This review is structured around four sets of questions regarding the effectiveness of lived-experience mentoring programs, factors that can influence that effectiveness, processes that contribute to or impede desired outcomes, and the extent to which LEM programs have impacted their target demographics.
This Summary Review document discusses the available research evidence on credible-messenger and lived-experience mentoring (LEM) programs for young adults and youth. Credible messenger programs, usually designed to support youth with criminal legal system involvement, rely on mentors that have similar life experiences and backgrounds, while LEM is broader allows for a more encompassing approach. The document begins with a summary of the project and literature review, and discusses various mentor-mentee relationship processes that may have implications for achieving intended program results. Key findings suggest that mentoring programs using a credible messenger strategy can have meaningful potential for reducing recidivism and adverse outcomes in youth; a related strategy involving support from someone living in the youths’ same neighborhood also appears to have promise for improving criminal legal system and educational outcomes; and programs with mentors who share other types of lived experience with youth participants also demonstrate potential for improving outcomes that are aligned with program goals. Finally, the document provides a discussion of the project’s implications for practice, including cautions about credible messenger and LEM models, considerations for program design, and considerations for program delivery.