Mentee Training Program

2016

This presentation was developed by the Mentor Program Training Committee of STSW. The participating members were:

Nancy Arnold, BSW, MSSW, LCSW, CCTSW

retired -University of WI - Hospital and Clinics, Madison, WI

Darshit Bakhai, LMSW

Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan Transplant Center

Pat Dennis, LCSW, CCTSW, CCSW-MCS

Gulf Coast Transplant Center, Fort Myers, FL

Anne P. LaFleur, MSW, LICSW, CCTSW

Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA

Course Objectives

Explain why Mentor and Mentees are so important to social work,

to transplant, and to STSW

Provide organizational information about STSW

Discuss STSW Mentor Program requirements and the matching

process

Describe what Mentoring is and what it is not

Discuss how to develop the Mentor / Mentee relationship

Provide some communication guidelines

Discuss possible skill development topics

Describe what support STSW will provide for the Mentor and for

the Mentee

Why Mentors Are So Important

• Definition of Mentor

an experienced and trusted adviser

• They have been there and done that!

• They are a coach, confidant, and a sounding board

• They have a genuine interest in developing the clinical

practice of transplant social work, in advancing the

social work profession, and in promoting STSW

Why Mentees Are So Important

• Definition of Mentee

a person who is advised and helped by a more experienced person over a period of time

• They want to learn how to negotiate this complex field quickly and learn the best practices used by the best!

• They are the future of transplant social work!

• They have a genuine interest in developing the clinical practice of transplant social work, in advancing the social work profession, and in promoting STSW

STSW History • Founded in New York in 1985 by Lee Suszycki

• First meeting of the National Clinical Network for Heart Transplant Social Workers was held in NY in 1986

• Became the Society for Transplant Social Workers in 1999

• Certified Clinical Transplant Social Worker (CCTSW) was established in 2008

• Certified Clinical Social Worker - Mechanical Circulatory Support (CCSW-MCS) was established in 2015

• 2015 marked the 30th International Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio with more than 200 members attending

• Annual conferences focus on networking and sharing best practices

• Over 300 members from the US, Canada, and worldwide

STSW Mission Statement

The mission of the Society for Transplant Social Workers

is to inspire and support our members as we:

• Make a difference in the lives of our patients and their

families.

• Connect with and motivate each other.

• Promote professional growth.

• Collaborate to advance social work in our field.

STSW Structure Executive board

• President – Jan Hart (St Vincent Hospital)

• Vice President – Noelle Dimitri (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center)

• Secretary – Denise Winkowski Alloway (Lucile Packard Children’s)

• Treasurer – Pat Voorhes (University of Utah Medical Center)

• Past President – Laurie McDonald (University of North Carolina)

• Past President – Kay Kendall (Cleveland Clinic)

• Past Treasurer – Nancy Arnold (retired - University of WI - Hospital and Clinics)

Additional Board Members

• Abstracts Chair

• Bylaws Chair

• Conference Chair

• Exhibitor Chair

• Historian/Nominating Chair

• Membership Chair

• Multicultural Issues Chair

• Public Policy Chair

• Research Chair

• Technology Chair

Committees & positions change as new needs arise - see

STSW.org for current committee information and program duties

STSW Member Benefits

• Annual Conference registration discount

• Access to members only web site content

• E-Newsletter subscription

• Certified Clinical Transplant Social Worker (CCTSW) credential

• Certified Clinical Social Worker – Mechanical Support (CCSW-MCS) credential

• Progress in Transplantation subscription

• Research grants, access to latest research, conference scholarships, and annual surveys

STSW.org Website

• Forums – ask general or organ specific questions – reach 200+ of your colleagues by posting a question. Sign up for forums for notice of questions & responses posted.

