Independent Living

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IndependentLiving

• Wayne County Children
• Services Independent
• Living Program

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Our Mission

• In partnership with the community, Children
• Services of Wayne County protects children at
  risk
• of abuse or neglect and strengthens, preserves
• and empowers families. Through evaluation of that
• risk, we identify and coordinate community
• services. We work in collaboration with others
  to
• provide these children with safe, nurturing and
• permanent families, whether their own or another.
  
• We seek to enhance community awareness by
• educating the public." 

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Contacts

• Jodi Gates Independent Living Caseworker
• Randy Rice Residential Caseworker
• Eric Killinger Ongoing Caseworker
• Anjanette Fischer LSW Supervisor
• Mike Smith Supervisor

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CHAFFEE Foster Care Independence Act

• Established 1999
• Increase the percentage of youth who have
  resources to meet their living expenses
• Increase the percentage of youth who have a safe
  and stable place to live
• Increase the percentage of youth who attain
  education goals
• Increase the percentage of youth who have
  positive personal relationships with the adults
  in the community

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CHAFFEE Foster Care Independence Act

• Increase the percentage of youth who avoid
  involvement in high risk behaviors
• Increase the percentage of youth who are able to
  access needed physical and mental health services
• Increase the percentage of youth who have or know
  how to obtain essential documents

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Wayne County Children Services offers an
Independent Living program to all children age 16
and up in the custody of the agency. The
Independent Living team consists of an
Independent Living Coordinator, a Residential
Placement Case Worker and an Ongoing Case Worker.
The Independent Living Coordinator and the
Residential Case Worker have primarily 16 year
olds and up on their case load list. The Ongoing
Case Worker provides back up for any overflow
cases.
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Independent Living Requirements

• Teens must complete a Daniel Memorial Assessment
• A Pre-18 Agreement must be signed and followed by
  a Post-18 Agreement

• Must complete Independent Living classes through
  WCCSB

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Daily Living Skills

• Securing Maintaining Housing
• Home Management food prep, cleaning etc
• Money Management / Budgeting
• Time Management
• Awareness Utilization of Community Services
• Family Planning Pregnancy Prevention
• Personal Care, hygiene and safety
• Accessing and utilizing transportation
• Utilization of Leisure time
• Shopping food, household supplies, clothing

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Informal Living Skills

• Decision making and communication skills
• High School diploma, GED and other educational
  goals
• Job development and retention
• Building positive self-esteem/image
• Building positive relationships with adults and
  support systems
• Planning for emergency health care ie education
  on drug/alcohol abuse, risky sexual behavior and
  smoking

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Community Based Skills

• Volunteering Humane Society, Restore with the
  Habitat for Humanity, Nursing home or Care Center
• Child Abuse Prevention Breakfast
• O.H.I.O YAB Overcoming Hurdles in Ohio Youth
  Advisory Board
• Daniel Memorial Independent Living Conference
  Denver, Colorado
• Transitional Housing project for Wayne Co

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Post-18 Services

• Must have been in the custody of Wayne County
  prior to 18th birthday
• Signed post-18 contract with agency
• Follow through and initiative to working on their
  future and bettering themselves

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Emancipated Youth

• Youth can reclaim their services with the agency
  in the following ways
• If prior post-18 contract was violated, youth
  must utilize other community services first and
  show a strong desire to succeed. ( TCC is in
  service, continue)
• No Tolerance rule if a youth violates the
  contract again, they are immediately terminated
  from the program.
• Youth who initially refused post-18 but return
  within 90 days after their 18th birthday enter
  with no questions.
• If the 90 day time frame has passed, case
  management services will be implemented as state
  regulated. History of the youth will also be
  taken into consideration.

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Ohio ETV

• Established by a former foster youth to recognize
  and provide financial assistance through the OFA,
  Orphan Foundation of America
• Education and Training Voucher which offers youth
  funds for colleges, universities and vocational
  schools.
• Provides up to 5000 a year for students

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ETV PROTOCAL

• Website statevoucher.org
• Complete necessary paperwork online with IL
  caseworker and or other representative two part
  application
• ETV will keep information with the use of email.
  Updated and initial.
• Student must submit grades each quarter/semester
  to retain ETV funds each year
• Reapply each year

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ETV Eligibility

• Youth ages 17-20 and currently in care or,
• Aged out of foster care at age 18
• Adopted from foster care with finalization after
  their 16th birthday

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ETV provides money for the following

• Tuition and fees
• Loan Repayment
• Books and school supplies ie computers,
  vocational tools
• Room and board, rent
• Living expenses groceries
• Transportation
• Student Health Insurance
• Child Care
• Study abroad costs
• Other related items as qualified by the Higher
  Education Act

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Youth Statistics

• 27 of males and 10 females have seen the inside
  of a jail
• 50 unemployed
• 37 have not completed high school
• 33 are on some type of public assistance
• 19 females pregnant or have given birth
• 18 months after leaving care

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Statistics Cont.

• 12 to 36 young adults homeless after reaching
  18 within the first four years
• 42 will be parents
• 46 will have graduated high school
• Less than 20 will have the financial means to
  support themselves
• BY THE YEAR 2020 IF NO CHANGES IN YOUTH SERVICES
  99,000 YOUTH WILL HAVE BEEN HOMELESS AT SOME POINT

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Informal Living Skills

• Practical application of budgeting
• Groceries
• Rent
• Utilities
• Exposure to positive social interaction
  (appropriate relationships, manners, stability)
• Appropriate family dynamics / establishing trust
• Routine

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It is crucial that IL teens obtain affordable
housing that allows them to have a clean, safe
home.
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Clients Living Conditions

• Children that come into WCCSB custody often lack
  the basics of home-making and home-keeping
  skills.
• Often there are a large number of children in the
  home and beds are in short supply
• Budgeting is not learned in the home and the
  child has to learn necessities vs. splurges

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Children in the custody of WCCSB often live in
homes like these
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Children in the custody of WCCSB often live in
homes like these
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Children in the custody of WCCSB often live in
homes like these
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Residential Client Characteristics
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WCCSB Juvenile Client Characteristics
(Residential)

• BEHAVIORAL DIFFICULTIES
• Physical Aggression
• Sexual Acting Out
• Self-Mutilation

• EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS
• Wide Range of Psychological Disorders
• PTSD
• ODD
• ADD/ADHD
• Borderline Personality Traits
• Bi-polar

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Residential Client Statistics After Turning 18
Years Old

• Education - 30 have received GED or High School
  Diploma
• Employment 70 Maintain jobs, although not
  always consistently
• Mental Health Services 30 have Adult Case
  Managers and receive services
• Post-18 Agreement 30 sign and abide by a
  Post-18 Agreement

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Housing Barriers for Youth with WCCSB

• Internal Factors
• General Lack of Knowledge
• Rent
• Utilities
• Unrealistic Expectations
• Mental Health Factors
• Transition from being in placement to independent
  living
• No appropriate family support / home due to
  Child Abuse and/or Neglect

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Housing Barriers for Youth with WCCSB

• External Factors
• Lack of Credit
• Waiting list at Metro Housing
• Safety issues with low income housing
• Lack of financing from the agency
• Not enough programs available for assistance

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Independent Living Budget 05-06(43,375.00)
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WANTS / NEEDS

• DECENT, AFFORDABLE, SAFE housing
• Establish a contact person at housing agencies
• Form a committee of IL workers and housing reps
  to meet and discuss needs on a quarterly basis

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Thank you for your time.