Your responses to the following ten questions will provide immediate suggestions on products, training, and/or ideas on how to enhance that specific aspect of your professional and programming needs.
We hope you enjoy and revisit this section often.
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Question #1
I am well prepared to provide transitional services to youths.
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Recommendation:
No worries! The following resources will help you get started Program Strategies, Putting It Together, and some independent living conferences, such as It’s My Life by Casey Family Programs, and the National Independent Living Conference www.danielkids.org)
Primary caregivers are involved in teaching and supporting life skills practice in the home.
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Recommendation:
You are not alone! Many programs need to develop this part of the program. Try learning more from the Foster Parent Training Collection, Involving Caregivers (see Wanda and Tony Douglas), and start attending your local or state foster and adoptive parent meetings/conferences.
Recommendation:
Caregivers are the pillars of this program so involving them as much as possible (and you with them) is critical. Try learning more from the Foster Parent Training Collection and start attending your local or state foster and adoptive parent meetings/conferences. Conduct an independent living exercise with caregivers and get their investment to help youths reach self-sufficiency.
Recommendation:
Awesome! Now try taking it a step further and have caregivers recruit and train others!! This resource spells out the steps to involve caregivers in the process and ready-made exercises they can conduct with other caregivers: Foster Parent Training Collection. Also, check out the On Their Way DVD Curricululm .
Question #3
Agency personnel are well trained to manage workplace and personal safety issues.
Excellent! Have you tried getting a rate cut in your insurance for attending to this important issue? Do not let safety slide… coordinate a safety committee and plan regular staff safety discussions to stay current on community and agency safety issues. These two resources should be very helpful: an on-line Working Safe/Working e-Learning Curriculum and the Resource Guide on Personal Safety. Consider visiting www.peaceatwork.org
Question #4
The program has a predicable standard of assessment and delivery of transitional services.
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Recommendation:
Assessment drives a young person’s transitional plan so this is an important place to start. It is necessary to involve both youths and caregivers in the assessment process so do not try to do this alone! These resources will help you determine the strengths and needs of a young person to assist building their life skills capacity: Assessing and Contracting with Youth, Program Strategies, and Putting It Together.
Recommendation:
Obviously you have a handle on how assesement can start to build a program. Be sure to include these resources for staff and caregivers to further develop assessment and skill capacity building into the daily lives of young people: Assessing and Contracting with Youth and the Foster Parent Training Collection.
Recommendation:
Wow!! So this means you are ready to try something new. On Your Way is a free website launched last year to help young people plan for the future and keep their information in one place. Try it but do not forget you will need to keep them motivated to work the site. Also, real world simmulation events can also be a great, fun way to informally determine areas youths need assistance (see Nancy Carter).
Question #5
The program actively involves businesses and other community resources in working with youths.
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Recommendation:
Community partners can really help secure the continuance of a life skills program as well as provide a Real World element to preparing youths. This resource, Putting It Together has a chapter dedicated to this aspect with a step by step process. Also, learn more about how to coordinate a Real World Youth Simulation Program; Real World
Recommendation:
Terrific! This means you are developing relationships and are hopefully seeing the benefits to having your program actively engaged in the community. Learn more about the Real World Youth Simulation Program which has amazing benefits to youths. Community partners have a great time as well; Real World
Recommendation:
Wow… few program can say this! So you are probably looking for new ways to involve the community. First learn about the Real World program. Then, coordinate a Job Shadowing Day where youths shadow someone in their career of interest. It has a lot of experiential value to our young people. Finally, explore the website and supporting resources for On Your Way. The facilitator’s activity guide has many options for including community partners.
Question #6
The CASA/GAL volunteers are prepared to serve adolescents.
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Recommendation:
Most volunteers do not consider serving adolescents unless they know what to expect. This course provides training specifically for serving teens and covers ten different aspects: GAL-CASA e-Learning
Recommendation:
With some additional training specific to serving adolescents, volunteer advocates will not only learn how to better represent teens, they will appreciate and enjoy their experiences working with adolescents: GAL-CASA e-Learning
Recommendation:
This is great! Once volunteers are actively involved with teens, they will start to uncover other things they can do to with teens such as coordinate a Real World Youth Simulation Event, Real World; or get involved by assisting transitional programs and youth advocacy groups. If a youth advocacy group is not locally available, volunteer advocates may want to start one with the youths they represent; Youth Advocacy Start up Kit.
Question #7
Youth participants are planning for post-secondary education.
