Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 02, November 27, 2024
(1) Transitional living placements are
offered through a variety of residential on-campus living arrangements where
youth have the opportunity to practice independent living skills with
decreasing degrees of care and supervision. Apartment living may also be
considered when the apartments are grouped together in what is known as a
"pod," and only individuals participating in the program are allowed to live
within the pod. A pod must be in a specific location with a supervisor living
in one of the on-site units in the pod twenty four (24) hours a day, seven days
a week (i.e., 24/7).
(2)
Independent living placements use "scattered site housing" which is a dwelling
that is typically located in the same town or city where the program provider
is located. Scattered site housing, a least restrictive placement type, does
not have a supervisor living on-site and may or may not have other independent
living placements located near it. Youth desiring to live in independent living
placements require careful selection, close supervision, and an exceptionally
collaborative working effort between the provider agency's program staff and
DHR. Independent living placements shall begin no earlier than a youth's 17
th birthday and no later than six (6)
months prior to a youth's discharge from DHR's system of care.
(3) Child-placing agencies and residential
child care facilities are responsible for assuring that their transitional and
independent living placements meet the applicable minimum standards and these
requirements. The State Department of Human Resources is responsible for
monitoring child-placing agencies and residential child care facilities to
assure that all requirements are being followed.
(4) Transitional and independent living
programs shall prohibit roomers, boarders, and persons who are not
participating in their program to share housing with youth in transitional and
independent living placements. An exception to this requirement is when youth
are living in an apartment where the lease can remain in their name after
discharge from DHR custody, and a roommate is needed to share expenses to
enable the youth to retain the apartment after discharge from DHR custody, and
the youth's individualized service planning team approves the plan.
(5) Residential child care facilities are
prohibited from using mobile homes as the housing unit for transitional or
independent living placements. Transitional living facilities must be in
locations that are designated for the unique purpose of transitional living and
must allow the residents free access to the exterior.
(6) Program Staffing - Transitional and
independent living program staff of child care placing agencies or residential
child care facilities must adhere to the Minimum Standards by which their
agency or facility is licensed and any applicable governmental or agency rules,
regulations, and standards for the purpose of governing agencies that provide
care or are responsible for the placement of children. Program staff shall
participate in the planning and delivery of services to youth being considered
for transitional and independent living programs and placements. This includes
participating in the development and revision of a youth's individualized
service plan (ISP) prior to admission and during placement.
(a) Program staff must be employees of the
DHR licensed child-placing agency or residential child care facility that is
providing the transitional and/or independent living program
and must meet the following qualifications and
responsibilities. Written job descriptions shall be developed for all staff and
maintained on site at the child-placing agency or residential child care
facility.
1. Program Coordinator
(i) Qualifications - Program coordinators
shall be the executive director or shall meet the minimum qualifications, as
prescribed, for the "executive" in the applicable Minimum Standards; shall
receive sixteen (16) hours training in "Emotional and Physical Development of
Teens," "Development of Youth's Strengths and Assets," and "Positive Youth
Development" in addition to the training listed in the applicable Minimum
Standards.
(ii) Responsibilities -
The program coordinator shall be responsible for working with and supervising
other staff who are working with youth in the transitional and/or independent
living program; shall work in cooperation with the case manager, life coach and
DHR social worker to identify youth who are prepared to enter a transitional
and/or independent living program; shall assist the case manager or life coach
in locating housing for youth; shall work with youth and case managers or life
coaches to help youth develop the necessary knowledge and skills to become
independent; and shall provide input on all case plans that are presented to
the individualized service planning team and approve all reports or other
paperwork needed by DHR.
2. Case Manager
(i) Qualifications - Case managers shall be
twenty three (23) years of age or older. They shall be a licensed social worker
per
Code of Ala. 1975, §34 and practicing at the
level of a licensed certified social worker (LCSW); or a licensed graduate
social worker (LGSW); or a licensed bachelor social worker (LBSW) with
continuing supervision from a person licensed as a certified or graduate social
worker; or a professional counselor licensed under Alabama law; or a
psychologist licensed under Alabama law. Case managers shall be supervised by
the transitional and/or independent living Program Coordinator, and shall
receive sixteen (16) hours training in "Emotional and Physical Development of
Teens," "Development of Youth's Strengths and Assets," and "Positive Youth
Development" in addition to the training listed in the applicable Minimum
Standards.
(ii) Responsibilities
-Case Managers shall be responsible for the direct supervision of youth who
participate in a transitional and/or independent program; shall actively
participate in the development and implementation of all treatment plans/ISPs
for youth in their caseload; shall complete any paperwork as agreed upon
through a youth's ISP and/or DHR contract; and shall be responsible for each
youth's placement in a transitional or independent living setting; and shall
work with the DHR social worker to monitor and supervise the youth.
