The Connections program is specifically designed to meet the needs of the following target group: • Hennepin County youth in non-voluntary out of home placement, who are under legal custody of Hennepin County • Youth ages 15-21 • Youth that will be living independently by the time of emancipation • Youth who have little or no community support • Youth who reside within a 15 mile radius of downtown Minneapolis
How to get "Connected"
• Get approval from provider and/or social worker • Social worker and/or provider submit a referral form • Contact the Connections Program Manager at 612-278-5281
Social workers must complete the following forms for youth referrals. Please complete and fax back to 612-278-5245. Intake Form Social Worker Questionaire
How does Connections work?
Each youth is assigned an Independent Living Skills (ILS) counselor, who acts as the youth's primary contact within the program. ILS counselors are committed to helping youth plan and achieve their goals and serve as mentors, advocates and role models. In addition to individual sessions, ILS workshops are held in small or large group settings and utilize a combination of visual presentations, team projects, handouts and reviews. Off-site experiential learning and community resources are used in conjunction with existing curriculum to provide additional training. The Ansell-Casey Life Skills Assessment is administered to test participant's knowledge and development.
Connections' ILS Training includes a core set of 10 topics:
