CWLA’s Standards of Excellence for Transition, Independent Living, and Self Sufficiency (TILSS) Services

1. CWLA’s Standards of Excellence for Transition, Independent Living, and Self Sufficiency (TILSS) Services Pamela Day, Director, Child Welfare Standards, CWLADr. Gerald P. Mallon, Director, National Resource Center for Family Center Practice and Permanency Planning, Hunter College School of Social WorkMaria Garin Jones, Director, Youth Services, CWLA

2. Committee of CWLA’s Standards of Excellence for Transition, Independent Living, and Self Sufficiency Services, comprised of 34 individuals representing public and private organizations from across the country, researchers, alumni of foster care, and representatives of national organizations. A number of individuals & organizations whose contributions were vital to the writing of these Standards: Gerald P. Mallon, TILSS Committee Chair Robin Nixon, National Foster Care Coalition Mark Kroner, Lighthouse Youth Services Casey Family Programs for the use of their It’s My Life Transition Framework Special Thanks to…

3. The Process… • Initial meeting of Committee in September of 2000; • Conducted three additional meetings to review and edit existing framework and develop new standards; • Revision completed in December of 2003; • Approved by CWLA Board of Directors on February 1, 2004.

4. TILSS Standards are comprised of … • Introduction • Chapter I - Community Framework for TILSS Services; • Chapter II - The System for Delivering TILSS Services; • Chapter III - Organization and Administration of TILSS Services; • Chapter IV - Continuum of Individual Care Management for TILSS Services; • Chapter V – Ensuring Safe and Supportive Transitional and Independent Living Arrangements for Youth.

5. Themes of the Standards for TILSS Services… • Provide a range of supports and services to young people within the context of one’s own community; • Apply an expanded policy context, including the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999; • Ground our work with young people in the philosophy and practice of Positive Youth Development; • Youth development is at the heart of successful TILSS program development and implementation. Equally as important is the active participation of young people at all levels.

6. Themes Continued… • Highlight the importance of permanency and permanent connections for youth in care; • An eventual transition to self sufficient adulthood is a major goal for ALL children in care whether they will return to family, be adopted, or live independently. • The goals of permanence and of interdependence should be considered concurrently for all youth in care and for those formerly in care who are in need of support. • Stress the importance of partnership between public child welfare agencies, service providers, youth, and the community to provide a continuum of services for transitioning youth.

7. Themes Continued… • Differentiate between Independent Living as a discrete child welfare service versus identifying Interdependence as a goal for all youth in foster care. • Define interdependence as a developmental goal for all young people, which includes: 1) a lifelong connection to “family” supplemented by a strong, social network of support, and 2) achievement of competency in the knowledge, skills, and relationships needed to participate actively and successfully in family and community life, and in the workplace.

8. TILSS Standards Highlights!Chapter One… 1.1 Goal of TILSS Services TILSS services should help young people who are preparing for adulthood build on their personal strengths; believe in a positive future; contribute to their schools, programs, and the community; and acquire the skills, knowledge, experience, and relationships they need to succeed in work, family, and community life. 1.2 Definition of TILSS Services TILSS services are defined as the supports, services, and opportunities that can help young people in out-of-home care develop to their full potential; contribute to their schools, programs, and the community; and succeed in work, family and community life as adults.

9. More Chapter One Highlights … 1.7 Basic Assumptions • The minimum age for discontinuation of services should be 21 years of age; the optimal age is 25, the age at which most young people in our communities begin to achieve economic self sufficiency. No youth should ever be discharged to homelessness or to a precarious living arrangement. • Although they may not require formalized TILSS services, children under age 10 will benefit from awareness on the part of caregivers and social workers of their developmental readiness for learning life skills, practicing decision making, and experiencing an appropriate degree of autonomy and participation in planning.

10. More Chapter One Highlights … 1.8 Tailoring TILSS Services to the Abilities and Need of Children and Youth at Different Ages and Developmental Levels • Children ages 14 and older should participate in structured TILSS services, leadership programs, program planning, individual case planning, and other activities that promote their positive development and preparation for adulthood.

11. TILSS Standards Highlights!Chapter Two… • A community-based system of transition support services can address the diverse needs of young people and their families by providing a spectrum of health, education, employment, recreation, vocational, and social services. The system should be linked with foster care, other child welfare services, and adult-serving systems, as well as the community’s own informal supports, to provide the full range of opportunities that young people are entitled to in their preparation for and transition to adulthood.

