Transitional & Independent Living

A safe and secure space to grow for adolescents and young adults.

Healing and a space to grow

On-campus Transitional Living

Myriam Hall Transitional Living Program

Vista Maria’s Transitions Program is a Supervised Independent Living program that operates in a group home setting on campus. Transitions serves adolescents between the ages of 16–19 in Myriam Hall, a secure, encouraging, supportive and age-appropriate environment with the goal to live independently. We place an emphasis on the practical application of self-management and functional independence.

For young people with little or no functioning support system outside of the child welfare or juvenile justice system, and in circumstances when returning home or family reunification is not an option, Transitions is the in-between step – the passage from residential treatment to the community. We help adolescents successfully reintegrate into community independence.

Shepherd Hall Transitional Living Program

Vista Maria created the Shepherd Hall Transitional Living Program to address the specific needs of young adults who have aged out of the foster care system or are otherwise homeless. Utilizing a combination of wrap-around support strategies including employment referrals, aftercare services, and access to a staff therapist, Shepherd Hall offers a safe place for young adults ages 18-24 to live, learn and make the transition to independent adulthood.

Participants in the program actively practice their independent living skills, complete their education, work to secure and maintain employment, and improve their relational competencies to achieve the goal of reentering their communities as independent, self-sustaining adults.

Community-based Independent Living Homes

Independent Living Plus (IL-Plus) is a limited intervention, tailored to each youth’s specific needs and goals, until they are able to step up to the less-restrictive environment that Independent Living offers.

IL-Plus program staff assist with providing housing and services for youth ages 16–19 who, because of their individual needs and assessment, are not initially appropriate for general Independent Living or foster care. These youth may have a demonstrated history of unsuccessful foster care placements. This program is also designed as a post-placement resource for youth in which all of the following apply:

  1. Youth leaving residential foster care who cannot return home.
  2. Youth who cannot be placed into a family foster home.
  3. Youth for whom adoption is not planned.
  4. Youth who have demonstrated a capacity for and willingness to learn independent living skills in a supervised, structured ILP program prior to transitioning into an IL Foster Care placement.