"The House Just Off Bluff"

 Pilot Proposal 

The “Lost Boys” and girls of the twin cities of Colorado City, Arizona and Hildale, Utah comprise over 2,000 boys and girls between the ages of 13 and 23. These youth are ostracized from their community of origin by the current Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' (“FLDS”) President, Warren Jeffs. The boys, however, are distinct in that they were banished and ostracized from the twin cities on charges of behavior that was not conducive to FLDS standards.  This could include listening to music or not buttoning their shirt to the top button.  Young girls will choose to run away from the FLDS community to escape underage marriage (a girl may be married as young as 14 years of age), child abuse and FLDS religiosity.  Most of these children are forbidden to contact any family member who is active FLDS. This means that they have little, if any, financial or emotional support.  The consequence of this is that these youth have a tendency toward chronic homelessness as defined in the Governor’s 10 year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness, substance abuse and victimization. The limited education that the children receive is to the degree of requirement for survival within their former FLDS community.  The youth have resided in “butt huts” residences in which 20 or more youth reside.  The lack of supervision and clear guidelines in these homes allows for youth to engage in criminal behavior, this includes the underage use of alcohol, drugs and smoking.  Over the past several years the numbers of residences like these have decreased, however, the number of youth residing in temporary housing continues to increase. The youth tend to band together in clusters throughout the state primarily localizing in Washington County and Salt Lake County.  These youth are unaccustomed to entering into lease contracts and lack the skills for independent living, therefore, they move frequently.
The FLDS church has taught their followers that the “outside” world is evil, establishing themselves as an insular population. The “outside” and “outsiders” are any person, organization, or community that is not affiliated with the FLDS and the twin cities. Therefore, any education or assistance that is offered from the “outside” will experience great difficulty in establishing trust and relationship with these children.
There are four problems that need to be remedied in order for these children to mainstream into the larger community: life skills, education, emotional/physical stabilization and transition into long term housing.

• Life skills lack due to the limitations of experience and cooperation with individuals outside of their community which pose unique challenges for these youth and includes issues of lack of trust. They need, therefore, assistance in understanding and negotiated mainstream culture. The pilot program is designed to include life skills instruction in the areas of need:  money management, interpersonal relationships, communication, educational achievement, career planning, health and sex education, drug/alcohol abuse,  harm reduction, navigating community systems, mentoring training, parenting, civic responsibilities and other programs as needed.    

• Through the auspices of home schooling laws of Utah, in 2006, FLDS community has taken their children out of all private or public school entities and has abandoned all education. Prior to 2006, FLDS children discontinued their education between the fourth and eleventh grades. Their educational emphasis was and continues to be in trades.  This means that they have skills in construction, maintenance and labor. Their liberal arts education consists of a skewed view of history, science and religion that is inaccurate and based on FLDS religiosity. Education within the FLDS community taught such ideas that establish prejudice and is based on FLDS religiosity rather than scientific and historical evidence.  The pilot program proposes to provide assistance in obtaining a GED, tutoring and attendance for high school graduation. 

• As previously indicated, these young people are forced out of their community and family of origin between the ages of 13 and 23.  The average age being 17.  Most, if not all, of these youth suffer from post traumatic stress and have experienced domestic violence.  The FLDS culture does not provide traditional medical health care and relies on homeopathic remedies for illnesses.  Children are not immunized, do not have tonsils removed and seldom go to a dentist.  These problems, combined with abandonment, require a safe house for emotional and physical stabilization.  The pilot program will have access to counselors who are proficient in the particular needs of these youth. 

• The nomadic nature of these children presents a lack of consistency of care and an opportunity for them to develop destructive behaviors.  As discussed, the children move from house to house seeking temporary shelter.  They, then, are re-victimized in several ways:  lack of security, harmful influences, undue financial obligations, educational neglect, introduction to illegal substances, physical abuse, et al. The pilot program gives these children an environment of safety and a mentoring system for self-determination.   

Currently, this population is primarily served by two organizations: New Frontier's for Families and The Diversity Foundation. The two 501© 3 organizations are advocating for additional services through Workforce Services, Department of Child and Family Services, Job Corp, the Health Department, Department of Human Services, Juvenile Justice Services, Mental Health, et al to complete a full array of case management services and wraparound supports which assists with their transition into the larger community. Due to the particularity of this population, however, traditional services and statutes are not constructed to fully address their needs.

