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Who Are We ?
Alternative Living Solutions is a 501(c)3 non-profit service program dedicated to preparing
today’s young men and women through occupational and rehabilitative programming.
Alternative Living Solutions is geared toward developing competency skill sets
that are transferable to the work environment. Alternative Living
Solutions believes in the restoration of our youth through innovative means and
human exchange.
Our Mission
Alternative Living Solutions is
committed to developing innovative programming that
challenges and enhances
community supports for the youth and families we serve.
Program
Description
Alternative Living Solutions (ALS) is licensed by
the Department of Public Welfare Office of Children, Youth, and Families license
under the 3800 regulations as Transitional
Living. ALS program sites are
located in Greensburg, PA, Westmoreland County, and falls into the Western
Region of DPW. ALS is a non-profit,
501(c) 3 organization that is intended to focus on needs of the at-risk youth
population. Admissions to the
program include: dependent,
delinquent, or privately referred youth placements for females and males ages 151/2-21.
ALS also accepts females who are pregnant and will carry their baby to
birth. Clients may be from Pennsylvania and/or other states.
Current site locations are 1339 Broad Street and 915-917 Georges Station
Road, both in Greensburg, Pa 15601.
ALS is keenly aware of health and safety concerns
for this high risk population.
Therefore, ALS is staffed 24/7/365 with awake personnel on site and readily
available should a need arise.
ALS’s approach to youth services is to provide a
mission driven program. The goal is to establish a positive community culture
for each apartment. The purpose of the program is to help the youth advance
their own competencies in an effort for the youth to enhance pro-social skills,
emotional and behavioral stability, and that the youth is afforded the
opportunity for becoming responsible and productive members of society.
ALS is committed to a competency development approach of youth enhancing
their own skill sets in the five principle domains of pro-social skills, moral
reasoning, academic proficiency, workforce development, and independent livng.
The ALS
philosophy includes the belief that youth have the right to self-determination,
the right for respect and dignity, the right to participate in their personal
development planning processes, and the right to participate in everyday living
experiences.
ALS youth participate in the public education
system. Youth that demonstrate consistent and responsible behaviors have an
opportunity to attend several public school options along with the ability to
participate in school sports, activities, and functions.
For youth who are GED candidates, they can study in community classes and
the community college. Graduate
students can attend numerous post-baccalaureate institutions for higher
learning.
Through encouraging our youth to become active
participants in their competency development, ALS is devoted to having the youth
develop relationship-strengthening within their family unit, establishing a
community connectedness focus, and promoting a healthy peer culture through
positive and active roles for youth as leaders and mentors.
At ALS, families are often an important component of the youth’s
development.
When the youth
and family request support, the casework director conducts family sessions
directly with them.
ALS agrees with the belief that the role of the youth’s family is to actively
support development of their child’s competencies and to hold the youth
accountable; they are viewed as an asset to the youth who may need to be
motivated to accept their role as a parent of an emerging young adult.
As an agency,
ALS does not permit unconventional treatment modalities.
As research indicates, youth with behavioral and emotional difficulties
can benefit from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Aggression Replacement
Training (ART), and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) interventions.
ALS conducts CBT, ART, and PTSD trainings with all staff based on the
best practices approach. All youth
can attend CBT groups where they learn how to identify thinking errors and
common mental mistakes as a means of taking responsibility for their behaviors.
ART focuses on teaching positive alternatives in the areas of pro-social
awareness, anger control, and moral reasoning.
Only those with an identified need will receive PTSD groups with the case
manager director. The case manager director facilitates these trainings and
sessions with the youth.
ALS supports a
youth’s quest for vocational preparation, emotional support services, and life
skill development. ALS strives to
provide a safe and productive environment for youth while the youth successfully
reintegrates into a community environment.
Upon intake, each youth receives a Health and Safety
Evaluation to assist in identifying any mental and/or physical health concerns
of the youth.
If not
already completed, the EPSDT screening will occur.
This document is kept in the youth’s file.
The file also contains the individual service plan (ISP). All files are
kept in a confidential manner consistent with HIPPA regulations.