12. More Chapter Two Highlights … Core Elements of a Coordinated System of TILSS Services: • 2.1 Positive Youth Development Philosophy • 2.2 Collaboration • 2.3 Cultural Competence • 2.4 Permanent Connections for Youth • 2.5 Continuum of Services and Support • 2.6 Services Provided According to Developmental Readiness

13. More Chapter Two Highlights … 2.15 Service Management • Care/case management can be provided as a separate service, or in close association with other services, but should include: • A full assessment with the young person of his/her strengths and needs; • The development of a plan that incorporated developmentally and culturally responsive services required; • Assessment of the effectiveness of the services provided, with appropriate modifications made in the service plan; • Advocacy in behalf of the young person; • Monitoring of the implementation of the plan.

14. More Chapter Two Highlights … 2.17 Educational Services • The child welfare agency should view educational services as an integral part of TILSS services and lifelong learning, and its work with young people should reflect this view. 2.18 Employment Services • The child welfare agency should assist young people in preparing for TILSS by participating in opportunities to acquire skills and abilities to be work ready, access subsidized and unsubsidized employment; discussing career interests and options; and developing a plan for attaining career goals. 2.19 Physical and Mental Health Services • The child welfare agency should recognize that many young people enter care because of long-term neglect and deprivation and should quickly assess the young person’s physical well being through an appropriate health evaluation and intervention.

15. More Chapter Two Highlights … 2.20 Housing Services • Child welfare agencies should assist young people in their efforts to locate safe, stable and affordable living arrangements and should be a condition of discharge from the child welfare agency. 2.25 Aftercare Services • Child welfare agencies should provide or arrange aftercare services for young people after they leave out-of-home care. A written transition plan should include the process, roles, and expectations for aftercare.

16. TILSS Standards Highlights!Chapter Three… 3.2 Governance Structure for TILSS Services • Public, private, local community, and tribal agencies should develop and maintain a governance structure that maintains a strong positive youth development focus across programs and includes youth in governance positions. 3.10 The Culturally Competent Agency • Child welfare and youth-serving agencies should strive for cultural competence throughout planning, delivery and evaluation of program services. Culturally competent agencies and staff view a young person’s strengths and needs within a cultural context and integrate what they know in helping a youth develop a meaningful plan of action.

17. More Chapter Three Highlights … 3.13 Confidentiality and Safeguards in the Use of Records and Data Systems • The agency should allow youth to have access to information in their records, unless a statutory prohibition exists against sharing certain information. Youth should be informed of their right to access and correct or clarify any information they believe to be inaccurate. 3.21 Recruiting and Selecting Personnel • The agency should strive to attract the most qualified and competent staff and should develop a comprehensive recruitment and staff selection plan that is oriented toward maintaining a competent and culturally diverse workforce to deliver IL services.

18. More Chapter Three Highlights … 3.27 Determining Workload and Caseload Standards • Workloads are defined as the amount of time required to perform a specific task. Caseloads are defined as the amount of time workers devote to direct contacts with children, youth, and families served. • Caseload size will vary according to the type of work being performed by the worker. The following average caseloads are recommended: • 4 – 10 cases for each work providing direct IL services as part of a team. • 15 – 20 cases for each worker providing care/case management and coordination services.

19. TILSS Standards Highlights!Chapter Four… 4.1 Focusing on the Strengths of the Young Person • The provision of TILSS services should build upon the inherent strengths and value of each young person and support youth in achieving their goals, hopes and dreams. 4.3 Involving Young People in the Planning and Process of Transition • It is critical that young people themselves are meaningfully and actively involved in the process of making decisions that affect their lives and planning for their futures. Youth in out-of-home care must have opportunities to enhance their own capabilities, exert control, and receive the supports necessary to succeed.

20. More Chapter FourHighlights … 4.9 Developing an Ongoing TILSS Plan (the “Transition Plan”) • All young people in out-of-home care should have a transition plan for moving toward interdependence, based on their hopes, dreams, goals, strengths, and needs. The transition plan should be developed with the following principles in mind: • Developed with the young person as an active partner; • Document the youth’s strengths and needs, including competencies needed to achieve independence; • Involve the youth’s birthfamily and foster family, and where possible, members of their support network; • Identify mutual responsibilities – for the youth as well as case worker; • Be incorporated as part of the overall case plan (or be one in the same); • Serve as a contract between the youth and the agency with measurable objectives.

