Questions families ask.

LifeChange Mentoring is a 6 to 12 month mentoring and life coaching program that helps young men become independent adults. Each young man works with one mentor who meets him in person every week, visits his home and sends his parents a weekly update. The focus is recovery, work or school, money, routines, relationships and practical life skills.

Yes. Graduate Guides is the name families at New Life House know the program by. LifeChange Mentoring Inc. is the company that runs it. It is the same mentors, the same framework and the same weekly structure under either name.

It is for young men who need help becoming independent adults: those living at home without direction, struggling to finish school or keep a job, or rebuilding after treatment or sober living. The program works best when he wants a mentor in his corner, so the first month is spent building that trust.

No. Many young men who benefit from mentoring have never been in treatment or sober living. It fits any young man who needs structure, accountability and practical skills to become independent. For young men who are leaving a program, it adds weekly support without the structure of a house.

Each week includes one in-person meeting with his mentor and one home visit. The meeting covers his goals, work or school schedule, recovery involvement when it applies, therapy or psychiatry appointments when he has them, medication follow-through, budget and life skills. After that, his parents receive an update. Drug testing happens in person only when needed.

Most young men take part for 6 to 12 months, depending on his needs, progress and level of independence. The end date is planned and discussed with him and his family several months ahead, and he leaves with a written one-year plan to keep growing on his own.

That is common at the start. Mentors spend the first month building rapport and learning what he actually wants, then shape the work around his goals. Before mentoring begins, the family and the young man hear the same explanation of the program so expectations match. Lasting change comes from his own motivation, and the mentor works to build it.

The program costs $1,000 per month. Payment is due at the start of each month and covers the weekly meeting, the weekly home visit, the weekly parent update and drug testing when needed. Monthly fees are nonrefundable. Most families stay 6 to 12 months.

Mentoring is not a medical or clinical service, so families pay LifeChange Mentoring directly each month. His therapy, psychiatry and treatment remain with his own providers and follow their own billing and insurance rules.

Sessions need at least 48 hours notice to cancel or reschedule, otherwise that week's session may be missed. If he does not show up, his mentor makes an unplanned home visit. If his mentor has to miss a week, the family is told and the time is made up, for example with two meetings the next week.

Yes, when needed. Drug testing is done in person by his mentor, not on a fixed schedule. It is one accountability tool among several and is discussed with the family during onboarding.

Mentoring is primarily in person. Virtual meetings are available when appropriate or when he requests one, but weekly home visits and any drug testing always happen in person.

LifeChange Mentoring serves young men living in Los Angeles and the South Bay, including Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Torrance and Long Beach. Because home visits are in person, call to confirm his neighborhood is within reach.

Parents receive a weekly update covering overall progress, goals, concerns and next steps. Updates stay general enough that he can be honest with his mentor. Serious safety concerns are always shared. His identity and the details of his work are kept confidential, with legal exceptions such as child abuse reporting and imminent risk of harm.

Yes. Parents are partners in the process. The mentor explains the approach to the family before mentoring starts, sends updates every week and is available when questions or concerns come up.

No. LifeChange Mentoring is mentoring and life coaching. It is not psychotherapy, counseling or substance use treatment, and it does not diagnose or treat mental health conditions. It is designed to work alongside his therapist, psychiatrist and recovery program. Mentoring in California is not a licensed or regulated profession.

A sober companion usually stays with a person for many hours a day, often for a short period. LifeChange Mentoring is a weekly relationship that lasts months: one meeting, one home visit and one parent update each week, aimed at building his own routines and judgment so he needs less outside support over time.

Many parents find LifeChange Mentoring by searching for failure to launch help. The program works with young men who are capable of independence but stuck: living at home, not working or in school, or drifting. Unlike residential programs, he stays where he lives and works with a mentor in person every week while his family stays informed.