• Assessment Tool samples and links

• Job Description sample

• Annual STSW Survey – member responses regarding experience, credentials, salaries, job tasks, etc. (each year since 2010)

• Resources for Transplant SW and for Patient Educational/Informational materials

• Public Policy updates

• Regulatory Agency information & requirements

• Recommended journal articles, research information, and books

To Be an STSW Mentee You Must

• Be an STSW member in good standing

• Be enthusiastic and have goals in mind

• Complete a Mentee Application – including

selecting 2 or 3 possible Mentors from the profiles

on the STSW web page

• Be approved by the Mentor Program Committee

• Successfully complete this Training course and

quiz

Qualities of a Good Mentee

• Interest in learning

• Not afraid to ask questions

• Strives to give his/her best

• Open to advice and

constructive criticism

• Learns from mistakes

• Courage to try new things

• Accountable and responsible

• Open and honest

• Respectful and grateful

• Listens, watches, learns, and

grows

What Mentoring Is Mentoring is a relationship between two individuals,

with the more experienced individual, the mentor,

serving as :

• Coach

• Cheerleader

• Confidante

• Role model

• Devil’s advocate

• Counselor

• Door opener

The Mentor Role

• Help build self-confidence

• Share knowledge, provide information and encouragement

• Provide career guidance and help mentee navigate the work

environment

• Establish clear and open communication – provide productive

feedback

• Help with difficult situations without creating dependency

• Provide scenarios and practice with role playing

• Help develop creative and independent thinking

• Encourage continued growth and improvement

The Mentee Role • Engage in open & sincere communication

• Establish clear developmental goals & share with mentor

• Take responsibility for one’s own growth & development

• Effectively utilize the mentor’s time & counsel

• Establish clear & open communication

• Receive productive feedback

• Seek counsel on difficult situations

• Utilize active listening

• Recognize and understand the needs of the mentor

jfs.ohio.gov/owd/WorkforceProf/Docs/South-Delta-Miss-Mentor-Training-Guide.doc

Mentoring is usually

"a three-way beneficial process," which helps the mentor, the mentee,

and the organization.

(Stueart 1993,144)

What Mentoring Is Not

• Mentoring is not strictly:

• Training

• Coaching

• Teaching

• Mentoring is not generally short term and it is not usually task

specific

• Mentoring is not therapy or supervision for state licensing

• Understand the scope and the limits of the role - set boundaries

early

Remember you already have education,

training, and expertise as a clinical social

worker. Your Mentor will teach you how to

apply and build on those skills to advance

the field of Transplant Social Work.

Before Starting the Relationship

Ask yourself the following questions:

• What opportunities can this mentoring experience give me?

• What do I want to take away from this experience?

• What will be different for me as a result of this experience?

• What are my values / what motivates me?

• How do I learn best? By reading? By listening?

• Do I respond best to gentle guidance? Or structured, directed

guidance?

Identify Your Goals

• Why do you want a mentor now, at this time in your career?

• What work are you doing now?

• How long have you been working in transplant or MCS?

• What are your strengths and weaknesses?

• What skills do you want to acquire?

• What are you finding challenging in your current work

environment?

• Where do you see yourself in the future?

Developing the Relationship

• Set aside sufficient time for the initial meeting (in person, by phone, video conference)

• Mentee should share their goals and expectations for the relationship – skills they would like to acquire, information they would like to obtain

• The Mentor should share their strengths and weaknesses - they aren’t expected to have all the answers

• Set up a schedule for future meetings and possible topics to build the desired skills or knowledge base

• Periodically review and evaluate the relationship and adjust goals

• Know the limits to the relationship – avoid asking for favors – come to the meetings with an agenda and ready to discuss topics & learn – your mentor is not there to direct your work

Getting Started • Establish expectations early

• write down goals & objectives

• negotiate ground rules

• Set regular meeting times & stick to them

• consistency & reliability are professional behaviors and build trust

• Establish good lines of communication

• discuss the ways you will communicate

• always be honest - mentor / mentee relationships are built on trust

& respect

• Accept the strengths & weaknesses of your mentor

• acceptance communicates respect

• your mentor will be able to help you access other resources

Getting Started

• Your Mentor will provide a helping hand with limits

• don’t expect your mentor to do your work

• expect your mentor to challenge you to conquer your own

problems

• look to your mentor for support and guidance

• Know the limits of the relationship

• avoid overwhelming your mentor with your personal problems

• request help to find resources and solutions beyond your mentor

• Respect confidentiality

• always respect confidentiality for all information shared

• respect HIPAA!

