Teens in Transition

Our Services » Group Home Care

Definition

The Tom Roy Youth Guidance Home is a long-term group home that serves young people aging trygh1 out of foster care without an available permanent family, or a family needing help with their child emancipating. The program offers older adolescents training and support to successfully transition into adulthood and, in many cases, exit successfully out of child protective services, youth court or correctional services. The issues these young people face include failure to find permanence in a family, chemical abuse, emotional turmoil or incarceration.

Our Approach

Continue many of the approaches used in previous successful placements
Focus on the youth graduating high school or earning a GED, developing effective communication skills, learning about personal finances, understanding available resources, having positive employment experiences and enjoying constructive leisure activities
Develop a support system for the youth as they move to independence
Locate in a neighborhood, close to community resources, public transportation and employment opportunities and provide a family-like living environment
Provide living skill development featuring a curriculum and delivered in groups, classroom-type settings or one-on-one mentoring
Have access to youth employment programs, private employment opportunities, work placement agencies and evaluation of career interest for work-development opportunities
Provide a structured daily program, including school, educational and recreational activities along with a graduated privilege system that teaches social skills, encourages positive behavior and advocates personal responsibility
Access community services, including education, employment, recreation, culture, therapy and health care
Be culturally competent and focus on cultural identity development by giving each youth a multi-ethnic identity assessment and individual goals added to their case plans
Ensure safety for the youth and those around him or her
Provide individual counseling and groups that focus on skill development and communications
Have a Program Director who’s a master level social worker responsible for leading the program and staff and developing individual case plans
Support a committed, caring and well-trained line staff who work in a 1:4 staff-to-youth ratio and are with youth 24 hours a day
Provide a Home Manager who manages the day-to-day functioning of the home to ensure a home-like environment

Ages Served

We are licensed to accept youth ages 16 and 17 and serve them until emancipation.

Criteria for Admission

We accept youth who:

Are not appropriate for foster care as evidenced by age, behavior or motivation to be in a family.
Need help with emancipation, preparation for independent living and/or transition to adulthood.
Struggle with chemical abuse issues.
Are “hyper-mature” and need a facilitative setting with some guidance or, conversely, youth is deficient or less mature and needs more structure and support.
Do not present a significant threat to themselves, others or the community.
Are under the custody of Child and Family Services, Youth Court, juvenile parole or a private placement by a family. Funding must be available for the youth’s care.
Are covered by health insurance.