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Recommendation:
It’s never too late to start! A great first step is On Your Way and the supporting resources for workers and caregivers. Young people need all their caring adults to help them sort out the information related to planning for further education. In particular, involve caregivers in this process by using the On Their Way DVD Curriculum to support their activities at home. Also, this resource, Putting It Together has a chapter dedicated to education including planning for post-secondary programs.
Recommendation:
It’s time to reinforce the importance of post-secondary education with caregivers. This resource, On Their Way Curriculum has been helpful to many caregivers as they assist youths with the free ONYOURWAY.org website. The curriculum also includes practical suggestions for daily living with teens as they prepare for the adult world. Plan visits to a variety of post-secondary educational programs to motivate youths to consider these options and to support those youths already demonstrating interest.
Recommendation:
Excellent! Continued education will provide them the structure and skills they need as they move forward. Some programs promote that before youths leave care, they are to work through all eight sections of On Your Way. It will create a profile (that stays with them no matter where they go) with all their information which can easily get lost through transitions. Also, schedule group visits to a variety of two and four year colleges and trade/vocational schools. Lastly, the Life Skills Inventory, located in the resource Assessing and Contracting with Youths has an educational checklist that can be provided to caregivers as they work with their young people.
Question #8
The program uses a range of learning styles and resources to teach a continuum of life skills.
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Recommendation:
It’s important to recognize that all young people no matter the age, learn differently. ILR promotes that life skills coordinators need to include a variety of learning styles (auditory, kinesthetic, and visual) in their programming. To explore learning styles further, check out On Your Way.org. Youths can self-assess their style and learn tips to assist their particular style of learning. (Note: youths must create a user name and password before entering this free site). For suggestions of activites that appeal to a variety of learning styles, check out Life Skills Literacy and Group Facilitators Package
Recommendation:
Awesome. It’s always great when professionals understand the value of providing diverse learning styles. Try some of the resources in this package Group Facilitator Package or help youths explore an important intangible skill, “Character,” often identified by employers as the most important quality: Character Education
Recommendation:
Sounds like you are doing a great job. Keep it up!! If you haven’t had a chance to get your youths involved with On Your Way.org, try it. The site and supporting resources, provide a range of learning styles and diverse activities to keep youths motivated. The benefits are maximized when adults support and help walk them through some of the sections. On Your Way and Facilitator Activity Book
Question #9
The program provides life skills in combination with other mental health and substance abuse services.
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Recommendation:
Practical life skills training can provide a therapeutic benefit to youths involved in mental health and substance abuse programs. Current research indicates that many youths have mental health issues but they are also needing preparation to transition to the adult world. ILR promotes concurrent programming to help youths build their life skills capacity. The resources, Putting it Together and Teaching Social Skills to Youths with Mental Health Disorders is a great place to start. It may be beneficial to receive specific consulting to explore how to incorporate both aspects, Institute Consulting.
Recommendation:
If you have already started incorporating life skills into the program, adding On Your Way site is a good next step. Youths will create a profile, including their health and services record, that stays secure no matter where they transition. Caregivers might also find the On Their Way Curriculum and the suggestions for daily life a valuable resource. Your program may also benefit from specific consulting to enhance the benefits to youths and staff Institute Consulting.
Recommendation:
Great! Sounds like you are now ready to “take it up a notch.” Empower current youths as peer advisors, group leaders, and life skill teachers for new participants/residents. You might consider enlisting them as a co-leader first. Research indicates that when youths can teach others, they will retain the skills learned at up to 90% - much higher than 50% for “hands on learning.” That will give you the pleasure of knowing youths will keep those skills as they transition to the adult world.
Question #10
The program has a comprehensive housing component for transitional youths.
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Recommendation:
Housing has been a tough issue for many programs to manage… but it doesn’t have to be! Learning what you can do before beginning a housing component can make the difference. Putting It Together and Program Strategies have sections dedicated just to housing issues. Explore different housing programs with Moving In or have our Housing Consultant develop a plan specific for your program/community needs.
Recommendation:
ILR believes that there is always room for one more housing option! You may decide that caregivers can be more involved in preparing youths for housing options, On Their Way Curriculum; or you may decide to explore different housing programs with Moving In. Another option is to have our Housing Consultant suggest a plan specific for your program/community needs.
Recommendation:
Amazing!! Nice work!! (We rarely hear that folks have a well-developed housing componet!) Since you already have youths transitioning to a range of housing options, consider adding a “weekend practice” option for your younger program participants so they are more prepared when it’s time to transition. “Weekend practice” experiences can range in management styles but they all have a similar practice… the young people organize the weekend with adults as a “resource” only. If you have questions, you can always contact (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)