Screening

Not long ago, Haven House had a single spot open in its transitional living program—and 13 applicants. With many youth applying for transitional housing, how do you decide whom to help? Not only must youth have aneed for housing, life skills training, and education and employment assistance, they must also have the motivation and will to succeed in the program.

A number of screening methods can help you find youth who fit your program: Requiring youth to interview with program staff, inviting them to dinner with current clients, and giving them tasks like looking for a job or attending a life skills class can give you a sense of how they will do once admitted. But program managers warn against raising too many barriers in front of youth who aren’t yet ready to handle them, so make sure to give youth the support they need even in the screening stage. And remember, sometimes the youth with the most troubled histories work the hardest.

Use your referral system as a first step in screening. Staff at referring agencies, as well as workers in your own organization's emergency shelter, street outreach program, or drop-in center, can tell you whether a youth needs help and how motivated he or she will be if admitted to your program.

Use an assessment tool to estimate youth's abilities before they enter the program. Green Chimneys uses a staff-developed checklist that youth must fill out on their own; topics include employment and health histories. Project Oz in Bloomington, Illinois, uses the Ansell-Casey Life Skills Assessment. If a potential client scores only 17 percent, "It's going to be really difficult to expect them to be successful in a scattered-site program," says Lisa Nally-Thompson, coordinator of the agency's homeless and runaway youth services.

Introduce prospects to current clients. After initial interviews with staff, invite prospective clients to a group dinner with youth in your program. "When they're hanging out with the kids over dinner, they'll hear what [the program] is really like," says Christina Alonso, program director for runaway and homeless youth programs at Family and Children's Association in Mineola, New York.

Give youth a taste of the program's requirements. Green Chimneys asks unemployed youth to fill out a job search form and expects them to begin looking for a job during the screening process. At Project Oz, youth must attend three consecutive sessions of the program's weekly life skills classes before they are accepted. "If they miss three classes, it's a good indicator they won't be committed," Nally-Thompson says.

Form an admissions committee that includes representatives from other programs in your agency, or from within your community. Members might include directors or managers of your organizations' programs, former transitional living program clients, and staff from the local public housing authority, local government, your State's Continuum of Care system, court services, mental health services, the local school system, and area universities.

Identify "red flags," the information that might prevent you from admitting a youth into your program. Factors might include a very low life skills assessment score, a pending court hearing, a severe physical or mental disability, a recent conviction for a violent offense, a recent history of fire starting, or an unwillingness to enter drug or alcohol addiction treatment. Such youth should be referred to more appropriate programs that can address their problems. Their admission to a standard transitional living program could disrupt the progress of other clients.

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Counseling

It's hard enough for homeless and runaway youth to learn to live independently, even harder if they also struggle with mental health problems or substance abuse. More than two-thirds of homeless youth served by Administration for Children and Families programs report using drugs or alcohol, and many participate in survival sex and prostitution. Therapy and substance abuse counseling can help youth take steps toward becoming independent and avoiding risky behaviors, all of which support other transitional living goals.

At intake, screen for mental health issues and substance dependence. This helps determine a case plan for the period of time that the youth will be in your care. Understanding what youth are going through is important, says Jean Lasater, director of development at Northwest Human Services in Salem, Oregon: "Our not knowing their struggles at the outset sets them up for failure."

Be clear about your policies on drugs and alcohol. Make sure youth know your program's rules about use of drugs and alcohol in (or out of) their apartments or about staying clean. And state upfront the consequences if they use: Will they automatically be dismissed, or will you discipline them in a particular way?

Include units on drugs and alcohol in your life skills curriculum.

Assess alcohol and drug use regularly. Follow the initial screening with regular assessments of alcohol and drug use. Depending on your philosophy, you may choose to have youth self-report at regular intervals, or you may choose to use random drug testing.

Consider requiring mental health counseling. Some agencies require once weekly therapy sessions for all transitional living youth. At Green Chimneys, youth pay no rent, but instead fulfill a number of weekly obligations, including going to therapy.

Design a program specifically for substance dependent youth. Urban Peak's STAR (Starting Transitions and Recovery) program provides transitional living services to substance dependent youth.

Extend counseling services past discharge. When youth first go out on their own after completing your program, their newfound independence may become daunting-and the mental health issues don't just go away. Continuing counseling helps them make a smoother transition.

