title: The recreation mentoring program: a community engagement initiative for children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Approximately one in five Ontario children show symptoms of significant mental health problems. These children exhibit impairments at home, at school and in the community, often with long-lasting effects. Involvement in structured community-based recreation programs may be protective for these children; however, they often encounter multiple barriers to participation (e.g., facility fees, lack of family or peer support, and reluctance to try new activities).
  
  
  METHODS
  The Recreation Mentoring Program is a community-wide program that reduces barriers to participation while providing an important relationship with a caring, young adult mentor. Trained volunteer mentors are matched with at-risk children, and meet regularly at a community recreation centre near the child's residence. The mentor's role is to: 1) stimulate participation in recreational programs, and 2) promote the child's continued participation after the mentorship ends.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Limited program evaluation suggests that the Recreation Mentoring Program engages at-risk children in community-based recreation, that it is operationally feasible, and that it produces high levels of client satisfaction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Recreation Mentoring Program holds promise as an effective community-based intervention for children with mental health problems.
authors.affiliation: McMaster Children's Hospital, Chedoke Site, Hamilton, Ontario.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lipman
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Metz
authors.forename: Elissa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Teram
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elbard
authors.forename: Marjorie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Waymouth
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sanford