“A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you.”
Bob Proctor
Mentor Match Mission Statement
The IARP mentoring program is designed to assist with skill development for protégés. The program is open to all IARP members. The program is not meant to provide assistance in case-specific issues but rather is meant to enhance a protégé's overall practice.
According to Russell and Nelson (2009), leadership and mentoring are lifelong activities. An essential part of being a leader is to serve as a mentor to fellow professionals. Mentoring is about developing people, with the objective of helping them achieve their potential. True leaders seize the opportunity to develop other people. Leaders see the big picture and understand that the future of the organization (IARP) or profession depends on today’s growth of tomorrow’s leaders.
Professional development is a key service provided by IARP and Mentor Match is an important component of our offerings and is a member only benefit.
Note: If you do not meet the mentoring program requirements, please consider joining the IARP Coaching Program. For more information, click here.
“In learning you will teach, in teaching you will learn.”
Phil Collins
The Mentor must be current member of IARP with a minimum of 10 years of experience in vocational assessment, developing life care plans, providing Social Security vocational expert testimony, or rehabilitation and disability case management.
The Protégé must be a current member of IARP with a minimum of 1 year of experience as a vocational rehabilitation counselor, medical case manager or life care planner. Protégés will not bring Mentors into current cases but will make sure the Mentor is kept in an overall practice consultation role.
As a guideline, the Mentor should be prepared to commit 6 to 12 months to a relationship. The match can be renewed once the cycle is over.
The frequency of contact should be negotiated between the Mentor and Protégé. The Protégé should be sensitive to the fact that the Mentor is volunteering their time. The method of contact between the Mentor and Protégé should also be mutually agreed upon.
A checklist will be used by Mentor and Protégé to guide the mentoring relationship and help focus on goals and objectives to be achieved during the mentoring process.