Collaborate with a local treatment center. If you cannot afford to hire a full-time therapist or substance abuse counselor, consider contracting with a local health or treatment center

Life Skills

Many runaway and homeless youth have not learned basic skills that most adults, and even other youth, take for granted. Because they've never kept a job, vacuumed, ironed a shirt, cooked a meal, balanced a checkbook, or solved an argument through compromise, life skills training plays an important role in any transitional living program. As Nally-Thompson says, "If you commit to TLP, you commit to life skills." At Project Oz, the mandatory life skills class every Tuesday evening forms the core of the agency's transitional living program from screening through the aftercare stage. Prospective clients must attend three consecutive sessions, and all program participants teach one class before graduating from the program and one after discharge.

Good Will-Hinckley's transitional living program pairs each class lesson with a field lab; for instance, the life skills coach lectures about money management and then takes youth to the bank to open an account.

Other programs focus more exclusively on one-on-one and hands-on learning. Rather than teaching life skills in the class room, Haven House Services case managers work with each client individually by using a curriculum tailored to the youth's needs and guiding him or her through daily tasks. "The kids learn by doing," Schnars says.

Create an individual case plan for each youth. The plan might be based on an assessment tool such as the Ansell-Casey Assessment or one created by your agency, on interviews with the young person, or a combination. Repeat the assessment or revisit the youth's goals at predetermined intervals, for instance at intake, 6 months, and discharge.

Tailor your life skills curriculum to your clients' needs. In addition to consulting pre-written life skills materials, such as those available from Casey Life Skills, ask youth what would benefit them.

Use the day-to-day tasks of independent living to teach youth practical skills. Finding an apartment, signing a lease, changing a light bulb, paying rent, buying groceries on a budget, cleaning a bathroom, and doing laundry-with the guidance of a caring staff member or mentor-are all things youth learn through experience. When youth first move into their apartments, tell them to go to three neighbors and borrow eggs; the task "roots" them in their new surroundings and teaches them the value of asking for help and building relationships, Nally-Thompson says.

Help youth ease into the responsibility of paying rent by shouldering part of the burden. Use an incremental system of requiring rent, giving youth stipends toward all or part of the cost. Stipends decrease monthly or quarterly until youth are paying the full amount on their own. Or you might adjust youths' rent according to their income; Northwest Human Services requires working youth to pay $200 or 40 percent of their income (whichever is less) toward rent.

Encourage savings and sound money management. Many programs require or recommend that youth make regular deposits to a savings account. At Family and Children's Association, youth keep a dollar for every hour they work; the rest goes in a bank account in the client's name. "When they leave our program, they need to be a lot further than one paycheck away from homelessness," Alonso explains. The philosophy has worked: several youth have saved more than $10,000 while in the program. Other programs have less stringent savings requirements. Northwest Human Services asks youth to save 10 percent of their incomes in personal savings accounts.

Find ways to infuse energy into life skills education. "You'll bore them to death with too many sessions, so you've got to bring outside speakers," Nally-Thompson says. Speakers in her program's sessions have included firefighters, a human resources manager from a local employer, a renter's insurance agent, and an admissions representative from a local college. Role playing and discussion also can enliven class.

Use one-on-one sessions between youths and their case managers to work on skills the youth needs or wants to acquire. This approach can supplement classroom and group learning.

Schedule a weekly or monthly group dinner at which youth and staff cook together. Shared meals can work in group homes and scattered-site apartments alike. Good Will-Hinckley's scattered-site program rotates the monthly dinner among participants. "It gets them in the habit of being a good host and handling company," Hinckley-Gordon says. The meals also strengthen connections among participants and staff.

Use rewards and incentives to mark progress. Residents of Family and Children's Association's transitional living program helped design a system through which they earn perks, such as pushed-back curfews, as they achieve milestones-sewing a button, getting a job, preparing a weekly meal plan. Youth also receive rewards for things such as saving $1,000 (two movie tickets and a curfew extension) and acing a test (two overnight privileges). Conversely, when youth, say, miss school, they create their own punishment. "They might say, 'I'm going to read a book,'" Alonso says.

Reward youth for completing the program. That might mean a graduation party with cake and ice cream, or something more substantial: Several agencies give young people who have completed their programs a nest egg by paying back part or all of the money they have collected from the clients for rent.

