WELCOME

Clarion County Independent Living provides assistance, guidance, and supports to youth between the ages of 14 to 22 years old who qualify for the program. Our goal is to help each youth achieve their own successes and meet their own goals. The needs of our IL Youth are being accessed on a regular basis to assure that they get the resources, help, and guidance they need.

IL Youth develop and continuously update their own personal goal plans; working towards their goals with the support of the IL Program. IL Youth actively participate in groups, meetings, events, and more to expand their knowledge, learn and experience new skills, and improve their independence as they transition into young adults.

DEDICATED STAFF

Clarion County IL is currently being run with a 2 person staff consisting of our IL Supervisor and our IL Coordinator. We are determined to provide our youth with the most support we can possibly give them! We have had the pleasure of having Intern assistance on our team and we hope to increase our staff in the future! Clarion County IL Staff are employees of Clarion County Children and Youth Services and have the experience and knowledge it takes to support our youth while keeping them safe. Have questions? Want to be involved with our youth? Come meet us!

OUR MISSION

Independent Living Services are a vital part of a service array in Clarion County.  CCILS has a target audience of youth of ages 14-22, with a primary focus on youth who have been dependent in foster care after the age of 16 or dually adjudicated or shared case responsibility youth with Juvenile Probation.

Clarion County recognizes that all youth need opportunities to learn independent living skills that will enable them to successfully transition to adulthood.  It will be the policy of Clarion County to accept referrals on any youth and evaluate if they are in need of the Independent Living Services Clarion County has to offer.  CCILS will prioritize the referrals and attempt to serve as many youth as possible who show the need for Independent Living Services.  CCILS will focus on the six service areas of the Independent Living Bulletin, which includes Life Skills, both hard skills and soft skills, Prevention and Wellness, Education and Training that focus on the youth’s interest and ability levels, Employment which focuses on both obtaining and maintaining employment, Support so the youth can have positive adult role models, and Housing to help the youth obtain safe stable housing.

WHAT IS INDEPENDENT LIVING (IL)?

Check out some of our programs!

Prevention & Wellness

Learning and practicing good mental and physical health habits and how to keep your body and mind safe. Find the supports you need to manage a healthy lifestyle.

Housing

Housing supports such as locating resources, applications assistance, housing searches, deposits and rental payments, relocating, and transitional housing.

Employment

Employment supports such as job seeking, preparation, skill building, interviewing, and dressing for the job.

Education & Training

High School, post-secondary, vocational training planning and supports. Including (but not limited to) graduation preparation, school and training searches, educational applications processes, educational tours, and more.

Family & Community Supports

Linking youth to and interacting with community agencies, organizations, professionals, role-models, volunteers, etc. to increase youth knowledge of community resources and develop good working relationships. Knowledge and support for healthy personal relationships.

Life Skills

Outreach to provide youth with hands on experiences and skill building. Experience and practice with life skills such as cooking, cleaning, sewing, using technology, and basic household repairs. We also offer training in financial guidance.

BECOME A FOSTER PARENT

Have you been thinking about or planning to become a foster parent?  If so, you may be ready for the next step in your journey.

By becoming a foster parent, you provide children and youth with a safe, loving, temporary home and make it possible for them to stay in the same school, participate in familiar activities, and stay connected to their parents and siblings.

If you think fostering may be right for you, please contact the Clarion CYS office.  They will tell you more about becoming a foster parent and provide information about training, getting certified, and the support we provide throughout a caregiver’s experience as a foster parent.

For more information on becoming a foster parent, contact the foster care coordinator in the Clarion CYS office at (814) 226-9280 or toll-free at 1-800-577-9280.

Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

FIND IL