21.7.1  Transitional Living Advocate

The Transitional Living Advocate (TLA) is an adult, 21 years of age or older, who provides the youth a safe place to stay, continued life skills training, encouragement and guidance in regard to employment, education and/or training, and preparation for successful transition from CD custody.  The TLA may be married or single and is willing to provide the time, a home, supervision and support needed by the youth transitioning out of care.  They must be successful in their own independence, i.e., employed, maintain a household and generally provide a positive role model for the youth.  The advocate should be similar to or understanding of the youth’s race or ethnic background.

They must have flexible attitudes and expectations of the youth during this difficult time of transition.  The advocate should have prior experience with adolescents, be energetic, and have the ability to listen and to handle failure as a learning process.  They must have an understanding of adolescent behavior and be able to let the youth make mistakes and deal with natural consequences.  Communication is essential when working with youth as well as allowing the youth to form their values.

The advocate should be aware of community resources that will support the youth’s endeavors and be willing to assist the youth in accessing those services.  Cultural sensitivity is a necessary asset of the advocate as is the ability to work with a variety of people.  It will be required for the advocate to work with the Children’s Service Worker, support providers, and others in developing and maintaining the youth’s case plan.

This type of placement is crucial to the youth’s successful transition to adulthood.  It is hoped that the advocate will become a life-long friend and mentor for the youth, allowing the youth to return for visits, holidays and occasional support.

Advocates must ensure a safe haven for the youth to stay in; help the youth with employment and education/vocational training; guide the youth and assist the youth with learning to live with rules.  The advocate should encourage the youth and provide opportunities for the youth to practice life skills learned in life skills training.

21.7.1.1   TLP Advocate Training

Prior to approval, the advocate must complete the following:

• Successful completion of 18 hours of pre-service, specialized training on adolescent issues through CD including three (3) hours each in cultural/race sensitivity, ILP life skills training overview, adolescent development with an emphasis on what to expect from adolescent behavior, emotional obstacles out-of-home care youth must overcome, adolescent sexuality and behavior management via natural consequences;
• A criminal and child abuse/neglect background screening;
• An approved home study completed by the CD case manager/service worker, in the county that the advocates reside;
• A signed copy of the CM-12, Agreement for the Purchase of TLP Advocate Services; and
• Register with the Family Care Safety Registry;

It is recommended each area ensure that a cross section of youth assist in all phases of the advocate training.  This includes recruitment and placement.  Placement planning is very important and requires adequate time for a good match.  The youth needs to be matched with an advocate who has similar values and has an understanding of the needs of the youth.

21.7.1.2   TLP Advocate Approval

Prior to placement of a youth, appropriate County Children’s Services staff, must approve the advocate.  Staff shall use form CS-TLP-1 when determining the suitability of the living arrangement.  Form CS-TLP-1 provides a procedure for documenting health and safety requirements specific to an older adolescent placed with an advocate or in an ILA.

A TLP advocate has the same right to a fair hearing as a foster parent when approval is denied or revoked.  The advocate may also grieve a youth case management decision in the same manner as a foster parent.

21.7.1.3   Advocate Maintenance Payment

The youth shall receive $586 per month for rent, food, clothing, incidentals and payment to the advocate.  $450 per month shall be paid by the youth to the advocate for food and rent expenses.  The youth is to use $136 per month for other expenses such as clothing, school/work necessities, personal hygiene, grooming, transportation, etc., as well as the establishment of a savings account.

21.7.1.4   Characteristics of the Youth

The youth should be at least 16 years of age with a placement history, which indicates this type of placement as a logical progression to independence.  He/she should have developed good decision making skills and has a clear understanding of the program and what is expected.

Life Skills training must be in progress or have been successfully completed prior to placement.  The youth should not require close supervision and should have shown the ability to manage money with little to no assistance.  Average or above average school performance is desirable as is some work experience.  Work experience is not required for entry into this type of placement, however.  It is recommended youth enrolled in school full time should not work more than 20 hours per week.

