MENTORING MEN · VERSION 1.22
Updated May 2025
Updated May 2025
I’m proud to launch this Model of Care – a testament to the transformative power of human connection. At its heart, this model reflects our belief that every man deserves the opportunity to be heard, understood, and supported through life’s challenges.
This approach captures the essence of what makes Mentoring Men unique: a strengths-based, peer-driven framework grounded in trust, respect, and purposeful conversation. It is more than just a program – it is a community movement that enables men to journey alongside one another, fostering wellbeing, resilience, and belonging.
Our model has been shaped by the lived experiences of our mentors, the voices of the men we serve, and the guiding principles of best practice. It is deeply aligned with national priorities in men’s health, and grounded in a preventative, non-clinical model that meets men where they are – early, authentically, and without judgement.
I would like to acknowledge the incredible work of Cassandra Gray, BBehavStud(Psych), BSocSc(Psych)(Hons), our Chief Operating Officer, who has led the development of this model with expertise, care, and unwavering dedication. Her contribution has been instrumental in bringing this vision to life.
We are committed to ensuring this model continues to evolve with integrity, evidence, and impact. Thank you for being part of this journey with us.
1300 583 925
mentoringmen.org.au
Filipe Gama e Silva
Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director
Mentoring Men Ltd.
This Model of Care outlines the design and delivery of a strengths-based, preventative mentoring program designed to support men’s wellbeing through peer connection and purposeful conversation.
Mentoring Men’s service provides free, one-to-one life mentoring for men aged 18 and over. Trained volunteer mentors offer regular, non-clinical support through conversations that foster trust, acceptance, insight, and personal growth. Mentoring relationships are built on mutual respect and lived experience, providing a safe space for men to explore challenges, set goals, and strengthen their wellbeing.
This gender-specific, male-to-male model of support aligns with guiding principles, as a vital part of the mental health response in key government strategies. The National Men’s Health Strategy 2020–2030 identifies the need for male-centred, preventative approaches that reduce stigma and promote help-seeking behaviour to improve the quality of life for men and positively impacting their networks and communities.
Our program is also accredited by Suicide Prevention Australia, affirming its alignment with best practice in suicide prevention and peer-based mental health support.
Through meaningful peer connection, men are empowered to navigate life with greater confidence, purpose, and connection to those around them.
Mentoring Men believes in achieving clearer purpose and growth for men, and that many barriers can be overcome through open, positive, and trusting communication. Real change happens through real conversations.
Men do well when they are provided the opportunity to be real, share experiences, discuss the mucky parts of life, and rejoice in their strengths — throwing away the fragile masks we may wear to disguise our concerns and fears.
When men do well, they are able to turn up for their families, friends, workplaces, and communities in healthy, connected ways.
At Mentoring Men, we are committed to creating an inclusive, safe, and respectful environment for everyone. We have zero tolerance towards discriminatory or exclusive language, abusive behaviour of any kind, or other forms of harm.
Every man has a story to tell — one that's worthy of another man's time, respect, and understanding.
Mentoring is a collaborative, one-to-one connection between two men — a mentee who is seeking change or direction, and a trained volunteer mentor who brings lived experience, empathy, and a steady, non-judgemental presence.
It’s a space for honest, real conversation — about the challenges, experiences, transitions, and questions that men face. Topics might range from relationships, work, identity, or simply feeling stuck or disconnected. There’s no script and no pressure — just space to talk and be heard.
Mentors are not there to provide the answers or clinical advice. Their role is to listen, offer insights and encourage self-reflection. Helping a mentee navigate challenges, meet their goals, gain confidence and develop new perspectives.
Mentees are not alone, building affirming knowledge that struggles and hardships of an individual have solidarity, commonality, and the ways forward are possible. Catch-ups are regular — typically weekly, fortnightly, or monthly — and take place in a way that suits both people. That might be a coffee catch-up, a walk in the park, a phone call, or a video chat. The format is flexible, but the connection is consistent.
