Mentor+, an independent organization of volunteers aligned with PRO-ACT (Pennsylvania Recovery Organization -- Achieving Community Together), helps people leaving the Bucks County Correctional Facility make healthy decisions. PRO-ACT is a program of the Bucks County Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (BCCADD), a Demand Treatment! Partner.

The volunteers who participate in Mentor+ are part of the recovering community. Some of them have been incarcerated, some have not. They form teams of two and work with people before and after release to restructure their lives.

While people are incarcerated, the mentors participate in group meetings and have one-on-one contact visits, during which the mentors provide advice on job opportunities, housing, transportation, and continued treatment. They are also available by pager day and night to provide advice and support for the three months after people leave the facility.

Participants at the correctional facility must be enrolled in the treatment program and have 2-4 months left on their sentences. People must commit to being Bucks County residents following release and "willing to go to any length to stay clean and sober," according to Bill McDonald, criminal justice programs manager at BCCADD.

Members of PRO-ACT conceived the idea in October, 2001, and mentoring began in January, 2003. The group continues to recruit volunteers, and holds monthly training sessions on mentoring-related topics.

For more information on Mentor+, contact Bill McDonald at 215-230-8715.