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Mentoring relationships between newly diagnosed individuals and role models living within their recovery may be a critical tool in the long-term well-being of people living with serious mental illness. The specific skills, knowledge, insight and support offered by a mentor who shares similar disabilities, while functioning well in society may offer a key ingredient, role modeling for people living with a mental illness. Role models possess a specific set of tools many other willing supports (e.g. family) may not be able to provide. For example, they have developed coping skills to deal with specific symptoms, stigma and issues surrounding self-disclosure. In addition, they may possess a high level of empathy having "been there" and they often instill hope simply by example.

As one focus group participant reported, "He (my mentor) was very much an inspiration and he was so far in his recovery. He was dealing with people I consider very important. He was a big shot and I looked up to that. So I tried very hard to please him and stay within my own recovery. He was doing so well. I felt I could do well too, if I retained my recovery." This respondent saw, through his mentor's example that life can be meaningful and full with a serious mental illness.

Recently we have seen more people revealing serious mental illness diagnoses, which may offer many of the aforementioned insights. Through first-person narratives such as An Unquiet Mind, and The Day the Voices Stopped, examples of successful lives living beyond a diagnosis emerge. Newly diagnosed individuals can learn through these examples the subtle nuances of living with a mental illness.

In May, Danny Frey, Dr. Deborah Megivern and I led a workshop titled, "Mentoring: Can we make this tool more available for recovery?" at the International Association of Psychosocial Rehabilitation Services 28th annual conference in Atlanta, Georgia. People living with a mental illness, family members, clinicians, agency directors and researchers attended the workshop. We are interested in developing mentoring and this workshop stirred up ideas and brought people together to discuss this possibility.

We reported focus group data on the meaning of mentoring relationships during recovery. This data was part of a small pilot project with eight participants in New York and St. Louis. Each participant in the focus groups had a mentor, had been a mentor or both. Many themes emerged such as the importance of engagement, the value of the mentor being a peer, and the challenges of mentoring. Participants repeatedly discussed the value in having support from someone who had "been there," a peer, someone who had experienced similar symptoms. In addition, it was common for participants to discuss the value of getting out and doing something. It was reported that it is important to be engaged in activities during the early recovery process.

We also shared ideas for future work in this area. Agency directors were excited about the idea, especially for the young adult population. One program, JumpStart is already piloting this type of program in Massachusetts. The excitement was evident and work will continue to develop these ideas.

Finally, Danny Frey shared a personal story of his relationship with his mentor, the late Ken Steele. He shared his recovery story and highlighted the mentoring role Ken played in helping him maintain his recovery. The inspiration and enlightenment revealed through personal stories such as Danny and Ken's make it hard to understand why this tool is not being more utilized.