Both parties are likely to have preconceptions about the relationship that influence how they judge one another over its course. One of the tasks of a caseworker should be to challenge unrealistic expectations and to gauge feelings over time. This self-analysis can be facilitated by discussions with caseworkers that focus on earlier experiences in the mentors’ own lives that drew them into the helping role. Like most mentors, you probably went into this out of a desire to make a difference in a young person’s life. Your desire to help is truly a gift to your mentee, but chances are that you were not exactly sure what “making a difference” looks like.

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