3. Life Coach
(i) Qualifications - Life coaches shall have
a high school degree or general equivalency diploma (GED); shall meet all
requirements as listed in the applicable Minimum Standards; shall be at least
twenty one (21) years of age; and shall receive sixteen (16) hours training in
"Emotional and Physical Development of Teens," "Development of Youth's
Strengths and Assets," and "Positive Youth Development" in addition to the
training listed in the applicable Minimum Standards.
(ii) Responsibilities - Life coaches shall
work shifts and be on-call 24 hours a day on a rotating basis; shall be
responsible for the day-to-day modeling of life skills; shall provide
activities for youth to practice life skills and provide appropriate feedback
to the youth; and shall work in partnership with the case manager.
(iii) Life coach to youth ratio shall be in
compliance with the worker to youth ratio as stated in the Minimum Standards
for Residential Child Care Facilities.
(7) Requirements Specific To
Independent Living
(a) All youth desiring
independent living placements must work full time or part-time,
and be involved in a diploma, GED or vocational
program. Youth working full time who have received a diploma or GED may
participate in independent living. They are required to work with their DHR
social worker and the provider agency's social worker or case manager in
developing short and long-term goals to be included in their ISP. These short
and long term goals will be based on the desired outcomes that support youth in
achieving independence.
(b)
Additional requirements for youth desiring independent living placements
include the following.
1. Youth must submit a
weekly budget to their case manager and their DHR social worker prior to moving
into independent living housing, and the budget must fall within a youth's
monthly income.
2. Youth must
submit a plan for rent payments and security deposit prior to the housing lease
being signed. Youth may co-sign the housing lease with the provider agency when
they are of legal age (i.e., 19 years). DHR is prohibited from signing or
co-signing a lease for housing.
3.
Youth may share housing with one (1) other person of the same (or near the
same) age
and of the same sex. The program provider
and the individualized service planning team may grant an exception to this
requirement to allow siblings to share housing. This exception is dependent
upon each youth's ISP and the availability of housing space for the additional
sibling(s).
4. Youth must have
their own bedroom regardless of the number of youth who share
housing.
(c) Home
Furnishings - The child care facility or child-placing agency shall provide
youth certain articles and supplies for furnishing their home. The articles and
supplies must include a bed and bed linens; a dining table and chairs; living
or sitting room furniture; a stove and refrigerator; kitchen furnishings; and a
telephone.
1. Independent living program
providers shall adhere to DHR's Telephone and Mail Contacts policy. The
telephone may be limited to local calling if a "calling plan" or "calling card"
is provided for youth to contact parents, relatives, siblings, and other
pertinent individuals who live outside the local calling area. Youth may
purchase their own telephone and telephone services, but are responsible for
any expenses that are beyond the scope of Telephone and Mail Contacts
policy.
2. Youth may purchase their
own household furnishings if desired; however, the furnishings should be
inventoried so that when youth move to another residence or leave foster care,
their furnishings can be easily identified from those of the independent living
program provider. Items purchased by youth shall be moved with the
youth.
(8)
Placement Supervision - All youth in transitional and independent living
placements shall have twenty four (24) hour access to program staff who are
responsible for monitoring the activities of youth in their programs. Program
staff shall develop a schedule for providing supervision with guidance and
supervision based on a specific youth's maturity, acquired skills, and
emotional status. The supervisory schedule will be developed in collaboration
with a youth's ISP team.
(a) Transitional
Living - The individualized service planning team is responsible for
determining the frequency and type of supervision provided to youth living in
transitional living placements. Supervision shall be designed so that the team
may observe that the youth is practicing healthy life skills. The program where
the youth is placed will schedule supervisory staff and coverage according to
the Minimum Standards For Residential Child Care Facilities.
(b) Independent Living - All youth must have
24/7 telephone access to independent living program staff and an alternate
placement in the event the independent living placement is unsuccessful.
1. The supervisory schedule for youth during
the first eight (8) weeks in placement includes, at a minimum, daily
supervision for the first week; twice a week supervision for the second through
fourth weeks; and once a week supervision for the fifth through eighth weeks.
After the eighth week, supervision must occur no less than once a month and the
individualized service planning team must reconvene to determine the level of
on-going supervision that is needed.
2. Program staff must contact DHR immediately
when significant issues or incidents occur
and the
issue/incident is severe enough to risk a youth's loss of the independent
living placement or the issue/incident creates a danger to the youth. Staff
must also contact DHR within two (2) working days when incidents occur that are
concerning to the agency/facility operating the independent living
program.
Author: Jerome Webb
Statutory Authority: Foster Care Independence
Act of 1999 (H.R. 3443) amended title IV, Part E, Social Security Act;
Public
Law 106-169; Code of Ala.
1975, §
38-7-2.