Mental health is an essential part of the transplant journey, and meaningful peer support starts with mentors who feel prepared to listen, communicate, and support others. Project Hope’s Mental Health Department develops the knowledge, tools, and resources our mentors need to engage thoughtfully and effectively in peer-to-peer mentorship.
Our team focuses on emotional well-being, communication, resilience, and healthy coping, creating transplant-specific training incorporated into our educational modules and materials to help mentors better understand the experiences and challenges young transplant patients may face. Through accessible, culturally sensitive modules, mentors learn to foster supportive conversations, recognize when someone may need additional support, and build connections while maintaining healthy boundaries.
The department also develops resources that promote self-efficacy, stress management, and emotional resilience for both mentors and mentees. Our programming is designed to create a compassionate, growth-oriented environment where participants feel comfortable sharing their experiences, asking for help, and knowing that their voices matter.
Our mental health curriculum continues to grow alongside our community's needs, with content developed through collaboration among our Mental Health Department, mentors, and the lived experiences of young transplant recipients. Ultimately, our goal is to ensure that no young transplant patient has to navigate the emotional challenges of transplantation alone and that every mentor has the tools and support to help make that community possible.
MENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Important Note: Project Hope is not a crisis service. If you are in emotional distress or need immediate assistance, please call or text 988 (U.S.), call your local emergency number, or contact your transplant team’s on-call number.
Current Projects
Our current initiatives include supporting the mental health needs of our national chapter modules and our chapter at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. We are also actively working with our up-and-coming chapters to adapt and adjust our modules for their specific patient populations with a specific focus on cultural and language barriers. Additionally, our mentors often have ideas and experiences that we incorporate into our overall programmatic efforts. We work with all departments to ensure this happens, and we use our feedback to grow.
Volunteer Opportunities
Project Hope has a lot of projects and initiatives in progress! We always welcome new members who want to join our transplant community, and we love having volunteers who are ready and willing to support our programmatic efforts. Below are some volunteer opportunities in our Mental Health Department.
Mental Health module creation in Drive (mentor group developmental ages 15+)
Take the current ideas for mental health topics and make full lesson plans for the mentor group.
Mental Health module creation in Drive (mentee group developmental ages 9+)
Take the premade module lesson plan and create a colorful and age-appropriate presentation for the mentor group. The design should be consistent with Project Hope branding and design guidelines in Canva.
Mental Health module creation in Canva (mentee group developmental ages 9+)
Take the premade module lesson plan and create a colorful and age-appropriate presentation for the mentor group. The design should be consistent with Project Hope branding and design guidelines in Canva.
Mentor Training Canva Design
Take the mentor training document and create a training presentation that fits with Project Hope’s branding and current design guidelines.
Module Translation
Take the current modules available and help our team translate the material into multiple different languages.