Guidelines for BCPF Mentors and Beginners
Mentors usually have many years of experience working on advocacy projects and fighting for their rights or the rights of all people with disabilities. Beginners are usually starting out their self-advocacy journey and need some help advocating for their rights or learning about self-advocacy.
Mentors do not do the advocacy work for their Mentees but are a person the Beginner can go to for advice about self-advocacy work and advocacy projects they are working on in their community.
Mentorship is about helping Beginners learn and grow on their path to success by having someone to go to for advice and help. But Mentors can also learn from the people they are mentoring. Mentors can work on their own professional and personal skills, and develop a sense of fulfillment by helping someone else.
BCPF Advocacy Mentor Guidelines:
- Mentors must have at least 5 years of lived experience advocating for their rights or needs with government officials, service providers, or their caregivers.
- Mentors should have experience changing policies or situations that affect them by writing letters or making phone calls or doing presentations or finishing lawsuits or doing protests, or other advocacy work.
- Mentors are interested in volunteering a few hours of their time each month to help others by sharing their advocacy skills and experiences.
- Mentors are honest, respectful, and reliable people who want to help others.
BCPF Advocacy Guidelines for Beginners (people who need advocacy mentorship):
- Beginners want to learn more about self-advocacy so they can practice standing up for their rights or the rights of others.
- Beginners want feedback, tips, and advice. They are looking for a Mentor to support them in their self-advocacy journey but not do the work for them.
- Beginners understand that Mentors are volunteering their time as a peer and might not always be able to answer right away.
- Beginners are honest, respectful, and reliable people who want to learn from a peer about advocacy work.
We match BCPF Members as Mentors and Mentees/Beginners so people can share their experiences and help change the world together for the better!
Mentors and Beginners must be approved by the BCPF Advocacy Committee after a review of the application. Please give as much detail below about your advocacy experience below so the Advocacy Committee can match up the right people with each other based on experience and location. We will contact you if we need more information and when we find you a match!
Please email or contact BCPF if you have any questions before filling out this form.