Overview

While leading teams in the high-stakes world of child welfare, I noticed a critical gap between classroom training and the emotional demands of field work. New hires were well-informed, but not fully prepared for the real-world responsibility of managing complex cases and supporting vulnerable families.

To bridge that gap, I developed a Peer Mentorship Program designed to strengthen new hire confidence, emotional intelligence, and leadership readiness through structured, relational support.

Program Strategy

I designed this initiative from the ground up, pairing new hires with experienced case managers for weekly touchpoints throughout their onboarding. Each pair received flexible tools: conversation prompts, confidence-building activities, and reflection guides that encouraged emotional resilience and case leadership development.

To keep the program sustainable, I created a toolkit with lightweight Trello boards, implementation calendars, and repeatable templates. The result was a self-guided system that could be adopted across teams without requiring constant oversight.

How peer support drives readiness.

Tools for mentor check-ins.

Leadership & Implementation

This project gave me the opportunity to lead not just learning, but culture change. I worked directly with supervisors and directors to align the program with organizational goals, onboard pilot participants, and refine the experience based on feedback.

I facilitated mentor orientations, coached peers on relationship-building, and worked with leadership to integrate the program into long-term onboarding practices.

Core pillars of the program.

Impact & Reflection

New hires reported feeling more confident, supported, and emotionally prepared to take ownership of their caseloads. Supervisors noted faster ramp-up times, reduced early burnout, and stronger team morale.

For me, this was a defining project, it was about more than retention or training. It was about helping people step into leadership while doing deeply meaningful work.

“The mentorship helped me believe I could actually do this work. It made me feel less alone.”
— New Hire, Child Welfare Team