FOR YOUR TIME ON THIS. >> YOU'RE WELCOME.
>> IN OTHER NEWS, A NUTRITIONAL LIVING SPACE ON TRANSITIONAL
LIVING SPACE WOULD HOUSE YOUNG ADULTS THAT HAVE AGED OUT OF
FOSTER CARE, A POPULATION AT HIGH RISK FOR HOMELESSNESS.
THE PROGRAM IS PART OF THE URBAN TRIAGE UNHOUSED YOUTH INITIATIVE
AND IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN WISCONSIN.
C.E.O. OF URBAN TRIAGE, BRANDI GRAYSON, JOINS US NOW.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. >> YOU'RE SO WELCOME.
THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME. IT'S A LONG TIME SEEING YOU.
WELL, BEING ON YOUR SHOW, THAT IS.
>> SO THIS WOULD BE FOR 18 TO 21-YEAR-OLDS.
EEDS OF THESE YOUNG ADULTS WHO HAVE AGED OUT
OF THE FOSTER SYSTEM? >> WELL, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE
YOUTH AGING OUT OF SYSTEMS, THEY'RE USUALLY WITHOUT PARENTS,
FAMILIES, OR SUPPORTS. SO THE NEEDS ARE A LOT.
A LOT OF THEM STILL NEED SUPPORT WITH DEVELOPING THE READINESS
SKILLS TO BE ON THEIR OWN, WHETHER IT'S FINANCIAL PLANNING,
LEARNING HOW TO NEGOTIATE A LEASE, WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A
TENANT, TENANT RIGHTS, HOW TO BUDGET, HOW TO ENROLL IN SCHOOL,
HOW TO NAVIGATE SYSTEMS, AND REALLY HOW TO DEAL WITH THE
TRAUMA OF BEING IN A SYSTEM, FEELING ABANDONED, AND NOT
HAVING SUPPORTS AND SERVICES. I WOULD SAY THAT'S THE BIGGEST
ONE, IS ACTUALLY THE TRAUMA IN SUPPORTING YOUTH WITH JUST
LEARNING THE TOOLS AND THE SKILLS TO NAVIGATE THE EMOTIONAL
IMPACT OF BEING ALONE IN THE WORLD.
>> SO GIVEN THAT THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN
WISCONSIN FOR THIS KIND OF LIVING SPACE, ARE THOSE NEEDS
THAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED CURRENTLY BEING MET IN THE
STATE? >> I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE STATE.
I HAVEN'T DONE MUCH RESEARCH, BUT I WOULD SAY NO.
THERE ARE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE RESOURCES FOR FOLKS WHO ARE
AGING OUT OF FOSTER CARE, BUT NOT ENOUGH.
SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE LET US GIVE YOU A TOTE FULL OF DISHES AND
ESSENTIALS, BUT THERE'S NO PEER SUPPORT OR NAVIGATION SUPPORT,
THERE'S NO RENTAL ASSISTANCE, THERE'S NO CASE MANAGEMENT,
THERE'S NO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ATTACHED TO THAT.
YOUTH, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE IN OUR COMMUNITY, REALLY ARE FORCED TO
PIECE TOGETHER SUPPORTS BY GOING TO DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS,
WHICH THEN LEADS TO TRAUMA, WHICH THEN LEADS TO
HOPELESSNESS, WHICH LEADS TO HOMELESSNESS AND LEADS TO ALL
KIND OF DESPERATE ACTS ON THE SIDE OF YOUTH.
>> SO WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT, THAT IT -- HIGH RISK FOR
HOMELESSNESS. UTCOMES FOR YOUNG
ADULTS, IF THEY'RE NOT HAVING THESE KINDS OF NEEDS MET AS YOU
DESCRIBE? ROM, YOU KNOW,
BEING IN A FOSTER CARE SITUATION TO HOMELESSNESS?
>> I MEAN, YOU -- I MEAN, MOST 18-YEAR-OLDS TODAYANT READY TO
BE ON THEIR OWN. RIGHT?
