Program areas at MYSI
Transitional Living Program addresses the social, employability and self reliance needs of young men and women between the ages of 17 and 21 years old. The program is operated from five facilities on the north and south sides of Chicago and south suburbs and has the capacity to serve a maximum of fifty young men and women. One facility is a congregate living group home and four facilities are in apartment like settings. Each youth has access to computers and other amenities. Youth are taught life skills, developing appropriate social skills, the basics of cooking, living in a group setting, creating positive peer relationships, and budget management. The program provides supervision twenty four hours per day, seven days per week, incorporating structured programming as required on an individual basis.
Continuity of Care Center (CCC) in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services provides psychiatric consultation and case management services to assure continuity of psychiatric consultation/treatment and mental health care jointly evaluates the child, youth or parents in a manner designed to promote permanency by maintaining, strengthening and safeguarding the functioning of families to:* Prevent substitute care placement* Promote family reunification,* Stabilize foster care placements,* Facilitate youth development, and* Ensure the safety, permanency and wellbeing of children and families.
Independent Living Options serves up to 15 male and female youth, with and without children, who reside in their apartments and are between the ages of 17 and 21 years old. The goal of the program is to teach youth who are transitioning from foster care or group homes the skills necessary to live independent, self-sufficient and productive lives after leaving the child welfare system. MYSI encourages and assists youth in working to obtain life skills, including creating positive peer relationships, developing socialization skills, and obtaining educational credentials which are necessary to become employed. Clients who are parents receive specialized guidance on parenting skills which are necessary to provide a stable and nurturing environment for their children. Guidance is provided through parenting groups which are held on a monthly basis for male and female parents.
Other programs include Sexual Risk Avoidance Education, Parenting Assessment Team, Seniors 2 Success, and Community Mental Health Services.