The ISP is
created with the collaboration of the youth, family, case manager director,
school personnel, and the placing agency within the first fourteen days of the
youth’s intake. The ISP contains individualized goals with time-limited
objectives in order to evaluate the youth’s skill levels.
The youth’s progress of their short-term and long-term goals is reviewed
monthly by the case manager director in addition to a comprehensive ISP review
quarterly. The ISP serves, as a
measure of the youth’s competency development, needs for safety, education, and
permanency planning.
Unlike many traditional
programs, ALS offers a distinctive look at independent living.
Our unique environments and atmosphere provides the youth we serve with a
realistic vision of life as a responsible adult and prepares them for living
independently. The youth are
responsible for maintaining their “household” and must work together with their
roommates in order to successfully achieve this outcome.
Facilities
There is a
common laundry area, as well as a multi-use conference room.
An important aspect of the facility is its safety features.
There is an integrated 911 fire alarm system, and a free standing fire
exit from the upper floors. For
human traffic control, there is a single point of entry into the building.
A video monitoring system for accountability and safety within the common
areas and the orientation apartment is a beneficial component of the overall
environment
There is a bus
stop at the corner for both public transportation and for the school bus.
There are job opportunities within walking distance and via public and
program transportation. The
recreation areas are abundant including a rails to trails path two blocks away.
There is a bus
stop in front of the property for both public transportation and for the school
bus. There are job opportunities
within walking distance and via public and program transportation.
The recreation areas are abundant including a public skate and bike park
as well as a county park with a walking trail, fishing and boating, all within
walking distance.
Youth are able
to attend and/ or participate in public settings such as:
high school, vocational school, or community college.
They may work by obtaining and maintaining a job.
They can learn a trade in a formal apprentice-training program.
The library, recreational areas, and local shopping malls are community
places youth can access and enjoy.
They can develop friendships that are age and peer appropriate, as well as other
family and adult relationships.
Apartment
living areas that youth are responsible for include but are not limited to:
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Doing their
own laundry
-
Planning
menus
-
Shopping
for groceries
-
Budgeting
-
Preparing
all meals
-
Cleaning,
inside and outside the apartment
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Learning
how to access public transportation
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Cutting
grass or shoveling snow
-
Small
repairs and upkeep
Youth must
abide by all program rules, local and state laws.
These rules are non-negotiable.
All other requests are considered on an individual case basis.
Safety:
youth have their own keys, and are not to duplicate to give them to
others
Smoking:
smoking is not permitted in the apartment at any time.
Drugs:
no non-prescription drugs are permitted
all prescription and over the counter medications are monitored
ALS
may randomly drug test youth at any time.
Alcohol:
consumption or possession is not permitted.
Visitors:
no unauthorized visitors are permitted
Sexual
relations: sexual relationships of
any kind are prohibited in the apartment.
Interdependent Wave
The conclusion of the program service for some youth is the interdependent wave
whereas the youth moves into an apartment separate from the ALS central
facilities. The above non-negotiable
rules apply to this wave as well.
This move is part of their individual service plan of finalizing an independent
move to adulthood. The youth, while
still in the custody of the courts and under the care and support of ALS,
locates an apartment, and is afforded the opportunity to literally get on their
feet with credit (lease, utilities) and furnishings while having ALS and the
courts as a safety net for their leap away from a system of care that has always
been there for them. Their
transition period, set by the county, is supervised by ALS (available 24/7)
until final discharge from the juvenile system. The
goal is for them to then
maintain the apartment they have secured and have been residing in from the
court discharge date forward.
For more
admission and / or information, please contact ALS at:
Phone: 724-834-3496 for Broad Street
or 724-837-2341 for Georges Station
or 724-493-2509
Fax: 724-834-4200
Web:
alternativelivingsolutions.com
Alternative
Living Solutions is a transitional living program which is licensed by the
Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, Office of Children, Youth and
Families. License numbers:
Broad Street
Apartments – 441000
Georges Station
Apartments – 442110
Email:
admin@alternativelivingsolutions.com
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