10.6.1 Transitional Living Programs | 10.6.2 Supervised Independent Living Programs | 10.6.3 Youth in Transition Program
Transitional Living Programs (TLP) are POS placement programs primarily designed for mature youth that are unable to live in a family living arrangement but may not be prepared for a less supervised independent living arrangement. These youth may be ready to progress to a less restrictive living arrangement than a group home or residential setting. In a TLP, there is a high level of supervision and individual hands-on work with the youth. Youth should be at least 16 years of age for referral to this type of program. For continuity of care, upon acceptance into a TLP, the DCFS worker will no longer transfer the youth's case to the private agency worker. A TLP, which provides more "intensive" services, may be used to prepare the youth for more advanced forms of independent living such as SILP or the Department's YTP. Many agencies have both TLP and SILP components. When the youth has demonstrated consistent ability to follow through independently, the youth might then advance on the continuum of care to the SILP component. Youth are generally not expected to emancipate out of care from a TLP.
The focus of a TLP is development and practice of basic life skills, while the youth continues to pursue educational and employment goals. In Illinois, there are a limited number of TLPs and they vary greatly in types of programming and living arrangement. Following are descriptions of some TLPs:
· A youth lives with an adult who is licensed as a foster parent, but functions in more of a mentoring capacity. The youth is expected to function more independently while still following the house rules. This type of placement may be ideal for the youth that is unable to emotionally handle living in a family environment but needs more structure and supervision.
· A group living arrangement of 6-8 youth is another form of TLP. This may be staffed with "house parents" or round-the-clock child care staff. Youth participate in the daily management of the home and are scheduled for specific chores that enhance their life skills. Generally, there are more freedoms and responsibilities than the more typical group home.
TLPs currently fall under the auspices of SILP Rules and Procedures. Workers should read the following section on SILP and refer to Procedures 302, Appendix M.
Supervised Independent Living Programs (SILP), like TLPs, provide supportive services, an apartment and living maintenance to adolescent youth for whom the Department is legally responsible. The purpose of SILP is to assist youth that have demonstrated the minimum requirements for living independently to progress toward their goal of independence. Youth can emancipate from an SILP or step-down on the continuum of care to the DCFS YTP.
While TLPs and SILPs provide monitoring and supervision, the intensity is dependent upon the agency program plan, the type of referrals the agency typically accepts and the quality of the relationship between the worker and the youth. Workers should research available SILPs in the area needed, to make the best match to meet the needs of a particular youth.
Basic programming for SILPs tends to follow two formats. Youth may initially be placed in a cluster apartment. After demonstrating competency in the cluster apartment, the youth may move to a scattered site apartment. More often SILP's provide a scattered site apartment, which the youth locates with assistance from the agency worker.
Initially, the apartment is leased in the agency's name and the agency pays rent directly to the landlord. If a youth will emancipate from the system while living in the apartment, the agency will make arrangements for the lease to be put in the youth's name. In some instances, there is also a spend-down component during the last 6 months of service prior to emancipation. The youth may pay the rent to the landlord out of funds from his/her job. The rent money the agency would have paid is put in a savings account and is given to the youth upon termination from the program.
Although Rule and Procedure currently allows for youth as young as 16 years old to be referred, it is NOT recommended for youth this age. Apartment living requires the adolescent to be mature, responsible and somewhat self-sufficient. Care should be taken not to "set up" an adolescent for failure by making a placement that is inappropriate to the youth's level of maturity and development.
YTP is to be considered for those youth who have demonstrated the maturity and readiness for living in these types of independent living programs. Youth must meet the participation criteria and will not be considered for these programs as an alternative to the "last resort".
The YTP consists of two components: the Youth in College (YIC) program and the Youth In Employment (YIE) program. The YTP provides supplemental services and cash maintenance payments to adolescent youth for whom the Department is legally responsible who are either working full-time, attending school full-time, or working part-time while attending school part-time. The purpose of these services and payments is to motivate and enable youth to gain economic independence and social maturity.
Eligibility requirements for the YTP are:
· Youth must be seventeen years but not yet 21.
· Department must have court ordered legal responsibility for the adolescent.
· The permanency goal must be independence.
· No other room and board payments are being made for the youth.
· Youth must contribute a minimum of $100.00 monthly toward his/her own upkeep. This amount can come from earned or unearned income.
· Youth must be a full-time student, working full-time, or working part-time and attending school part-time; and have worked four consecutive weeks prior to being allowed to participate in the program.
· Youth are responsible for providing ongoing documentation of continued eligibility in order to continue participating in this program.
For more information about the Youth In Transition Programs, contact the Division of Education and Transition Services. Failure to follow this procedure will result in a delay or interruption in the youth receiving the monthly stipend. A youth may participate in the employment component for a maximum of 24 months. If a youth is attending college full-time, they may participate until they reach 22 years of age with verification and submission of their grades at the end of each semester. (They must maintain a "C" average.) Please refer to Procedures 302, Subpart C, Appendix H. For youth turning 21, they can be referred to the Youth conversion Program. Although wardship will be vacated, the Department will continue to provide the monthly stipend and medical card.
10.6.1 Transitional Living Programs | 10.6.2 Supervised Independent Living Programs | 10.6.3 Youth in Transition Program