Many men find that mentoring helps them:
As the relationship builds, mentors gradually take a step back, encouraging the mentee to lead with greater independence and self-assurance.
Mentoring is not a clinical service or a therapy session — it’s a structured, peer-based relationship that supports men to feel seen, heard, and empowered to take meaningful steps forward in their lives.
Key elements of the phase
Focuses on building rapport, establishing trust, clarifying expectations, and exploring the purpose of the mentoring relationship.
Trust deepens, conversations become more open, and mentees begin sharing challenges, aspirations, and personal reflections.
A more active phase where mentors support goal progression, self-awareness, and practical strategies through meaningful dialogue.
The mentee gains confidence and independence, while the mentor gradually steps back and the relationship begins to evolve.
A time for reflection, celebrating progress, and formally closing the mentoring relationship while looking ahead to the future.
Mentorships follow a natural progression from initial engagement to closure. The phases support rapport building, goal development, collaborative work, transition planning, and meaningful reflection as the relationship matures.
Mentoring Men provides structured support to both mentees and mentors throughout the relationship. This includes:
This ensures that both mentors and mentees feel confident, connected, and appropriately equipped throughout their journey.
To maintain program integrity and track outcomes:
If a mentee’s needs evolve beyond the scope of peer-based support, Mentoring Men staff facilitate appropriate external referrals, ensuring safety, continuity of care, and alignment with best practice boundaries.
Our work is guided by a set of core principles that ensure support is meaningful, accessible, and grounded in care. These pillars shape how we connect, listen, and walk alongside others on their journey.
Ensuring the mentee’s needs, preferences, and goals are prioritised.
Reducing barriers to participation and creating inclusiveness. Providing both face to face and virtual mentoring.
Ensuring mentors and mentees receive evidence-based, best practice support.
Mentoring Men tracks effectiveness and impact through participation evaluation.
Strengthening men’s mental health through early intervention, peer support, and community-driven wellbeing.
Volunteer mentors bring lived experience, compassion, and a willingness to walk alongside another man through life’s challenges. They are everyday men from diverse backgrounds, offering a steady, non-judgemental presence and a commitment to helping others thrive.
Mentors offer support by drawing on their own life experiences rather than clinical expertise. Their role is grounded in listening, encouragement, and promoting self-reflection—empowering mentees to build confidence and take ownership of their personal journey. Some mentors may have professional or clinical experience, but all operate within the non-clinical, peer-based Mentoring Men support model.
A structured intake and screening process ensures suitability and safety, including background checks and alignment with program values. Clear boundaries and safeguarding practices underpin every mentoring relationship.
All mentors complete Mentoring Men’s accredited Mentor Foundation Training prior to commencement, ensuring consistency in program delivery and participant experience. Additional training opportunities are offered, including:
Mentors are supported throughout their journey with check-ins, access to program staff, and a range of guidance resources. Challenges are not faced alone—support is readily available to ensure mentors feel confident and well-equipped in their role.
Dedicated Mentor Peer Support Groups—both in-person and online—offer spaces for reflection, shared learning, and mutual support. These groups help maintain mentor wellbeing and promote a sense of connection and community with other mentors across the program.
A strong support structure ensures mentors are not only effective in their role but also grow through the experience themselves—contributing to a cycle of mutual benefit and personal development.
The mentoring program is designed to support men who are seeking clarity, connection, purpose, and/or personal growth. Mentees may be navigating a period of transition, facing challenges in relationships, work, identity, or simply seeking a space to reflect and grow. Some may be feeling disconnected or uncertain, while others are actively pursuing change and self-development.
There is no ‘typical’ mentee — each brings their own story, experiences, and aspirations. What they share is a willingness to engage in meaningful conversation and explore their path forward in a safe, non-judgemental space, gaining new perspectives.
Mentees are not expected to navigate challenges alone. They are supported through:
Mentees are at the heart of the Mentoring Men program. The mentoring relationship is designed to help them feel seen, heard, and empowered — building confidence, resilience, and stronger connections in their own lives.
