Friends of Youth 2/7/2018 - Laserfiche WebLink

positive impact in other people's lives and make personal connections with other supportive adults. Residents work with their Case Manager throughout their stay to learn new skills and create healthy routines. Youth receive encouragement and support to re-build relationships with their families and to establish positive relationships with their peers. (c) Employment Support through Additional, Education-Focused Case Management The young people in our program face substantial barriers to securing stable employment and housing. Many come from families where they were abused or neglected and as result they distrust adults and authority figures. Many become homeless after aging-out of the foster care system and are unprepared to live independently and support themselves financially. They often struggle with substance use, mental health concerns or criminal histories that impact their ability to obtain employment. Most have no work experience, or very limited work experience, and have not completed their high school education. We recognize that long-term success in housing and employment are interconnected. Residents work with both the Case Manager and Employment Specialist at New Ground Everett to build life skills, reach permanent housing goals, and develop the skills needed to find and maintain employment. Our Employment Specialist completes a comprehensive assessment of each resident's job readiness, training interests, education level and life skills. They then work closely with the resident to develop goals and action steps toward securing a living wage job, vocational training, or college-level education focused on high demand jobs. (d) Life Skill Classes, Financial Coaching and House Meetings Residents learn life skills, including budgeting, grocery shopping, basic cooking, household maintenance, domestic violence awareness and healthy decision-making. They also increase their financial literacy through certified financial coaching provided by our Case Manager. Additionally, all clients attend monthly house meetings where they build a sense of community and strengthen interpersonal skills. At these meetings, the Case Manager facilitates group discussions to help clients improve emotional and self-regulating coping skills. Topics include: respecting neighbors and roommates; recognizing personal needs for space or time alone; and the importance of self-care (including healthy eating, getting enough sleep, walks and talking through their problems with their Case Manager). NGE helps homeless young adults develop independent living skills, pursue education and employment, increase social skills, manage life's stresses, and successfully move into stable housing. Many of the homeless young adults we serve have never lived independently, and—like many of their peers—lack experience and skills in household planning, budgeting and time management. We know that young adults succeed through the intentional and intensive support of a case manager, building relationships with their peers, and learning how to be contributing members of the community. (4) Who is Served (Target Population) NGE serves homeless youth who are between the ages of 18 and 21 years old (at entry). (5) How and When the Service will be Provided: Housing, case management and employment-focused case management are provided on-site at New Ground Everett, located at 1734 121st Street SE in Everett. Residents are referred to the program through Cocoon House as part of Snohomish County's Coordinated Entry System. Services are provided for a maximum of 18 months, with an average length of stay of about nine months. Case management meetings take place weekly, with more frequent case management support available to residents as needed. House meetings and life skills discussions take place monthly.