Resources for Adult Advisors

The most powerful adult role in the Sources of Strength program is that of the local Adult Advisor who will mentor and work alongside the Peer Leaders.  They mentor and set the tone with Peer Leaders. Increasing connections and trust between students and caring adults is a primary goal in Sources of Strength. The relationships between the Peer Leaders and the adult Advisors are often key in modeling this trust. 

Adult Advisors help coordinate the program and support the Peer Leader team throughout the effort. We recommend at least a 1-10 adult to student ratio, but it certainly can be higher than that, especially in an at-risk/high-trauma environment.
 

A few key elements to remember:

• We are looking for caring, connected and positive adults in your school or community. These are the people who have the “it factor” with young people. We have found that even though an adult can be Caring & Connected, if they tend towards cynicism or pessimism over Positivity, they will not make great Adult Advisors. Please take this into consideration. 

• Avoid simply assigning the role of Adult Advisors. Think outside the box. Some of our most dynamic Adult Advisors are not mental health staff but band teachers, School Resource Officers, youth pastors, parents, media center staff and food service personnel. 

• While the time commitment for an Adult Advisor is not huge, it does require some level of availability. Typically Adults Advisors are expected to attend the 1/2 day Adult Advisor training and the 1/2 day Peer lLeader training. Afterwards, we recommend that the Adult Advisors and Peer Leaders meet every two weeks for 30-60 minutes , as they continue to play games and build relationships, share about strengths, and work on their messaging campaigns. 

• We want to make sure Adult Advisors know what they are signing up for. Please have all potential Adult Advisors review and sign the Adult Advisor Letter of Commitment.