Alabama Administrative Code › Title 660 - ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES › Chapter 660-5-51 - TRANSITIONAL AND INDEPENDENT LIVING PROGRAM AND PLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS › Section 660-5-51-.03 - Transitional And Independent Living Placements Provided By Child-Placing Agencies And Residential Child Care Facilities

Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 9, June 28, 2024
(1) Transitional living placements are
			 offered through a variety of residential on-campus living arrangements where
			 youth have the opportunity to practice independent living skills with
			 decreasing degrees of care and supervision. Apartment living may also be
			 considered when the apartments are grouped together in what is known as a
			 "pod," and only individuals participating in the program are allowed to live
			 within the pod. A pod must be in a specific location with a supervisor living
			 in one of the on-site units in the pod twenty four (24) hours a day, seven days
			 a week (i.e., 24/7).
(2)
			 Independent living placements use "scattered site housing" which is a dwelling
			 that is typically located in the same town or city where the program provider
			 is located. Scattered site housing, a least restrictive placement type, does
			 not have a supervisor living on-site and may or may not have other independent
			 living placements located near it. Youth desiring to live in independent living
			 placements require careful selection, close supervision, and an exceptionally
			 collaborative working effort between the provider agency's program staff and
			 DHR. Independent living placements shall begin no earlier than a youth's 17 
			 th birthday and no later than six (6)
			 months prior to a youth's discharge from DHR's system of care.
(3) Child-placing agencies and residential
			 child care facilities are responsible for assuring that their transitional and
			 independent living placements meet the applicable minimum standards and these
			 requirements. The State Department of Human Resources is responsible for
			 monitoring child-placing agencies and residential child care facilities to
			 assure that all requirements are being followed.
(4) Transitional and independent living
			 programs shall prohibit roomers, boarders, and persons who are not
			 participating in their program to share housing with youth in transitional and
			 independent living placements. An exception to this requirement is when youth
			 are living in an apartment where the lease can remain in their name after
			 discharge from DHR custody, and a roommate is needed to share expenses to
			 enable the youth to retain the apartment after discharge from DHR custody, and
			 the youth's individualized service planning team approves the plan.
(5) Residential child care facilities are
			 prohibited from using mobile homes as the housing unit for transitional or
			 independent living placements. Transitional living facilities must be in
			 locations that are designated for the unique purpose of transitional living and
			 must allow the residents free access to the exterior.
(6) Program Staffing - Transitional and
			 independent living program staff of child care placing agencies or residential
			 child care facilities must adhere to the Minimum Standards by which their
			 agency or facility is licensed and any applicable governmental or agency rules,
			 regulations, and standards for the purpose of governing agencies that provide
			 care or are responsible for the placement of children. Program staff shall
			 participate in the planning and delivery of services to youth being considered
			 for transitional and independent living programs and placements. This includes
			 participating in the development and revision of a youth's individualized
			 service plan (ISP) prior to admission and during placement.
(a) Program staff must be employees of the
			 DHR licensed child-placing agency or residential child care facility that is
			 providing the transitional and/or independent living program
and
must meet the following qualifications and
			 responsibilities. Written job descriptions shall be developed for all staff and
			 maintained on site at the child-placing agency or residential child care
			 facility.
1. Program Coordinator
(i) Qualifications - Program coordinators
			 shall be the executive director or shall meet the minimum qualifications, as
			 prescribed, for the "executive" in the applicable Minimum Standards; shall
			 receive sixteen (16) hours training in "Emotional and Physical Development of
			 Teens," "Development of Youth's Strengths and Assets," and "Positive Youth
			 Development" in addition to the training listed in the applicable Minimum
			 Standards.
(ii) Responsibilities -
			 The program coordinator shall be responsible for working with and supervising
			 other staff who are working with youth in the transitional and/or independent
			 living program; shall work in cooperation with the case manager, life coach and
			 DHR social worker to identify youth who are prepared to enter a transitional
			 and/or independent living program; shall assist the case manager or life coach
			 in locating housing for youth; shall work with youth and case managers or life
			 coaches to help youth develop the necessary knowledge and skills to become
			 independent; and shall provide input on all case plans that are presented to
			 the individualized service planning team and approve all reports or other
			 paperwork needed by DHR.