Mentoring and Peer Support
A mentor can offer 1:1 support, coaching and guidance to another person by helping them to learn new skills, by sharing what he/she has learned and and by being a good role model. Mentors can help with things like social skills, work skills, community acceptance and working towards goals.
Peer support is getting help from someone who has had common experiences, situations, problems or disability. Peers can help with social and emotional support, daily living and advocacy, for example. It is not meant to replace professional counseling or other services.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts
Provides children who lack positive adult role models with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships with caring, responsible adults that change their lives for the better, forever. Community-based mentoring relationships involve one-on-one outings and activities, doing things the Big and Little enjoy together.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay
184 High Street 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02110
Phone: 617-542-9090
Email: info@bbbsmb.org
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)
Chapters in Massachusetts offer peer support groups.
Find a Massachusetts Group
Online Support Groups
Child & Family Services Therapeutic Mentoring
Therapeutic Mentoring offers structured, one-to-one, strength-based support services between a Therapeutic Mentor and a youth (up to the age of 21). A mentor supports a specific goal on the child’s behavioral treatment plan such as developing social skills, interpersonal skills, problem solving strategies, or daily living skills. Offices on Cape Cod, in Fall River, New Bedford, Plymouth, Florence, Lawrence, Waltham, and Worcester.
CHD Therapeutic Mentoring
This special program represents an integrated, holistic way of offering therapeutic mentoring for children in Western MA, including Hampshire and Franklin counties.
Advocates Family Continuity Therapeutic Mentoring
A therapeutic mentor works one-on-one with a child or youth who, because of their behavioral-health needs, requires support and coaching to learn social skills, including better ways to communicate and get along with others. Serves Framingham, Harvard, Lawrence, Marlborough, Peabody, Plymouth, Waltham, Whitinsville, and Worcester.
Family Services of Merrimac Valley
Offers four mentoring programs:
- Big Friends Little Friends – Big Friends Little Friends is a community-based mentoring program. Bigs (adults 18+) and Littles (young person ages 6–14) meet 2–4 times a month for at least one year. Matches are made with by looking at such things as geographic location, interests, and personalities, and can include one-to-one, couples as Bigs (spouses, friends, co-workers), and family matches.
- Stand & Deliver – Stand & Deliver is an academic mentoring program that matching students in middle and high schools with mentors from some of the area’s most prestigious businesses
Stand & Deliver currently partners with New Balance, Raytheon, Pfizer and Schneider Electric. New corporate partners are always welcome. - Amigos Mentoring – Amigos is a community-based mentoring program serving Lawrence youth ages 12–14. The program connects students with trained Family Servicers staff mentors. Mentors provide academic support, social-emotional guidance, and positive role modeling. Through consistent one-on-one and small group interactions, members build confidence, improve school engagement, strengthen life skills, and develop healthy relationships that support long-term success.
Fuller Hospital Therapeutic Mentoring
Therapeutic Mentoring offers structured, one-to-one, strength-based support services between a therapeutic mentor and child. The purpose is to address social, communication and daily living needs.
Gandara Center Therapeutic Mentoring
A therapeutic mentor works one-on-one with a child or youth who, because of their behavioral-health needs, requires support and coaching to learn social skills, including better ways to communicate and get along with others. Serves Holyoke, Boston, Fitchbug, Taunton, New Bedford, Fall River, Brockton.
Massachusetts Association for Mental Health
Offers mental health education resources and training for students.
130 Bowdoin Street Suite 309
Boston, MA 02108
Phone: 617-742-7452
Mass Mentoring Partnership
Listing of mentoring programs in Massachusetts serving children and youths 5-18 years old.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
Offers peer support resources, peer mentors and groups
The Schrafft’s Center
529 Main Street Suite 1M17
Boston, MA 02129
Phone: 617-580-8541
Beth Israel Lahey Health Behavioral Services Northeast Behavioral Health Flex Program
FLEX offers one-on one service for youth with significant behavioral, emotional and mental health needs.
Therapeutic Mentoring Program for Youth
- Individual Youth Support: Mentoring by a paraprofessional
Lahey Health Behavioral Services
Northeast Behavioral Health
199 Rosewood Drive, Suite 250
Danvers, MA
Phone: 978-968-1700
Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD) Mentoring Program
Goal is to help young people with disabilities meet their full potential for personal development and independence by matching them with a caring adult mentor.
95 Berkeley Street, Suite 109
Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617-556-4075
TTY: 617-314-2989
Email: info@pyd.org
Riverside Community Care Therapeutic Mentoring
Therapeutic Mentoring gives children and teens the chance to build skills through experiences that naturally occur in their everyday lives. To help the child develop a specified skill, their Therapeutic Mentor works to model, educate, motivate, and coach them on how to use this new ability.
The Home for Little Wanderers Therapeutic Mentoring
Therapeutic Mentors are used in a variety of programs at The Home and are a valuable resource for many children.
Trinity Care Associates Therapeutic Mentoring
Trinity Care Therapeutic Mentoring offers structured, one-on-one, strengths-based support services between a Therapeutic Mentor and a youth to address daily living, social, emotional, and communication needs. Serves Chelmsford, Ayer, Burlington, Newton, Framingham, Natick, Reading, Waltham, Wilmington Lincoln, Salibury, Lexington, Dunstable, Tyngsborough, Westford, Bellica, Dracut, Tewksbury, Lowell Acton, Bedford, Concord and including Boston, Lynn.
Therapeutic Mentoring Service Providers
Tufts Health Plan Therapeutic Mentoring (TM)
Tufts Health Plan has a list of agencies who provide therapeutic mentoring services for children or teens under the age of 21 throughout Massachusetts
Seven Hills Foundation Therapeutic Tracking
Therapeutic Trackers (also referred to as Therapeutic Mentors) support youth who are experiencing emotional/behavioral issues in their home, school, or community.
Mass.gov Therapeutic Mentoring Services (.doc.)
Therapeutic Mentoring guidelines, components of service, staffing, treatment planning and more.
Fact Sheet last updated on: 2/10/2026
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