What is the Transitional Living Program?

The Transitional Living Program can provide you a place to live and help you work towards independence if you are 16 or over and you do not have a goal of reunification, adoption, or legal guardianship. Transitional living experiences are a great way to transition from alternative care to living on your own. We will be able to offer support and guidance to help you every stop of the way as you transition to independent living.

The two transitional living experiences offered through the program are:

• Group Homes
• Single/Scattered Site Apartments

Your transitional living plan will be based on your particular needs. You may move from one living situation to the next when you and your support team feel you are ready for a change.

Group Homes

Transitional Living Program Group Homes help youth between the ages of 16 and 18 work toward independent living and complete their schooling/work training in a supervised group setting. Typically youth who move to a group home have been living in a residential treatment facility.
If you are living in a group home, you should:

• Be enrolled and participating in the Older Youth Program (should be offered by the group home)
• Attend school
• Get and keep a job (if you are attending school full time, you should not work more than 20 hours a week)
• Develop goals and future plans

Single/Scattered Site Apartments

If you are between the ages of 18 and 20 and you are working towards independent living, this program will allow you to live on your own in an apartment while getting support and guidance. Ideally you would move here from a Transitional Living Program Group Home and would receive help through the Older Youth Program. To be considered for Single/Scattered Site Apartments, you must:

• Show you are able to make responsible decisions
• Get and keep a job
• Understand how to manage your money and pay bills
• Understand the emotional demands of living on your own

There are two types of services:

• Structured - Support is available 24 hours a day. You will be visited at least every 3 days while you are in the program.
• Unstructured - Support is offered upon request. If you request support, you will be visited at least once per week, and at least once a month at your apartment while you are in the program.

Apartments are furnished (refrigerator, stove, bed, oven, table, chairs, etc.) and have basic utilities available, such as trash, sewer/water, electricity/gas, phone accessibility, etc. Apartments will house no more than one person per bedroom, unless otherwise approved. Apartments may be located near other treatment programs, throughout the community, or may be clustered together to allow full access to the services and resources needed to become independent.

Transitional Living Providers

Transitional living providers help youth participate in the Older Youth Program. In addition, all Transitional Living Program Group Homes are required to be licensed as a residential child care agency and complete a daily service plan that addresses:

Service plans must be completed within 30 days of the youth entering the program and again each quarter. In order to meet the daily service plan, providers are responsible for: