talk with kids about the program and recommend it as an option for them.
“Sometimes when it’s court ordered, kids are resistant,” Vasquez said. “If they have the opportunity (to choose it), they are more willing to listen.”
Vasquez said the students selected for the program are kids who have made a mistake. They are not problem kids or terrible kids, he said.
“They can use another voice other than a parent,” he said.
Since September, Vasquez has paired up a handful of students with mentors, mostly people in the field of education. He is recruiting more mentors to expand the program and said it is open to those in a variety of different careers or jobs. He needs both male and female mentors, and those from all around the county, since some of the students are from San Juan. One of the key things he likes to do is pair students with mentors based on career interests.
“I have a student who is interested in contracting so I paired him with a contractor,” he said. “It breaks the ice immediately.”
After the probation officer gauges the students interested in the program, Vasquez sets up a meeting with the student, the mentor, the probation officer and the parent to discuss the requirements of the program.
“I want the mentors to meet the parents because it can also be a very helpful experience for parents,” he said.
The mentors are asked to make a commitment of six months or one year, depending on the length the student is on probation.
“It’s very important,” he said, of the time commitment. “What I’ve experienced in the past is a lot of kids have female or male figures and then they leave. We don’t want to put a kid with a mentor to have them gain the trust and then walk away.”
Vasquez said initially he has asked the mentors to spend at least an hour a month with the students, but he is hoping the amount of time spent together will increase as the relationships grow. The ideal goal is that the mentor and student will spend a few hours together each month. Mentors can meet with students in person, and supplement those meetings with the students by phone or e-mail.
In terms of the activities they participate in, Vasquez said it can be up to the mentors and the students. As the number of mentors grows, he said he is hoping it will provide a network for the students.
“This is all about a lot of people who have resources these kids never had,” he said.
When he worked with the Impact program with the police department, one student wanted to try golfing so a mentor arranged a golf outing for the group.
“As the program grows, there is even more opportunity,” he said.
The News to You
Those interested in becoming a mentor are encouraged to fill out an application. After that, the potential mentors will go through an interview with Vasquez and the fingerprinting process before they are paired with a student.
To find out more, call Vasquez at 636-4070 or e-mail yl***@co**.us.
Minimum qualifications for mentors:
– Be at least 21 years of age
– Not have been convicted of a felony or places on deferred adjudication for a felony offense within 10 years, not currently be on felony probation or parole and never have been convicted of a sex offense or be registered as a sex offender
– Possess a valid driver’s license or other form of valid identification
– Have reliable transportation and proof of liability insurance
– Possess a reasonably flexible schedule with the ability to maintain a long-term, one-on-one commitment
– Possess and be able to relate experiences which will enhance the mentoring relationship.
