Become a Mentor
Walk alongside someone. Change a life.
At Trenches Collective, our mentors serve individuals and families navigating some of life's most difficult seasons—including housing instability, trauma, reintegration after incarceration, mental health challenges, addiction recovery, and family crises.
Because our participants often face complex situations, we believe our mentors deserve the knowledge, confidence, and support to serve safely and effectively. Below you will find our expectations and requirements for serving with us.
What We Look For
We're looking for people who are:
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Compassionate and nonjudgmental
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Dependable and consistent
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Good listeners
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Comfortable encouraging healthy boundaries
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Willing to learn
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Committed to walking alongside others with humility and respect
No professional counseling experience is required.
Mentor Commitment
Before being matched with a participant, mentors agree to:
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Complete a background check
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Attend mentor orientation
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Review and sign all volunteer policies
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Complete required training
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Meet regularly with their participant
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Participate in ongoing support and check-ins
Required Training
To ensure the safety of both our participants and volunteers, all mentors must complete:
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ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training)
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Mental Health First Aid
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First Aid/CPR/AED Certification
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Other trainings as needed or deemed necessary by Trenche Collective
These trainings help mentors:
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recognize signs of crisis
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respond appropriately without becoming a counselor
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maintain healthy boundaries
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know when and how to connect participants with professional help
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protect both themselves and those they serve
Trenches Collective will provide these trainings at no cost to our volunteers.
Why We Require Training
Many of our participants have experienced trauma, homelessness, addiction, incarceration, domestic violence, or mental health struggles.
A caring heart is essential—but it isn't enough.
Our responsibility is to protect our participants and our mentors by ensuring everyone is prepared to respond safely, confidently, and ethically.
Training isn't about making you an expert.
It's about making sure no mentor ever has to face a crisis alone or wonder what to do.
Time Commitment
Estimated commitment:
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Initial Training: Approximately 12-28 hours (depending on course scheduling
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Mentoring: Approximately 2–4 hours per week
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No more than 2 matched participants at any given time to 1 mentor
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Monthly mentor meeting or supervision
Is This Right for You?
Mentoring isn't for everyone—and that's okay.
If you're looking for a meaningful opportunity that challenges you, equips you, and allows you to make a lasting impact, we'd love to talk with you.