Mentoring Men applies an in-depth intake and matching process designed to ensure the right support, at the right time, for both mentors and mentees. This process is integral to program integrity, trauma-informed practice, and alignment with participant goals.
All mentors and mentees undergo a thorough intake process to assess:
This enables us to identify strengths, challenges, and any considerations that may influence a successful mentoring relationship.
Participants are required to demonstrate a willingness and capacity to:
Matching is based on alignment between a mentee’s goals and a mentor’s lived experience and communication style. Additional factors may include:
This ensures each mentoring relationship is relevant, personalised, and positioned for impact.
The intake and matching process is guided by trauma-informed principles, ensuring mentees are placed with mentors who can provide appropriate, safe, and empowering support.
To maintain program integrity and safety:
Our mentoring program sits alongside, not in place of, clinical or formal mental health services. We are part of the broader mental health ecosystem, with a unique focus on prevention and post-crisis support.
The below illustrates a typical mental health continuum:
Healthy → Unsettled → Struggling (In Crisis) → Healing → Healthy
Mentoring Men provides support either side of a crisis — during the "Unsettled" and "Healing" stages (as circled in blue).
The continuum runs from Healthy to Unsettled, Struggling, Healing and Healthy. Mentoring Men is shown either side of crisis: across Healthy and Unsettled on the left, and Healing and Healthy on the right. In Crisis sits within Struggling. (Reference: Beyond Blue)
(Reference: Beyond Blue)
This means we support men who may be:
Addressing social and emotional wellbeing early in a man's journey can help prevent deterioration and support long-term positive growth. As well, having a mentor when moving out of a challenging time can foster new perspectives and solidify growth.
Struggling
unsettled
Healthy
healthy
healing
mentoring men
mentoring men
in crisis
The vertical axis runs from Poor mental wellbeing — LANGUISHING to FLOURISHING — High Mental Wellbeing. The horizontal axis runs from Severe and or Persistent Mental Illness to No or Minimal Mental Illness. Each quadrant describes high or low wellbeing, with or without a diagnosed mental illness. The dashed region on the left is outside of Mentoring Men’s scope. The light grey region shows Mentoring Men’s scope of practice. The darker curved region shows the optimum support area, extending slightly left of the vertical axis. The diagram is conceptual and has no numerical scale. (Queensland Mental Health Commission, 2015)
(Queensland Mental Health Commission, 2015)
Understanding mental health requires more than a single spectrum from illness to wellness. A dual axis model offers a more complete perspective, recognising that mental illness and mental wellbeing are not mutually exclusive. (Keys, 2002)
This model highlights that an individual can experience positive wellbeing while managing a mental illness, or conversely, feel disconnected, unmotivated, or unwell despite no clinical diagnosis. It reflects a more nuanced understanding of where and how peer mentoring can make a difference.
Outside of mentoring men’s scope
mentoring men’s scope of practice
Severe and or Persistent Mental Illness
Optuim support
Individuals with high levels of mental wellbeing living with a diagnosed mental illness
Individuals with high levels of mental wellbeing and no diagnosed mental illness
Individuals with low levels of mental wellbeing living with a diagnosed mental illness
Individuals with low levels of mental wellbeing and no diagnosed mental illness
No or Minimal
Mental illness
flourishing
High Mental Wellbeing
Poor mental wellbeinglanguishing
The program’s focus lies in supporting men across the wellbeing axis, particularly those who are:
This approach supports the idea that wellbeing is not the absence of illness, but the presence of connection, purpose, and emotional balance.
Informed by Keyes’ Mental Health Continuum, mentoring is positioned to support men who may be navigating low to moderate levels of wellbeing, where early, preventative and recovery-based support can have the most significant impact.
