Illinois Valley Community College has launched a Peer Mentor program aimed at enhancing mental health services on campus. Students Danica Scoma and Bhawna, the program’s first mentors, offer peer-to-peer counseling, providing a comfortable space for students to discuss their challenges. Supervised by professionals, these mentors undergo extensive training to effectively support their peers without substituting for professional therapy.
“That relatability is the Peer Mentor program’s strength,” says Dr. Jessica Swenson, who developed programs now operating at IVCC and two other colleges.
“The biggest connection to a student is another student. Students can look across the table at someone going through the same thing they are,” said Swenson, the founder and executive director of Transformative Growth, IVCC’s mental health counseling partner.
Scoma said she wanted to be part of the program because “I liked the idea of something informal. I could relate easier to a peer if I had a problem and was nervous to go to an adult staff member. We try to be friendly and non-judgmental, and everything is confidential. I try to help them realize what’s going on with them and what they can do.”
Scoma’s effervescent personality has become familiar on campus, but a few years ago she worried about fitting in at her high school. “I wanted to make connections, but I didn’t know who to go to. Then something clicked and I wanted to get involved so I didn’t leave high school disappointed that I hadn’t been involved.”Scoma said she wanted to be part of the program because “I liked the idea of something informal. I could relate easier to a peer if I had a problem and was nervous to go to an adult staff member. We try to be friendly and non-judgmental, and everything is confidential. I try to help them realize what’s going on with them and what they can do.”
As an international student who is oceans away from her family in India, Bhawna is balancing work, study and life on her own and can relate to other students’ challenges. “I experience a different country and a different culture, and I try to keep an open mind and think outside the box.”
“I can help the people I meet stay calm, which allows us to make better decisions,” Bhawna said. “I’m a good listener. Sometimes you need a person to just listen and nothing else.”
“They are trained to understand what the role is and what it is not. A peer mentor can be a really weird position, because it’s not a friend, either. They are not junior therapists. They don’t diagnose or give advice or do testing,” Swenson said.
Recommended by Dean of Student Success Crystal Credi, IVCC candidates underwent job interviews and passed background checks. Credi said, “Bhawna and Danica are truly approachable and relate to students. Their personalities are different, yet complementary. They have made a noticeable impact in a short time.”
Peer-to-peer counseling is not a new concept and has been used in alcohol and drug rehab, veterans groups, and other organizations for decades. “There is a need for individual mental health services and for a community response that helps a whole bunch of people, not just one. You can’t do one without the other,” Swenson said.