CHILDREN, AND THEY LIVED WITH ME UNTIL
THEIR OPINION 20 SOMETHING AND BE THEY WENT TO COLLEGE AND THEY
STILL REQUIRED SUPPORT, FINANCIAL, EMOTIONAL, MENTAL
SUPPORT, SO WE HAVE FOLKS AGING OUT WITH NONE OF THAT.
RIGHT? SO I GUESS -- I DON'T KNOW HOW
TO ANSWER THAT, REALLY, BECAUSE IT'S SO -- IT'S SO TRAUMATIC FOR
THEM. SO IT'S LIKE SO MANY LAYERS, AND
IF YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR BASIC NEEDS BEING MET, YOU
AUTOMATICALLY BECOME SUBJECT TO SEX TRAFFICKING, DRUG USE,
GAMBLING, HAVING SEX WITH PEOPLE JUST TO HAVE A HOME OR, YOU
KNOW, PUTTING YOURSELF IN SITUATIONS THAT ARE DANGEROUS
BECAUSE YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO SURVIVE, DESPERATE TIMES REQUIRE
DESPERATE MEASURES, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT YOUTH RESPONSE,
CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES AND SUCH THAT THEY'RE FORCED TO DO
BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO RESOURCES, THEY HAVE NO HOME, THEY HAVE NO
FOOD, THOSE KIND OF THINGS. >> SO THIS IS DESCRIBED, AGAIN,
AS A TRANSITIONAL LIVING SPACE. WHAT CAN PEOPLE WHO COME TO LIVE
THERE EXPECT IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY'LL SEE THERE?
>> YEAH. A LOT OF SUPPORT.
RIGHT? SO WE'LL HAVE OVERNIGHT SUPPORT.
THAT PERSON WILL ACT AS A MENTOR TO THE YOUTH THAT'S IN THE HOME.
WE WILL HAVE PEER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS COME IN DURING THE
DAY, WE'LL HAVE NAVIGATION SUPPORT SPECIALISTS, HOUSING
FOLKS COME THIS DURING THE DAY, SO IT WILL BE FULLY STAFFED
DURING THE DAY, AND THEN WE'LL DO WHAT WE CALL OUR SUPPORTING
FAMILIES HEALTH GROUP, WHICH IS THE TRAUMA RECOVERY SUPPORTING
FOLKS IN DEVELOPING THE PERSONAL LEADERSHIP AND PERSONAL
DEVELOPMENT SKILLS TO NAVIGATE SYSTEMS, HELPING THEM BUILD THE
SYSTEMS AND HELP THEM DETACH FROM THE FEELINGS OF INFERIORITY
OR FEELING LIKE THEY'RE TO BLAME FOR THEIR SITUATION AS A YOUNG
PERSON AND THEN WE'LL CONNECT THEM TO JOB PLACEMENT READINESS
PROGRAMS AND WE'LL PLACE THEM IN PERMANENT HOUSING WITH RENTAL
ASSISTANCE ONCE THEY'RE READY TO MOVE ON ON THEIR OWN, SO THEY
CAN EXPECT HOLISTIC SUPPORT. >> HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU EXPECT
TO MOVE IN AND WHEN DOES IT OPEN?
>> WELL, THE HOUSE IS LIKE 12 BEDROOMS.
E'S SOME ISSUES ON THE THIRD FLOOR THAT
HAS TO BE MITIGATED SO WE'RE LIMITED NOW TO BEDROOMS, I THINK
WE'RE GOING TO START WITH FIVE YOUTH AND HOPEFULLY THE THIRD
FLOOR WILL BE ABLE TO OPEN UP SOON.
CTIVE WITH DANE COUNTY APRIL 1st, SO
THAT'S WHEN WE BEGIN TO DO THE WORK.
WE'LL START THE FIRST 30 DAYS WITH RENOVATING THE HOUSE AND
THEN THE NEXT 30 DAYS, RECRUITING FOR STAFF AND THEN
HOPEFULLY BY THE THIRD OR FOURTH MONTH, 120 DAYS INTO THE
CONTRACT, WE CAN START ENROLLING YOUTH INTO THE PROGRAM.
>> THAT IS GREAT NEWS. BRANDI GRAYSON, THINKS VERY MUCH
AND THINKS FOR YOUR WORK. AND THINKS FOR YOUR WORK.