Education and Job Training

Youth need jobs in order to pay their rent, and they need education to prepare them for the work world and adult life. Green Chimneys asks unemployed youth to start looking for a job even before they are admitted. Other programs require youth to combine employment and education to achieve at least 40 hours a week of "productive time"-time in which they are learning, working, or commuting to school or work. "We try to teach them the importance of staying busy," Hinckley-Gordon says.

It can be tough to find schools that will accept runaway and homeless youth; transitional living staff should know that the Federal McKinney-Vento Act requires public schools to admit homeless and unaccompanied youth without delay, even if youth do not have proper documentation or proof of guardianship.

The level of success program managers have convincing youth to continue their education past high school may depend on the availability and diversity of local higher education options, the local job climate and the necessity of a college degree, and a youth's interest in college. In Bloomington, Illinois, where State Farm Insurance employs a large percentage of inhabitants, Nally-Thompson encourages youth to attend college. "They just need those skills," she says. "If you want to stay in town, the biggest employer is State Farm. If you want to work at State Farm, you have to have a degree."

Create an individual case plan for each youth, with his or her help. "The goal could be getting your GED in 6 weeks or 2 years" depending on the youth's situation and needs, Van Leeuwen says.

Develop relationships with local public schools. Program managers say meeting face-to-face with school administrators can make it easier to place youth in schools. Alonso also suggests that transitional living staff familiarize themselves with runaway and homeless youth law, including the McKinney-Vento Act. Schnars says many of Haven House's youth attend a charter school with which the agency cooperates because the school has more flexible hours than other area schools and can accommodate working students.

If possible, make it easier for youth to attend the school of their choice. Scattered-site apartments allow youth to live near the school they are already attending, if they choose.

Help youth find instruction to prepare for the GED. Some agencies offer GED training on site, while others provide it to youth through an affiliation with an education center nearby. At Haven House, volunteers from Meredith College tutor youth who are taking an online GED course.

Explore alternative education options in your community. Alternative schools often are tailored to the needs of students who have had academic or discipline problems, as well as those who struggle with the traditional school routine.

Help youth navigate their post-secondary education options. Some youth may do better starting out in 2-year colleges and moving on to a 4-year institution. She adds that some youth do well in college because it offers more flexibility than high school. Nally-Thompson helps youth get around financial aid requirements that demand a copy of parents' W-2. "We have relationships with the university financial aid office and ways to get around it," she says.

Establish a scholarship fund. Family and Children's Association offers educational scholarships of up to $1,000 to alumni of its residential programs.

Find vocational training that matches youths' interests. "If a child is not interested in education, then we try to sell them on a skill," Alonso says. One youth in her transitional living program got an apprenticeship as an electrician. Others have studied technology and cosmetology, and Alonso stays closely connected to local vocational programs. Green Chimneys has a relationship with a security guard training institute, Nolan says, adding, "I'm definitely willing to pay for training to help a young person get a job."

Make connections with major employers in your area. Nally-Thompson invites State Farm human resources staff to speak to Project Oz youth about getting a job at the insurance company.

Give youth the skills they need to get and keep a job. Include job searching, interviewing skills, communication skills, work ethics, and other topics related to professional life in your life skills curricula.

Make sure your staff has the expertise to help youth find employment. If you can't afford a dedicated job counselor, invest in training for your case management staff.

Invite program graduates to speak to current clients about their careers.

Collaborate with local school-to-work programs and employment agencies. Organizations to consider include Job Corps, AmeriCorps, YouthBuild, job shadowing programs, and local employment centers.

Offer youth employment or volunteer opportunities within your organization. Northwest Human Services started a program called KANZ for Kids in which local businesses donate used cans and bottles; youth who can't find work help oversee the program, pick up the cans, sort them, and turn them in for money that benefits the agency.

Aftercare

Your work doesn't end when a youth graduates from your program. In fact, your relationship with youth in the months after discharge can be just as important as all the services you provide up till then. But despite its importance, aftercare, or monitoring youths' progress after discharge to be sure they transition successfully to independent living, can be tricky. Sometimes, youth leaving transitional living programs don't want to stay in touch; they want to be on their own, Hinckley-Gordon says. And often, youth move around a lot, so agencies have difficulty keeping contact information up-to-date.

