NC LINKS

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NC LINKS

• Construction Tips
• National Governors Association Center for Best
  Practices
• October 27-28, 2005
• Tampa, Florida

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History

• North Carolinas Independent Living program began
  in 1988. The program focused primarily on
  educational supports and skills training.
• 1996 Evaluation of IL program looked at 4
  outcomes housing and living arrangements
  education and training employment and earnings
  and financial self-sufficiency.
• The researchers made a total of 23
  recommendations for improvement to the ILP
  program. These recommendations are available as
  a handout.
• The recommendations have been systematically
  incorporated into policy, training and practice
  of the NC Independent Living Program and the NC
  LINKS program.

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1997-1999 implementing the recommendations from
the study

• Training for LINKS staff and foster parents
  improved
• Counties were required to apply for funds and to
  plan their program for the year
• Trust Fund was established to help provide
  aftercare services for teens who left care after
  age 16.
• Incorporation of Youth Development principles
  into policy

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Formation of IL Advisory-2000

• Redesign of program renamed NC LINKS.
  Collaborative included youth, IL staff, other
  governmental partners in MH, WIA, JJ, VR,
  homelessness coalition also private agencies
  including care providers and ILR, Incorporated in
  Durham.
• Incorporated 1996 recommendations for improvement
• Used outcomes developed through Caliber project
  as backbone of policy and practice

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Program outcome goals

• Safe and stable place to live
• Sufficient income
• Adequate education/vocational trg.
• Avoidance of high risk behavior
• Postpone pregnancy
• Personal support network of 5
• Access to needed medical, dental, or mental
  health care

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LINKS Special Funds

• Established LINKS Special Funds to address more
  individual needs based on success of Trust Funds.
• 400,000 of grant set aside to reimburse counties
  for expenditures on behalf of individual youth.
  This helps to even the playing field between
  counties of high/low wealth and resources.

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Trust Funds

• Trust Funds Up to 500 for aftercare expenses
  for youth who would have been eligible for the
  old Independent Living Program (must have been in
  foster care after age 16, now not older than 21.)
  About 350,000 remains from the old IL funds.

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Scholarship Funds

• Scholarship Funds are available to assist all
  LINKS-eligible youth and young adults with costs
  for services or items that are needed to help a
  youth do better in school, remain in school,
  attend vocational training, participate in
  educational activities, etc. Up to 750 is
  available to youth 13 to 21 per year.

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Transitional Housing Funds

• Transitional Housing Funds are available ONLY to
  young adults who were in foster care on their
  eighteenth birthday and who are not yet 21. Up
  to 1000 is available per young adult per year.

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High Risk Funds

• High Risk Funds are available to reimburse
  counties for expenditures on behalf of youth who
  are at high risk of failing to make a successful
  transition to adulthood. The use of the funds
  must have a reasonable chance of reducing that
  risk. Up to 1000 per year. May NOT be used for
  housing. Available to youth and young adults ages
  13 to 21.

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Institution of County Survey 2001-05

• Process and outcome-based program- what we are
  doing and how it is working
• Looks at comparative though imperfect survey
  data over 4 year period
• Currently conducting youth risk behavior survey
  to help guide practice and set additional
  baselines.
• State data and goals returned to counties this
  year to have them look at their outcomes as
  compared to rest of the state and to incorporate
  changes into their plans to address problem
  areas.

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So how are we doing?
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Sufficient Income

• According to the 2005 all-county survey, 70 of
  young adults 18-21 who aged out of foster care
  had enough income to live on.
• This is compared to 47 in 2004.

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Safe and Stable Housing

• Counties reported that in 2004, 91.5 of aged out
  youth are in safe and stable housing.
• This compares to 75 in 2003 and 72 in 2001.

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But.

• However the percentage of aged out young adults
  who have experienced homelessness at some point
  crept upward from 17 to 17.4 last year.

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Job Stability

• According to the 2004 survey, 42.9 of young
  adults who aged out of care had maintained the
  same job for at least 6 months in the previous
  year, up from 33 in 2003.

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Educational/Vocational training

• The survey indicates that 56.4 of young adults
  who age out of care receive their high school
  diploma another 13.7 got their GED.
• This has improved over 2004, when the graduation
  rate was 44 and the GED rate was 11. In 2001
  the graduation rate was 30 and the GED rate was
  6.

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Personal Support System

• 81.2 of young adults who aged out in 2004 have
  personal support networks of at least 5 caring
  adults.
• In 2004, the survey indicated that 62 had these
  supports.

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Where to next?

• Increase accuracy of data collection
• Building NC FAST system to help develop more
  accurate data base and collection system
• Increased expectation for focused county plans to
  improve both county and state outcome data
• More statewide training and programs to address
  problem areas

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State collaboratives

• North Carolina Collaborative on Youth in
  Transition
• LINKS Advisory to develop standards for
  transitional foster care and independent living
  programs.

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Summary of key steps

• Evaluation of where we were
• Incorporation of recommendations
• Collaborative effort to redesign program
• Established outcome based program
• LINKS Special Funds
• Continue to measure program effectiveness through
  county surveys, data system improvement and
  feedback

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Final thoughts

• Be creative- figure out what needs to be done
  first and then figure out how to do it.
• Dont be afraid to look at where you really are.
• Use what you learn about yourself to change what
  you are doing.
• Be consistent from year to year and compare data.
• Celebrate your successes!

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Contact Information

• Joan.McAllister_at_ncmail.net
• NC Division of Social Services
• MSC 2409
• 325 North Salisbury St., Suite 715
• Raleigh, N.C. 27699-2409
• Tel [phone] FAX [phone]