AMP-UP is the Project ASSIST Mentorship Program for Underrepresented Professionals
The Project ASSIST Mentorship Program for Underrepresented Professionals (AMP-UP) is a free, 11-month program that provides historically underrepresented trainers with specialized mentorship to promote resiliency, while providing skill building that will help mentees elevate their training profile.
Mentors will work with mentees on issues often encountered by underrepresented trainers in the workspace. Topics include ways to manage dealing with covert and overt racism and other micro-aggression, advancing career goals, choosing training opportunities, and negotiating training compensation.
In addition to above listed objectives, AMP-UP will create opportunities for building a supportive network of underrepresented minorities trainers.
How the AMP-UP Group Mentoring Program Works
The program spans 11 months and consists of a Foundational and an Applied track.
Each track is 5 months in duration, followed by an evaluation in the final month of the program.
Each month, participants will be introduced to a new core topic in an asynchronous learning session. Participants will then meet with their cohort for a 1-hour coaching session facilitated by a member of the Project ASSIST team. Coaching sessions are designed to provide further didactic support as participants are integrating information and skills into practice. Later in the same month, participants will then meet with their mentor, a leading expert in the field, for a 90-minute group mentoring session where they will be discussing the core topic of the month.
All sessions are delivered virtually via zoom.
Evaluation
It is important to carefully evaluate all aspects of Project ASSIST activities, including mentoring. We are in the process of developing a robust assessment of our mentoring program. We will use key concepts from implementation science (e.g., acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness) to assess participants’ perceptions of our program.
We encourage underrepresented minority trainers at all skill-levels to apply.
AMP-UP Cohort 5 began in January 2025.
Watch our AMP-UP Information SessionAMP-UP Coaches
Alejandra Martinez
Project ASSIST Grant Project Manager, Trauma-Informed Trainer, STL CAC DEI Taskforce Founding Chair
Alejandra Martinez, MSW, LCSW, is the Program Director for the Missouri Academy for Child Trauma Studies (MoACTS) as well as Project Manager for Project ASSIST at the St. Louis Children’s Advocacy Center (STL CAC). Ms. Martinez is passionate about workforce development for child-serving trauma professionals. She is one of the curriculum developers for the ASSIST Mentorship Program for Underrepresented Professionals (AMP-UP) as well as a National Trainer of the FORECAST model. She trains extensively across a range of trauma-related topics and teaches at the undergraduate level at the University of Missouri-St. Louis within the School of Social Work and Psychological and Brain Sciences. Ms. Martinez received her Masters of Social Work from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. As a bilingual Licensed Clinical Social Worker, she works with children and adolescents impacted by trauma, such as sexual abuse, physical abuse, domestic violence, migratory stress and traumatic grief. Over the course of her career, she has gained expertise in working with Latino immigrant communities.
Evette Bean
Trauma-Informed Trainer
Evette Bean, M.Ed., LPC is a Senior Counselor and Trainer with the St. Louis Children’s Advocacy Center (STLCAC), where she provides clinical leadership, training, and direct therapeutic services. She also serves as a trainer and consultant with the Missouri Academy for Child Trauma Studies (MOACTS), supporting professionals and organizations in implementing trauma-informed practices. During her tenure at STLCAC, Evette has played a key role in developing and advancing several innovative initiatives, including Project ASSIST Mentorship Program for Underrepresented Professionals (AMP-UP), the Trainer Enrichment Learning Community (TELC), and Trauma-Informed Programming in Schools (TIPS). These programs reflect her commitment to strengthening the workforce, expanding access to culturally responsive care, and promoting trauma-informed systems. A national trainer in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Evette is dedicated to equipping clinicians with evidence-based tools to support children and families impacted by trauma. As a Licensed Professional Counselor, she provides individual psychotherapy and clinical services to children and adolescents who have experienced sexual abuse, domestic violence, bullying, and traumatic loss. Evette’s work is grounded in compassion, equity, and a steadfast commitment to helping young people and the professionals who serve them thrive.
AMP-UP Staff
Katie Showers
Training and Logistics Coordinator
Katie Showers, is a Training and Logistics Coordinator for Project ASSIST and MoACTS at the Children’s Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis. In her role, she assists in the planning and implementation of trainings and provides logistical support for her team.