Supportive Mentors Help Set Goals, Foster Accountability

SPS: Social and Economic Justice and Peace

The benefits of having a mentor are easily understood but take on a few forms, says Grey Endres, DSW, MSW, LCSW, LSCSW, professor at Missouri Western State University.

Endres notes that according to the American Psychological Association, mentors have two primary functions: serving as a coach who provides advice to enhance the mentee’s professional performance and development; and becoming a role model and support system to the mentee.

Developing that relationship can occur informally and formally. Informal mentoring is a professional relationship that develops spontaneously and is not managed by a larger organization. Formal mentoring is a professional relationship that develops within an organizational structure and is specifically designed to foster that relationship, Endres says in an article he wrote for the SPS Social and Economic Justice and Peace Section Connection.

“Regardless of the form that the mentor–mentee relationship takes (within clear boundaries and ethical practice, of course), the benefits are clear,” Endres states. “Supportive mentors can help set goals, foster accountability, and make connections. As a trusted ally, mentors actively listen and give reflective constructive feedback.”

“I was fortunate to find my mentors, because it was a natural process of my clinical field practicum and the clinical supervision path,” he says. “But for some, the method of finding that perfect mentor is key.”