Keyes (2003) describes Languishing as ‘not functioning well psychologically or socially, but not depressed”. People languishing may not consider themselves unhealthy mentally but not put themselves into the mentally healthy category either. By offering timely, strengths-based support, mentors help men move toward flourishing — even in the presence of ongoing challenges.
Keyes, C. L. M. (2002). The mental health continuum: From languishing to flourishing in life Journal of Health and Social Research, 43,207—222.
Outcomes and impact are monitored through a combination of feedback mechanisms and wellbeing assessments. This ensures mentoring relationships are not only supportive in practice but also measurable in their effectiveness.
To maintain program quality and inform continuous improvement, mentors and mentees participate in:
These tools allow for a ‘health check’ of each mentorship and ensure that the experience is meaningful and effective for both participants.
Progress is also assessed using the Flourishing Measure developed by Harvard’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science (VanderWeele, 2017). This evidence-based tool provides insight into key dimensions of wellbeing, including:
The use of this framework supports a broader understanding of how mentoring contributes to positive change — not only in mental wellbeing, but in how participants engage with life more meaningfully.
Mentoring Men continues to evolve, with the ambition to expand reach, deepen impact, and strengthen community-led wellbeing outcomes. Mentoring Men’s program is positioned for growth, innovation, and broader contribution to national mental health priorities for men.
Expand outreach to underserved populations, ensuring equitable access to mentoring across communities, including rural, remote, and culturally diverse groups.
Strengthen collaboration with community organisations, health services, and government initiatives to increase program visibility and create integrated pathways of support.
Invest in digital infrastructure to improve participant experience, enhance matching systems, streamline reporting, and build scalable support networks.
Continue embedding research-backed approaches into training, program delivery, and evaluation. Utilising data to demonstrate program impact and outcomes.
Further alignment of service delivery with the Federal Government’s Suicide Prevention Strategy 2025–2035, recognising the role of peer-based mentoring in early intervention and social connection.
Continue to facilitate and embed Mentoring Men’s Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Training into the program, creating opportunity to have a positive impact on prevention. As demand grows for non-clinical, community-led wellbeing solutions, the Mentoring Men program is uniquely placed to contribute to meaningful outcomes in supporting men to thrive, families to stay connected, and communities to grow stronger.
Australian Government Department of Health. (2020). National men's health strategy 2020–2030. Retrieved from [SharePoint link—restricted access]
Beyond Blue. (n.d.). Beyond Blue. Retrieved March 10, 2025, from https://www.beyondblue.org.au/
Dirks, S. (2021). Alternative approaches to mentoring. Critical Care Nurse, 41(1), e9–e16. aacnjournals.org
Mundinger, M. O. (2006). Toward a quality and safety agenda for advanced practice registered nurses. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 18(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-7599.2006.00102.x
Positive Psychology. (n.d.). Mental health continuum model. Retrieved March 10, 2025, from https://positivepsychology.com/mental-health-continuum-model/
PubMed. (2006). Article on PubMed. [Article Title Unknown]. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16460411/
Queensland Government. (n.d.). The dual continuum of mental health and mental ill health. Child Safety Practice Manual. Retrieved March 10, 2025, from https://cspm.csyw.qld.gov.au/practice-kits/mental-health/overview-of-mental-health-1/the-dual-continuum-of-mental-health-and-mental-ill
The Social Work Graduate. (2023, February 12). Positive psychology. Retrieved March 10, 2025, from https://www.thesocialworkgraduate.com/post/positive-psychology
VanderWeele, T.J. (2017). On the promotion of human flourishing. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, U.S.A., 31:8148-8156.
Wallen, G. R., Mitchell, S. A., Melnyk, B., Fineout-Overholt, E., Miller-Davis, C., Yates, J., & Hastings, C. (2010). Implementing evidence-based practice: Effectiveness of a structured multifaceted mentorship programme. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 66(12), 2761–2771.
1300 583 925
mentoringmen.org.au
Cassandra Gray BPsych, BSocSc(Psych)(Hons) - Chief Operating Officer
Filipe Gama e Silva - Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director