21.7.2  Transitional Living Program Group Home (TLG)

A licensed, residential, child care site where older youth (ages 16-20) concentrate on preparation for independent living and completion of their educational/vocational programs in a supervised group setting.  Youth may currently be enrolled or have successfully completed Life Skills training.  Youth should not work more than 20 hours per week, if they go to school full time.  Typically youth have been residing in a residential treatment facility.  Youth are expected to maintain employment and develop goals and plans for their future.  All facilities that are contracted as TLP group homes are licensed as residential child care agencies by the Residential Program Unit within Central Office.

If the FST decides placement in a group home setting would be in the best interest of the youth, staff should contact the Area RCST Coordinator to make a referral.  The case manager should have an accurate, updated Residential Treatment Referral (CS-9), which assesses present level of functioning to send to the RCST Coordinator.  The case manager may seek an opening in a group home, but it is the responsibility of the RCST Coordinator to notify the group home after approving the placement.  Once placed, the group home is responsible for completing a service plan and/or progress report and submitting it to the youth’s case manager and to the Area RCST Coordinator at the following intervals:  within 60 days of the youth’s initial placement, and within 30 days of the end of each 6 months of the youth’s placement.

TLP group homes are required to submit a monthly invoice for each child to the RCST Coordinator, who then completes the Children’s Services Integrated Payment System Invoice (CS-65), and sends to Central Office for data entry.  It is the responsibility of the case manager to update the child’s SS-61 to show the youth placed in a TLG placement type.  Field 56 (maintenance code) must be coded ”No maintenance”.

21.7.3  Transitional Living Program Single/Scattered Site Apartments (TLS)

This program offers youth (ages 17-20), ideally from a TLP group home, the opportunity to practice life skills and prepare for the future in an apartment setting.  Youth in this type of placement receive support and guidance, but supervision is minimal.  To be considered for this option, youth need to demonstrate the ability to make responsible decisions, maintain employment, successfully complete Life Skills Training, and have a clear understanding of the financial and emotional demands of living independently.  The contract stipulates there be no more than two residents occupying a given apartment.

If a TLS placement is selected by the FST, the case manager must submit the updated CS-9 to the RCST Coordinator as a referral.  Once the placement is approved by Area Office, but prior to occupancy, the contractor must ensure that the apartment selected for the youth meets Division standards by completing and signing Attachment #4, (Transitional Living Program Apartment Standards) of the TLP contract.  The contractor shall maintain a completed copy in the youth’s file, send a completed and signed copy to the youth’s case manager and the referring RCST Coordinator.

The case manager, or Children’s Service Worker for the youth, shall also complete the TLP Scattered Site Apartment Checklist (CS-TLP-2), to ensure the living arrangements are appropriate.  The case manager or worker should complete the CS-TLP-2 every six (6) months or anytime a youth changes residences.  It is also the responsibility of the case manager to update the youth’s SS-61 showing a placement type of TLS, with the vendor number of the TLS facility and a maintenance code of 3-no maintenance.  The contractor is responsible for submitting a monthly invoice to the RCST Coordinator, who then completes the CS-65 for payment.

NOTE:  This is not an ILA placement; therefore, maintenance payments are never paid directly to the youth.  Payment is always made directly to the contractor for the youth.  The case manager should be sure that the youth’s SS-61 reflects no maintenance payment in field 56.

The contractor is responsible for providing the following when a child is placed in a TLS apartment:

• Housing – Helping youth locate an apartment, paying security deposit, signing lease, furnishing the apartment and purchasing basic supplies.
• Financial Support – Weekly allowance, paying rent, paying all utilities, paying phone bill.
• Life Skills Training - Help the youth practice the hard and soft skills they learned through the class setting and one-on-one assistance, as needed by the youth. 
• Emotional Support/Guidance – On-call 24 hour support, informal counseling, bi-weekly meetings, crisis counseling.

The contractor shall provide a service plan/progress report to the case manager, youth and RCST Coordinator within sixty (60) days of the youth’s initial placement, and within thirty (30) days of the end of each six months of the youth’s placement.  This plan shall be reviewed at each FST meeting.  If placement in a TLP exceeds 12 months, the FST shall review the youth’s progress and assess if continued placement in a TLS setting is appropriate.

If at any time the case manager thinks that the contractor for TLS is not meeting the requirements outlined in the Transitional Living contract, the case manager should contact the RCST Coordinator with the concerns to be addressed.