PLUMMER YOUTH PROMISE INC

GROUP HOME: PLUMMER YOUTH PROMISE APPLIES AN INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME MODEL WE CALL "PERMANENCY, PREPAREDNESS, COMMUNITY." THE MODEL POSITS THAT ALL CHILDREN NEED FAMILIES, SKILLS, AND CONNECTIONS WITH THEIR COMMUNITIES TO SUCCEED AS ADULTS. OUR WORK FOCUSES HEAVILY ON MAKING SURE YOUTH WHO HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THEIR FAMILIES MAKE IT BACK TO THEIR FAMILY, OR A NEW, PERMANENT FAMILY, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THIS ELEMENT OF OUR WORK HAS DRAWN A GREAT DEAL OF ATTENTION FROM OTHERS, AND WE CONSULT TO AND/OR TRAIN OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN BEST PRACTICES. OUR 12-PERSON GROUP HOME SERVES YOUNG PEOPLE ASSIGNED MALE AT BIRTH FROM AGES 13-18 REFERRED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. WE SERVE APPROXIMATELY 20 YOUNG PEOPLE PER YEAR AS YOUTH MOVE IN AND OUT. MOST YOUNG PEOPLE WERE REMOVED FROM THEIR HOMES DUE TO ISSUES OF ABUSE OR NEGLECT AND HAVE BEEN BOUNCING AROUND THE STATE'S CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR YOUTH TO HAVE BEEN MOVED A DOZEN OR MORE TIMES BETWEEN PLACEMENTS SUCH AS GROUP HOMES, FOSTER HOMES, AND HOSPITALS. AS A RESULT OF THIS DISRUPTION, MANY YOUTHS STRUGGLE WITH ISSUES SUCH AS POST TRAUMATIC STRESS, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND ATTENTION CHALLENGES. ALL NEED A FAMILY WHO WILL COMMIT TO THEM FOREVER. WE RECENTLY IMPLEMENTED A SYSTEM TO MEASURE EACH YOUNG PERSON'S PROGRESS IN THE AREAS OF PERMANENCY,PREPAREDNESS, AND COMMUNITY. THE SYSTEM DOCUMENTS PROGRESS ALONG SCALE OF 1-4; OBSERVABLE BENCHMARKS MUST BE REACHED TO PROGRESS ALONG THE SCALE. ASSESSING PROGRESS INCLUDES THE USE OF BOTH EVIDENCE-BASED TOOLS AND SUBJECTIVE OBSERVATIONS.

SUPPORTED APARTMENT PROGRAM (PRE INDEPENDENT LIVING): LIKE IN OUR GROUP HOME, WE APPLY OUR PERMANENCY, PREPAREDNESS, COMMUNITY INTERVENTION MODEL (SEE DESCRIPTION ABOVE) IN OUR SUPPORTED APARTMENT PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM SERVES APPROXIMATELY 10-12 YOUNG PEOPLE ASSIGNED MALE AT BIRTH BETWEEN THE AGES OF 16 AND 22 EACH YEAR. THE APARTMENT IS IN THE SAME BUILDING AS OUR GROUP HOME, BUT IT IS IN A PHYSICALLY SEPARATE PART OF THE BUILDING. YOUNG PEOPLE LIVING IN THE APARTMENT MUST BE IN SCHOOL OR WORKING, AND ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THINGS LIKE COOKING, GROCERY SHOPPING, LAUNDRY, AND CLEANING. IN THE SUPPORTED APARTMENT WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED THE SAME MEASUREMENT SYSTEM DESCRIBED ABOVE IN THE GROUP HOME DESCRIPTION.