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Contact:
Jeffersonville – 812-282-8479
Philosophy of Service
Regional Youth Services, Inc. believes that all individuals have the potential for learning and the resources within themselves to foster growth.
Due to the large number of youths growing up without their biological families, many children reach young adulthood lacking the training and skills to successfully live independently. When a youth is given the knowledge and empowerment to live independently they can care for themselves emotionally as well as physically.
Each youth will receive the training and skills necessary to find employment, meet their medical and financial needs, pursue post-secondary education options and to maintain a residence.
Who is Served
The Independent Living Program serves male and female adolescents living within the Southwestern and Southeastern Indiana area. These adolescents must meet the entrance criteria for admittance into our program.
Entrance Criteria
Youth ages 16-21 who are in foster care as a CHINS or adjudicated with a delinquent case plan establishing the need for independent living services.
Youth ages 16-21 who were formerly in foster care as a CHINS or adjudicated a delinquent between the ages of 16-18 that were returned to their own homes and remain a CHINS or adjudicated a delinquent with a case plan establishing the need for independent living services.
Youth ages 16-21 who were formerly in foster care for a minimum of 6 months as a CHINS or adjudicated as a delinquent between the ages of 16-18 who have been adopted or placed with a guardian from foster care and were receiving independent living services prior to the dismissal of their case.
Youth age 18 to 21 who were formerly in foster care for a minimum of 6 months as a CHINS or adjudicated a delinquent between the ages of 16-18 under the supervision of DCS and had a case plan establishing the need for independent living services.
Youth who are 18-21 who would otherwise meet the eligibility criteria above and who were in the custody of another state or were a “ward of another state” will be eligible if through the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children there is a verification of wardship and all eligibility criteria from the state of jurisdiction
The adolescents within the program need to have the ability to retain the knowledge and skills to live independently. IQ will be considered in determining the appropriateness of IL services. |
Service Activities
The Independent Living Program is made up of several different types of learning modalities to assist the adolescent in successful completion of the program. Assessment
Youth participate in a thorough assessment to determine the youth’s knowledge base in regard to various skill areas. RYS utilizes the ACLSA developed by the Casey Foundation, a research based assessment. The assessment will result in a written report which is sent to the referral source and placed into the appropriate case file at Regional Youth Services Inc.
| Group Meetings
Regional Youth Services, Inc. provides group sessions that are educational and task oriented. Each participant placed in the SFC program will complete group sessions that will focus on the following areas: Problem solving, budgeting, housing, employment, sexual education, healthy living, education options (college/vocational), healthy relationships, medical needs and community resources, nutrition, and legal issues.
| Field Trips
Each participant will attend various field trips in an effort to increase their education regarding certain issues such as housing and community resources.
| Mentor Services
Each participant will be provided with the opportunity to access mentoring services in the community. RYS will communicate with the mentor to ensure that the mentor is providing the youth with the opportunity to form additional ties to the community.
| Individual Meetings
If an adolescent is participatory, but not able to keep up with the level of the curriculum in a group format, individual training will supplement the group sessions on an as needed basis. Clients placed in RYS foster homes will receive individual training in the foster home while all other youth will meet with a case coordinator who will provide one-on-one instruction.
| Transition Services
When an SFC Youth turns 17.5 as per Indiana State Policy, the youth will be referred for individual IL instruction with a HBS Case Coordinator. The case coordinator will assist the youth with securing IL funding for emancipation goods and services, assist with securing employment and housing, advises the youth and assists, as necessary, with securing personal documents (i.e. original birth certificate, social security card). Case Coordinators will also work with the youth to complete the process to maintain Medicaid beyond aging out of the system. The Case Coordinator will continue to facilitate established ties to the community which may include a relationship with a mentor if the youth chooses.
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Expected Outcomes
The agency expects the following results:
- Youth completing the ACLSA at intake will demonstrate improvement on each subsequent assessment completed.
| - Youth receiving room and board assistance will have safe and stable housing within 6 months of the provision of services.
| - Youth living independently will be able to meet their living expenses within 6 months of the provision of services.
| - Youth participating in services will attain education whether academic or vocational.
| - Youth will have contact information related to their dental, physical, and mental health service providers. Youth leaving care will have their birth certificate, social security card, medical records, and educational records or will obtain them within six months of beginning voluntary services.
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