Communication Guidelines

• Mentoring from a distance can be challenging & requires more thought, planning & focus

• Use technology – web ex, Skype, face time, text, e-mail, phone calls, etc. Texting & email should be used to coordinate meetings; not as the main means of communication – they do not provide sufficient feedback & should never be used to communicate negative feedback

• Be prepared for each encounter & follow an agenda

• Set and follow time limits

• If Possible, plan to meet up in person at least once a year – at the annual conference if possible

Some Skill Development Topics • Conducting patient and family interviews

• Documenting the psychosocial assessment

• Presenting cases at Selection Committee

• Navigating ethical issues

• Negotiating differences of opinion

• Investigating resources

• Assessment tools

• Developing a Support Group

• Insurance / Financial issues (fundraising)

• Community and organization involvement

• Research opportunities

The Mentor-Mentee Relationship Cycle

Beginning the Match

Challenging & Testing

“Real” Mentoring

Ending

Stage 1 – Beginning of the Match

• Characteristics • Getting to know each other

• First impressions

• Seeing the positive in the relationship

• Bonding

• Effective communication • Ask open-ended questions

• Use body language that is open and not guarded

• Active listening

• Demonstrate empathy

• Avoid “prescriptive” communication

• Speak with language you are comfortable with

• Don’t be afraid of silence

Stage 2 – Challenging & Testing

• Characteristics • Mentee challenges • Testing phase • Rethinking first impressions • Difficult feelings or emotions may surface

• Effective communication • Be consistent in your communication – even if difficult • Demonstrate respect • Build problem-solving techniques into your open-ended

questions • Raise sensitive issues at the beginning of you interactions • Separate behaviors from who the mentee is • Disclose feelings and experiences when appropriate

Stage 3 – “Real” Mentoring • Characteristics

• Relationship begins to feel right again

• Trust is established

• Growth in the mentee can be seen

• Deeper bond and connection formed

• Effective communication • Continue with disclosures when appropriate

• Avoid advising and allow mentee to actively problem solve

• Build from your knowledge of the mentee’s strengths

• Give positive feedback

• Don’t be afraid to let your mentee know how you feel

Stage 4 – Ending

• Characteristics • Preparing for closure

• Relationship may become deeper or mentee might start pulling away

• Reflection

• Effective communication • Find common language to sum up your feelings

• Provide feedback to describe the growth you have observed

• Listen and affirm fears that your mentee may have

8 Habits of Effective Mentees • Be proactive – have an agenda & know your strengths & weaknesses

• Begin with the end in mind – what are you aiming for?

• Set priorities – what do you need to know first? what are your current issues or challenges?

• Think Win/Win – how can you & your Mentor help one another - mutual priorities, mutual projects?

• Seek first to understand, then to be understood – listen and be open to the information provided, be open to unexpected information and insights

• Synergize – forge new ideas with the information you obtain!

• Renew yourself – new information & skills will re-energize you & your practice

• Find your voice and inspire others – discover your uniqueness & pay it forward by committing to help others!

When the Program Ends

• Many relationships come to a natural end when the mentee learns enough to be independent

• New mentoring relationship may be more beneficial than continuing an exhausted relationship

• The program end may not mean the end of the relationship – informal mentoring can continue if both parties agree

• You and your mentor will be asked to evaluate the Mentoring Program – your feedback is invaluable for making the STSW Mentor Program a success

STSW Support for Mentees

• STSW will help match Mentors and Mentees

• E-mail the Program Administrator – if you have concerns or issues

that you need assistance resolving

• Sometimes the match isn’t right, don’t take it personally, contact the

Program Administrator for help

• STSW.org is a wonderful resource – use it and help develop it

further with your input

• STSW will develop an on-line Skill Resource List of members who

feel that can offer advice or assistance in specific areas – like

choosing and using assessment tools, developing a support group, etc

STSW Support for Mentors

• Your Mentor will also have the support of STSW

• They are also encouraged to e-mail the Program

Administrator if issues arise and they need additional

assistance to resolve

• The STSW web site and resources are available at all

times and your Mentor should be encouraging you to

use the site and the forum boards

Summary Recognize why Mentors are so important to the social work

profession, to transplant, and to STSW

Understand the history of STSW, its organizational structure, and the resources available through STSW.org

Understand the STSW Mentor Program requirements and the matching process

You should be able to identify what Mentoring is and what it is not

Better understand how to develop the Mentor / Mentee relationship

Better understand the communication challenges and guidelines for success

Identify some possible skill development topics

Describe what support STSW will provide for the Mentor and for the Mentee

Questions

Quiz