MOBILITY MENTORING-IN PRACTICE

The Bridge to Self-Sufficiency® scaffolding: The layout of the Bridge serves as a brain-science informed “scaffold.” The Bridge is a framework that builds integrated, future-oriented decision-making, allows the participant to organize and achieve positive steps, and aids in the development of these skills–first as an adaptive device that supplements decision-making skill deficits and ultimately as a coaching tool for improving the participant’s executive functioning skills. The basic executive functioning skills are: working memory, impulse control, and mental flexibility; these are the primary decision-making skills for the problem solving, goal setting, and goal attainment necessary to achieve and sustain economic independence. Mobility Mentoring requires use of the Bridge as both an assessment tool and a framework within which a participant can set goals and chart their path to economic mobility and independence.

Clear individualized goal setting and outcomes measurement: Mobility Mentoring uses the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals format to set goals leading towards economic mobility outcomes and collect and use data to measure both individual participant and program progress and effectiveness.

Incentives: A system of positive rewards, both tangible and intangible, supports successful goals achievement. Incentives are calibrated based on the difficulty and complexity of the goals achieved

Coaching: Using the Bridge as the program frame and engaging in a deliberate one-on-one “partnership,” coaching is a participant-directed process designed to, over time, improve participant decision making, persistence, and resilience. Through repeated practice, this process becomes internalized and enables the participants to Mentor themselves.