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Social Services Help

Status of Current Independent Living Efforts (continued)

• Training and Independent Living Program Service Provision Education and Awareness
• Development of Independent Living Programs and Collaborative Efforts with Federal and State Agencies
• Housing Support for Older Youth in Care and Quality Assurance
• Life Skills Caseworker Services and Youth Leadership Development Activities
• Support for Post-Secondary Educational Aspirations
• Community Mentoring Program for Older Youth in Care
• Additional Independent Living Program Support

Development of Independent Living Programs and Collaborative Efforts with Federal and State Agencies:

One agency in Maine has a "scattered site" apartment living program operating in a number of large cities and towns in Maine. This was put into operation over two years ago with the consultation and assistance of the Independent Living Program staff and other staff in the Department's Bureau of Child and Family Services. This agency has recently expanded it's program services into the greater Portland, Maine area and will is planning to establish the program in the Bangor and Lewiston, Maine areas within the next few months. Youth in care who are living in these apartments are doing very well and are very pleased that this type of living arrangement is now available. Young adults have the option of remaining in these apartments after age 21 with the understanding that they assume the financial responsibility for all living costs. One other Bangor area agency, Community Health and Counseling Services, are about to begin operation of a "congregate apartment" program for young women in Departmental care. Over the past year and a half, we have engaged in preliminary discussions with four other agencies who are very interested in expanding their existing programming to include either a "congregate site" or "scattered site" apartment program component. A greater Bangor area agency, CARE Development, which operates both treatment foster care homes and group care homes covering a wide area of the northern part of the state is interested in establishing both "congregate and scattered site" apartment programs. A western Maine agency, Rumford Group Homes, has submitted a proposal for a "scattered site" apartment program in their area. Another treatment foster home agency in the northern part of the state has indicated interest in developing a community based apartment program. In addition, an agency in the greater Bangor area serving the needs of youth with special needs and challenges has also indicated an interest in serving older youth in care from that specific population. We very pleased that more agencies are interested in providing this badly needed resource for our older youth in care. We plan to continue discussions with these programs with regard to expansion of program services to include these community based apartment living programs.

We feel that some of our older youth in care need to experience "apartment living" through a somewhat structured program with the appropriate guidance and support available if needed. We are asking any agencies interested in providing this type of program service, to include the expectation that youth placed in an apartment gradually assume more financial responsibility for their rent and other living costs as they are able to do so. This is being built into the per diem cost calculations. We feel that this will lessen our youth's dependency on "systems" to cover all of their support costs and better prepare them for what it will take for them to be able to eventually financially be able to care for themselves in the community.

As was mentioned earlier, life skills services are being delivered both formally and informally within foster homes, group, and residential care homes where adolescents are residing. The Independent Living Program Manager continues to meet, and have contact with, service providers and local service provider coalitions to explore ways to work together more efficiently to provide independent living and life skills support to the adolescents they serve. A recent example of this was the Independent Living Program Manager's presentation at the Maine Group Home Providers Association in February 2001.

The Independent Living Program Manager met with the Commissioner of the Department of Labor in Maine in November 2000 to begin to explore ways to improve the way older youth in care link with the Career Centers throughout the state. Representatives from Casey Family Services, the University of Maine's Muskie School, a former state representative, and Career Center staff were also part of this meeting. A follow-up letter was sent to the Commissioner indicating that we would like to examine the possibility of working more closely with the staff of the Department's Training Resource Center to assist older youth in care with choosing a career path. We expect continued discussions with the Department of Labor with regard to collaborating for the benefit of our older youth in care.

Casey Family Services in the Portland, Maine area has recently begun exploring the possibility of linking with United Parcel Services to make employment slots available for older youth in care in Portland, Lewiston, and Brewer, Maine. Casey and UPS have successfully operated a program like this in the greater Baltimore, Maryland area. There are several organizations that are on the planning committee for this program including the local Department of Labor's Career Development Center's staff. The proposal for this project was presented to UPS in May 2001. The prospects for Maine becoming a site look very promising at this point.

In January 2001, the Independent Living Program Manager met with a Section 8 housing Program Manager at the Maine State Housing Authority to have preliminary discussions about eligibility for housing for older youth in foster care under the new HUD guidelines that will make housing and services available for former youth in care between ages 18 and 21. One of our life skills caseworkers was also part of this first meeting to discuss the nature of the expanded program. We shared mutual concerns about the limit of 18 months for service provision under the program. However, we felt that our Independent Living Program Life Skills caseworkers would be able to supplement the services offered through the housing program and could identify youth to be referred to the program. We expect to know more about this new program in the coming months.

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