What is life like for GRIP residents?
All residents are required to maintain educational and employment plans, make "life advancement" steps on a timeline tailored to their individual needs as established with GRIP staff. Weekly, residents meet with a GRIP "Youth Development Clinician" to review the "Strategic Plan", last week's goals, set new goals and problem solve. Common goals include completing a resume, obtaining a job, scheduling one's own appointment for a driver's permit, taking steps to enroll in an educational program, opening a bank account, or scheduling a doctor's appointment. Residents receive support to overcome roadblocks, and learn to problem solve and access resources for independence. The GRIP residents and staff meet as a complete team, weekly to hold house meetings (using Roberts Rules of Order), hold house court, interview candidates for hire, meet new residents, and complete workshops that often are enhanced by guest speakers/facilitators. This year we have added a "Real Life Coach" to the team, responsible for developing relationships with potential youth employers, teaching employments and training skills and accomplishing the tedious leg work of job hunting with teens who might be nervous, unskilled or unpracticed. The "RLC" also has community responsibilities as our teens enter the independent world of apartment living.