Independent Living

When reunification with the family is either impossible or highly unlikely, the Independent Living Program (ILP) works with youth between the ages of 16 1/2 to 21 years old who are transitioning from treatment foster care, residential treatment centers, group homes or other intensive programs into independent living. Youth in the program receive intensive, individualized case management and psycho-social support to assist them in the transition from adolescence to adulthood.

The mission of the program is to empower young adults to develop confidence, self-reliance, social skills and other basic life skills. In addition, ILP encourages youth to develop supportive links within their local community.

Youth in the program participate in activities which help them develop independent living skills such as budgeting, time management, job seeking, organization, apartment hunting and relationship building. In addition, the program assists the youth to implement healthy leisure time activities which match their individual interests and schedules. Educational and vocational needs are also assessed and the program staff assist in developing appropriate plans so each youth can achieve his or her educational and vocational goals.

Youth move through the program in three phases. During the first phase, consumers live in therapeutic foster families where they begin to develop the skills necessary to move into a less restrictive, more independent environment. These skills include finding and maintaining employment, successful involvement in a psycho-therapeutic program, obtaining personal transportation as well as other goals determined by the individual and his or her treatment team. In the second phase, consumers rent a room from a community member or share an apartment with another participant in the program. During this phase, consumers continue to develop independent living skills in a less restrictive yet supportive and safe environment. When youth have demonstrated competence in their ability to live independently, they are moved into the third phase of the program. In the third phase, consumers have less interaction with program staff and are given more autonomy within the constructs of an established lifestyle.

Understanding that the transition to adulthood is an on-going process, youth who graduate from ILP are more prepared to grow and succeed in the complex adult world.