Independent Living Program

The goal of the Independent Living Program is to ensure that at risk youth, primarily those over the age of 14-years, make successful transitions from adolescence to adulthood.

Successful transitions occur by partnering with clients to promote their engagement in achieving positive outcomes in: education, employment, housing, health and personal finances.

AHTL connects clients with public and private resources and existing services in the community to provide a custom approach and personal collaboration with each client’s success. AHTL aims to empower young adults to use their experiences, insight and their voice to give back to the community.

Unless otherwise stated, all services offered by Advocates are:

• client driven,
• one on one,
• require time for relationship building, and
• goals focused.

Mentoring specifically creates accountability for the client when engaging in activities that support goal achievement. With Mentoring, the client typically has already mastered a required skillset, however, they need a partner to help them stay on track with employing skills. As challenges occur, a Mentor helps ensure that client’s basic needs are met, that, whenever possible, the client understands the root cause of the challenge and encourages the client to manage behaviors and decisions to the best of their ability with as little support as needed.

Further, Mentoring offers diversion activities, as needed, to bring a client back to what Advocates refers to as Baseline – which is their calmest, most rational state. As the client engages the sense of support, safety, and unconditional positive regard offered by Mentoring, the client typically grows in confidence, allowing more and more success in designated activities. Mentoring is typically a step-down or continuation of another supportive service that has built a trusting relationship.

Advocates considers client history of trauma and their ability to navigate circumstances when offering Mentoring as a service.