FOSTERING EFFECTIVE FAMILY INVOLVEMENT THROUGH MENTORING

Mentoring has been used successfully by leaders in business and educat ion organizations to facilitate professional training and development of employees who show promise. Many of the principles and practices us ed in these mentoring programs can be applied to families of individua ls with traumatic brain injury (TBI). This article defines mentoring, explores several commonly used mentoring practices, and shows how thes e practices can be used to develop specific skills of family members. Suggestions are offered for encouraging and implementing a mentoring o rientation in treatment programs for individuals with TBI. Through men toring processes, professionals can increase the inclusion and involve ment of families in planning and treatment.