Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What do you mean by “transition”?
In terms of the population of focus, “transition-aged youth,” transition literally can mean movement from one placement to another – from a juvenile justice facility into a community school; from a residential mental health facility back into the home; from a foster home into an independent living situation. On the other hand, transition more generally also refers to the developmental passage from being an adolescent into becoming and thriving as a young adult. The transition from adolescence to adulthood is a crucial stage of development in every person’s life. The ability to function in adult roles is determined by the ability to master the critical life skills and rites of passage during this phase of life. For our transition-aged youth population of focus, these phenomena occur simultaneously. For example, a young man may be released from a juvenile corrections facility at age 18 unable to return to school and in need of housing and employment. The stress placed on young people in these situations can be tremendous, and finding the necessary support to successfully make it through these transitions can be difficult. Services geared toward addressing the strains of both logistical and developmental transition are key to ensuring the future success of the transition-aged youth population.
The family members and other caregivers of these youth also need support and guidance through these often tension-provoking developmental stages. They must adapt their parenting skills to move from parenting children to being the parents of adolescents and young adults. Also, the family members that have been disconnected from their children due to mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice, and other systems’ involvement may find themselves needing to learn how to reconnect with their young adults, who often return to their homes because they have nowhere else to go when they are released from their placements.