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What is
S2L?
Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living (LVCIL) has received a multi-year
grant from the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council to provide an
intensive transition program to students ages 14-21 with any type of disability.
The program supplements school services and helps to provide support for participants
with the ultimate goal of
reaching independent or supportive living.
The program is a comprehensive look into every area of life that may need
support as a student with a disability transitions from a very supportive
environment in school into the real world.
The program includes an Independent Life Coach, mentors who have been through
the transition process, a stakeholders team to help support the participant,
same age peer support, and a person–centered plan.
The program also offers a yearlong seminar series and an intensive
six-week summer program entitled “The Real World Lehigh
Valley.”
What does
S2L include?
The Participant:
Participants, or "S2Lers," must meet the following criteria to be accepted into
the program:
1)
Be between the
ages of 14 and 21
2)
Be a resident of
Lehigh or Northampton counties
3)
Have family
caregiver support
4)
Have a personal
goal to achieve community or supported living
5)
Agree in writing
to take part fully in the S2L program
6)
Recruit and work
with a stakeholders team
7)
Be willing to
choose a mentor from a pool of mentors and work one-on-one with them
8)
Develop a Person-
Centered transition Plan, choose goals to work on and meet and review
progress every 60-90 days
The Mentor:
The mentor is a person with a disability who has been
through their own transition process and will be able to help the participant
with their goals, transition, peer support or whatever the participant might
need. There will be mentor meet and greets to help participants find mentors.
There is also an option for the participant to have same-aged peer support from
someone without a disability who may be going through similar life experience.
Support for Family/Caregivers:
The program is set up not only to have “buy in” from the
families or guardians, but it is also meant to support the families or guardian
as their son or daughter transitions into the real world.
Families will have opportunities to take part in family-to-family support
meetings.
Independent Life Coach:
Seth Hoderewski, LVCIL's Director of Transition Services,
oversees the S2L program and all of its components. Seth
provides support to the young adults and coordinates all aspects of the program
for its participants.
Stakeholders Teams:
The stakeholders team is the team the "S2Ler” brings
together to help him/her devise,
develop, and review goals and plans. This
very important group will meet every 60-90 days to review those goals and plans.
Seminars:
Each month the S2L group meets for
seminars on topics such as nutrition, personal safety, housing options,
advocacy, etc. In addition, monthly parents meetings have been implemented to
provide more support for parents as their child transitions to adult life. These
seminars often include input from other organzations and agencies from
throughout the Lehigh Valley.
Seminar Series: “Real
World Lehigh Valley”
This intensive, six-week summer program includes seminars, community
outings, volunteer work, and electives designed to build the young
adult's independent living and life skills. In the past "S2Lers" have
participated in seminars on personal safety and self-defense, cooking
activities such as "S2L Top Chef", community outings to Musikfest, the
Lehigh Valley IronPigs, and volunteer work throughout the Lehigh Valley.
Summer staff help to support the summer program.
How do I get involved with the
program?
The S2L
program supports 10-15 young adults with disabilities and space is limited.
However, S2L is always accepting applications and new
participants as individuals leave the program, graduate, or move on.
For more information about the S2L program, if you need
an application, if you are interested in volunteering, leading a seminar on an
independent living topic or becoming a mentor, please call Seth Hoderewski,
LVCIL Director of Transition Services, at
610-770-9781, Ext 119 or email
sethhoderewski@lvcil.org.
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