Former clients tend to visit the transitional living program in times of need, Nolan says. "It's like when kids grow up and leave home," she says. "When they lose their Metro card or need help with their job, they come back to ask for financial or emotional support. . For some of them, we're all they have." Transitional living staff are happy to provide that support. "It costs $4,000 to get a kid off the street," Van Leeuwen says, "so, I would rather help with rent."

Start planning aftercare as soon as possible. "We do discharge planning from the minute they walk in the door," Nally-Thompson says. That means setting goals early on that will allow youth to sustain independence when they leave the program.

Emphasize that youth talk to you before they leave the program, even if they are dropping out. Catching dissatisfied youth before they rush out the door can give you one last chance to find them a place to stay, offer them food or clothing, and listen to their concerns. Even a few minutes' counseling can prevent an unsafe exit to the streets.

Keep the doors open. Let youth know they are welcome back, regardless of how they were discharged, and tell youth who don't finish the program that they can try again when they are ready. Most agencies say youth do visit in the first year or so after their discharge or graduation from the program; they come to talk or ask for financial help.

Extend services beyond discharge. Project Oz and Northwest Human Services both provide case management 6 months past discharge. At Haven House, discharged youth can continue to use the organization's drop-in center as well as counseling and employment services. Offer to help youth pay for services at other agencies, if you can.

Increase staff retention and stability. Youth return to see the people they know, so efforts to reduce staff turnover can also have a positive effect on aftercare.

Use e-mail to stay in touch. Urban Peak is putting together an online tracking system to keep track of former clients. Vstreet, a Web site that teaches life skills to youth, allows registered agencies to set up e-mail accounts for their clients. Nally-Thompson uses Vstreet e-mail to stay in touch with former clients. Many free e-mail services exist; encourage youth to set up their own accounts and give you their addresses before they leave your program.

Give youth a reason to come back. Project Oz requires youth to teach a life skills class after they complete the transitional living program. Youth also return as guest lecturers. Good Will-Hinckley's former clients visit staff members' homes for holiday meals and attend monthly community events on the agency's campus. The organization also hosts an annual "KUM BAK" weekend for alumni.

Offer financial incentives for alumni to stay in touch. Family and Children's Association's scholarship for former clients is one reason that transitional living program graduates keep in touch with the agency.

Staffing

The staff members you hire can make a big difference in your success with young people. "I believe that having a really competent person can sell the program and keep the child motivated," Nally-Thompson says. She adds: "But you have to keep staff motivated, too."

The demands of working in a transitional living program-long hours, high-maintenance clients, too much paperwork, lots of time on the road in scattered-site programs-can lead to staff burning out or leaving. Combating burnout and turnover benefits youth as well as employees: staff longevity can provide youth with stable, long-term relationships, which are one key to youth progress.

Involve youth in hiring staff. At many programs, youth sit on hiring committees or interview candidates for new positions.

Be flexible. Theresa Nolan of Green Chimneys says flexible work schedules are a key to keeping staff from crumbling under the weight of too much stress. In addition, her staff rotate on-call duty among them.

Keep caseloads manageable. It may be hard to do, but preventing staff from becoming overloaded with too many cases allows them more time to talk to youth who need a sympathetic ear, to handle drop-in visits from former clients, and to breathe.

Team up. Assigning a primary and secondary staff member to each case can give staff backup on hard cases, and youth don't have to be shifted around when one staff member needs to take time off for whatever reason.

Offer training. Give staff opportunities to travel to conferences and seminars. When possible, offer onsite training in issues you think need addressing, such as youth development. Not only is the training essential, but taking a break from daily duties also does staff good.

Get help. Interns, volunteers, and mentors can lighten your load. Project Oz has seven to nine interns at a time from the social work department of a nearby university. The interns get class credit, and staff get a break from tasks like filing, taking youth grocery shopping, and driving youth to work when they miss the bus. Mentors and volunteers can spend time with youth when staff are busy.

Hire remote staff. If you run a scattered-site program over a large geographic area, you might consider basing a few staff members in other locations, to relieve case workers of long drive times.

Communicate. Meet weekly. Debrief daily.

Have fun. Sometimes staff need a break from the hectic pace of their work-time to build relationships with each other. Every few months, Nally-Thompson takes her staff out for pizza and a fun activity, like bowling, followed by trust-building or other exercises.