21. More Chapter FourHighlights … 4.26 Cultivating a Spiritual Identity • Practitioners should support youth’s efforts to explore their spirituality and faith as an aspect of their identity development. 4.27 Identity Formation and Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth • Practitioners should support youth’s efforts to explore and develop a healthy sense of their sexuality, including sexual orientation, emotional, affectional, and sexual attraction; sexual behaviors, gender identity; and gender expression.

22. More Chapter Four Highlights … 4.30 Helping Young People Achieve Self Sufficiency and Permanency • Practitioners and caregivers should assist youth in achieving self-sufficiency within the context of a permanent family or permanent family connections. • Independent living, which is often included in the list of permanency options, applies to youth in all permanency situations. It does not, however, replace the options outlined below: • Adoption by kin, foster parents or a new family; • Guardianship with kin, or in special circumstances, with foster parents or another caring adult; and • In special circumstances, a planned alternative living arrangement with kin, foster parents, or in a group or residential setting.

23. More Chapter Four Highlights … 4.53 Recognizing and Addressing Factors Contributing to Poor Educational Outcomes • Teachers and other school staff must take specific steps to promote optimal, culturally appropriate, supported educational experiences for youth in out-of-home care. • Each youth in the foster care system should have a responsible adult who: • Knows and cares deeply about their school success; • Monitors their educational progress; • Advocates for their educational needs; and • Works with the youth, his or her social worker, and school personnel on educational planning and support issues.

24. More Chapter Four Highlights … 4.60 Teaching Youth How to Save Money and Accumulate Assets • TILSS programs should assist youth in learning to save money and accumulate assets. One important strategy involves creating an individual development account. 4.63 Living Situations • TILSS programs should assist youth leaving care in exploring and securing safe, stable, and affordable living situations. Discharge to homelessness or precarious housing is NEVER appropriate.

25. More Chapter Four Highlights … 4.66 Case Review Prior to Discharge • The agency should conduct a case review to develop the final plans for the youth transitioning out of the system six months before discharge. Furthermore, young people need to be given written and verbal notice, at least six months prior to the cessation of specific benefits, such as rental assistance, living allowance, and Medicaid. 4.69 Celebrating Transitions • The agency should view the transition from out-of-home care as a passage and a special and positive event in the life of the young person and should recognize the young person’s accomplishments.

26. TILSS Standards Highlights!Chapter Five… 5.1 Selecting a Living Arrangement that Fosters Growth and Self Sufficiency • The child welfare agency should help young people to obtain the most appropriate type of living arrangement – one that will foster growth and self sufficiency in the least restrictive setting. 5.2 Providing a Range of Options • The child welfare agency should ensure, in collaboration with other community organizations, that youth have a choice of several living arrangement options whenever possible. Efforts should be made to use existing housing resources or when necessary, develop new alternatives.

27. More Chapter FiveHighlights … 5.5 Components of a Continuum of Independent / Transitional Living Options • To ensure that the varying residential needs of young people in out-of-home care are met, a community-based continuum of IL/TL options should be available, including residential treatment programs, community-based group homes, family foster care, supervised (cluster) apartments, emergency shelter care, adult roommates, host homes, shared homes, boarding homes, dormitories, semi-supervised (scattered site) apartments, subsidized housing, and transitional group homes.

28. More Chapter Five Highlights … 5.25 Establishing Backup Housing Plans • The TILSS program should ensure that each youth has in place a plan for alternative housing should a particular setting not work out. Housing options occur on a continuum from first placement through discharge. Each community should work out processes that facilitate the movement of youth from one living arrangement to another. 5.26 Integrating Social Work and TILSS Housing Services • The agency providing housing services to transitioning youth should ensure that these services are carefully coordinated with other social work services so that the objectives within the plan are agreed on and the services are provided in the most effective and integrated manner.

29. For More Information about CWLA’s TILSS Standards… Please contact:Maria Garin Jones, Director, Youth Services (202) 662-4287 mgarin@cwla.org