Current challenges:

• Consistent and chronic homelessness, often relying on the help of other youth to provide them a “place to crash”. 
• Currently and primarily reside in groups with other youth from the FLDS community. 
• Require transitional housing support because of the lack of education, limited access to appropriate supports and emotional/financial instability. 
• Former membership within a community that advocated cultural norms not conducive and at odds to mainstream culture. 
• Most of the underage youth initially reside within the St. George area creating a population that is nomadic, homeless with potential permanent dependence on county assistance. 
• Extreme risk for substance abuse, further physical and emotional abuse as well as criminality. 
• Demonstrate symptoms of Post Traumatic stress response and delay emotional and social maturity. 
• Need for a safe environment to provide supportive services which are inclusive of case management, skills development and supportive living in order to achieve educational success

In a public/private partnership, New Frontiers for Families and The Diversity Foundation have agreed to develop the supports needed to allow youth exiled from the FLDS community the opportunity to be fully active in the mainstream community by creating adaptive supports and wraparound case management.  The combination of services will allow them to participate in education by either completing either a high school diploma or GED.  The proposal is to provide supportive services for between 15 and 30 youth.  Several youth will live in the home while others will live independently or with host families.  These youth will receive supportive services to include life skills, case management as needed and other supports as identified on an individual basis

Jeremy Johnson, a private citizen and benefactor, has agreed to provide the financial backing to secure and maintain housing for these youth. He has agreed to provide funds to support the youth to achieve their educational goals.  The youth living in the home will be taught community and civic duties including voluntarism and mentoring as well as life skills.  Additionally, residential youth will also be responsible for upkeep on the home and “caring” for each other.  This will be directed by a trained staff member, a case manager and a supervisor trained in wrap-around technology.  The pilot program is a layered program that will graduate youth who achieve successes into a system of supports and mentoring for youth who are still mainstreaming into outside culture.  The mentoring program has proven instrumental with this population in building trust and advocating successes.  Life skills, which are currently being held in a temporary facility, will be taught weekly in group and daily in an experiential learning process which are overseen by the lead mentors.  The Ansell-Casey Life skills assessment tool will be utilized to determine success in understanding a comprehensive array of life skills. The wrap-around facilitators will assist mentors and youth with daily needs and supports.  Youth will receive supervised care with live-in mentors who will model appropriate behaviors and support maintenance of skills learned, also to oversee house rules and upkeep.

In addition, New Frontiers for Families and The Diversity Foundation will continue outreach and support seeking proctor or foster families to assist older youth, over 18-years of age, with housing opportunities by providing background checks, interviews and introductions with appropriate families as determined by a goodness of fit and criteria to be developed during the pilot period.  Over time, we believe that a therapeutic community will be developed by the supports provided and identification of complex issues, such as mental health and substance abuse needs, can be addressed on an individual basis. 

This pilot program will provide the opportunity for these youth to develop skills they need to be productive and self-determined.  Through the mentoring program they will learn leadership and gain self-esteem.   Further, the mentor system will decrease the need for intensive case management support.  As the needs of the former FLDS population decreases, the introduction of other transitional age youth will be introduced into the program and home.  This proposal and pilot is intended for replication in Salt Lake County within one year of the opening of the Washington County facility. 

The initial group of youth for the pilot will be selected by New Frontiers for Families and The Diversity Foundation.  These youth will meet the requirements of the home which includes attendance in school, attendance in weekly meetings, ability to pass a drug test and other requirements as determined by New Frontiers for Families and Diversity.  Eventually, a peer council will be developed to oversee entrance into the home.  The council will be supported by staff, by predetermined criteria, including immediate need and entrance in school.

 Pilot Proposal 

• Goal A: Transitional housing with supportive services
• Through a private partnership housing will be provided
• Through a public partnership supportive services will be provided to ensure successful transition
• Provide a stabilization period for youth to assimilate into mainstream culture.
• Create and demonstrate a therapeutic community in the home with peer mentors as well as paid staff.
• Support from live-in staff will be provided

• Goal B:  Youth will achieve academic completion with a high school diploma or GED equivalence
• Youth will be supported with a facilitator to enroll in appropriate learning environment
• Youth will be provided with a peer mentor who is supported by a facilitator
• Youth will be supported with tutoring and special education services as needed.
• Educational needs assessments will be complemented by school district, life skills assessments and identification of appropriate services will be identified by case managers

• Goal C:  Youth will transition into long term housing
• Youth will transition into long term housing when appropriate and support other youth with their experience
• Youth will have skills necessary to live independently
• Youth will understand lease agreements and civic responsibility
• Peer council will be developed to determine entrance into housing and transition into long term housing. 
• Youth will demonstrate capacity to understand finances including lease agreements and utility payments

• Goal D:  Life Skills training for youth
• Youth will have weekly or bi weekly skills group
• Youth will demonstrate achievement and understanding of life skills utilizing Ansell Casey Life Skills Assessment
• Youth will have a peer mentor and eventually become a peer mentor
• Youth achieving successful completion of education and appropriate life skills will become peer mentors and demonstrate self determination by living successfully on their own.
• Youth will understand needed services and how to access them.

Summary:

If the young men and women are not mainstreamed into society and receive a quality education and life skills they will become a threat to society instead. Through education and transitional housing the children will have an opportunity to provide for themselves and become a valuable and contributory asset to the community.  The above proposal demonstrates a plan to prevent and/or avoid further chronic homelessness, victimization of a vulnerable population and substance abuse.  This supportive housing will allow youth the opportunity to complete their education.  Furthering their education furthers the opportunities for these youth to become more productive citizens in our community.  Currently, youth services and juvenile justice services are the primary providers of service for this population.  The potential for increase by this population on the service system is continually increasing.  The above goals will foster these youth to better understand civil responsibility.  Without intervention these youth will continue to be victimized and isolated from the larger community.