MENTORS DRIVING CHANGE FOR BOYS MEN AND DADS

MENtors provides father involvement and co-parenting groups for fathers in Santa Cruz County who are involved with the Probation, Child Welfare, and Family Court systems. The program is designed to support fathers in strengthening their role as parents, improving their relationships with their children and co-parents, and increasing their ability to navigate complex systems that impact their families. Through weekly group sessions and individual consultations, fathers receive education, guidance, and practical tools related to fatherhood, parent-child relationships, co-parenting, communication, accountability, emotional awareness, and family engagement. The program creates a supportive and structured space where fathers can reflect on their experiences, identify barriers to healthy involvement, build parenting confidence, and develop skills that promote safety, stability, and connection within their families. In addition to group-based learning, MENtors provides individualized support to help fathers better understand expectations and requirements connected to probation, child welfare, family court, visitation, case plans, child support, and reunification or co-parenting goals. This system navigation support helps fathers stay informed, engaged, and proactive while working toward improved outcomes for themselves and their children. To date, the program has served more than 130 fathers. Of those served, 86% have demonstrated significant positive changes in behavior, attitude, and engagement with their children and families. These outcomes reflect the program's commitment to helping fathers move from isolation, confusion, or system involvement toward greater accountability, connection, and active participation in their children's lives.

MENtors provides boys and young men's groups for middle and high school students in Santa Cruz County. The program offers weekly group sessions and individual consultations focused on boyhood, healthy manhood, parent-child relationships, family connection, social-emotional learning, and positive identity development. To date, the program has served more than 50 youth, with 80% demonstrating significant positive changes in behavior, attitude, and engagement with their families. The program uses the 41 Developmental Assets framework and The Mask You Live In curriculum to help boys and young men explore identity, emotions, relationships, communication, respect, accountability, and the pressures connected to boyhood and manhood. In each session, boys and young men are invited to participate in pre- and post-reflective assessments that support mindfulness, emotional awareness, and self-reflection. These reflections help participants identify the state of their emotions and feelings, engage in introspective conversations connected to key developmental assets, and strengthen their social and emotional regulation and development. Through this process, participants build greater self-awareness, healthier coping skills, and a deeper understanding of themselves, their relationships, and their role within their families and communities.