Older Youth Services

Transitional Living Programs

The time between childhood and adulthood is a major evolution for every person, but it’s particularly challenging for youth who experience homelessness or unsafe living situations.

ECH’s Transitional Living Program – also called Steppingstone – in Kansas City and St. Louis is designed to help youth ages 16-21 go from survival mode to having all the personal tools they need for an empowered, successful life. Young people are surrounded by caring professionals who help them stabilize, focus on education and employment, and learn life skills like setting goals, saving money, caring for their health, and managing their own household.

Read Jen's Success Story

Our Living Options

Group Homes

Youth in our Group Living facilities reside in ECH-owned properties and receive round-the-clock support from staff that has been specially trained to help them succeed. The Group Living program is for youth ages 16-20 and is available for males only in St. Louis while Kansas City has group facilities for both males and females.

Supported Transitional Living

ECH has on-campus apartments where Supported Transitional Living clients begin to learn independence. They check in with their care team regularly while managing tasks like grocery shopping and cooking on their own.

Independent Transitional Living (Steppingstone)

Our Independent Transitional Living (Steppingstone) program is for youth over age 18 who have gained the skills they need to live in an apartment independently in the community. ECH staff supports these young adults through regular check-ins and support services.

Temporary Shelter

Kansas City Only

Unhoused youth ages 16-19 who are experiencing homelessness can find an immediate, safe place to stay within our Temporary Shelter in Kansas City for up to 30 days.

19

youth in the St. Louis and Kansas City Steppingstone programs received their high school diplomas and 3 enrolled in higher education programs.

Program Details

Youth interested in becoming a part of ECH’s TLP will complete an application and an interview to ensure the program is compatible with their individual needs.

Once accepted, the youth will meet their care team on the first day on campus. They’ll receive a packet of information and get a tour of their new living environment. Youth in the Supported and Independent Transitional Living Programs will receive a full kit to meet their basic needs in a fully-furnished apartment, including bedding, cleaning supplies, dishes, and more.

Moving forward, each youth will have their own treatment plan their team creates based on intake assessment results and their individual needs.

Our Care Team has a small staff-to-youth ratio made up of long-tenured, experienced personnel who are ready to provide trauma-informed care. The team for each youth often includes:

Intake coordinator who assists with paperwork.
Care manager who is there for day-to-day support, monitoring progress in the program and providing help with scheduling services such as school enrollment, mental health professionals, doctors, job training, and more.
Youth care specialists who work directly with youth in the group facilities.
Life skills coordinator who assists with things like education, employment, resumes, job readiness, FAFSA, and more.
TLP staff who are on call 24/7.

Apply to ECH’s Transitional Living Programs

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