Cornerstone is based on the “Transition to Independence Process” (TIP) model developed by Dr. Rusty Clark and his colleagues at the National Center on Youth Transition for Behavioral Health at the University of South Florida. The model: - Is highly effective in helping young persons successfully transition into adulthood, enabling them to achieve personal goals in employment, education, living situation, personal adjustment, and functioning in the community
- Uses ‘transition facilitators” who:
- Assess the youth’s needs
- Assist the youth in setting goals and planning toward those goals
- Secure appropriate health and human services
- Work collaboratively with all service providers and caregivers to develop a strong support network for the youth
- Help the young person to make better choices and learn from his or her mistakes
- Advise and encourage the young person about pertinent steps to realize goals and lead a successful life
The Cornerstone program is based in our Rosa Parks office at 2051 Rosa Parks Blvd., Detroit, MI 48216. The number is 313.963.2266. For more information about the program, please call or email us. | |
- Cornerstone will serve 40 “transition age youth” (age 14 – 21) during the three-year program
- The first year of our Cornerstone program was devoted to planning and development. We are now in the second year of the three year program. The project is being implemented and data is being collected on how well the youth are progressing
- Cornerstone is an evidence-supported practice based on six published studies that demonstrate improvement in real-life outcomes for youth and young adults with emotional/behavioral difficulties
A recent federal report shows that the 2.4 million young people (age 18 - 26) with serious mental illnesses are less likely than their peers to graduate from high school (64 % vs. 83 %) or enter college (32 % vs. 51 %). These young people also have difficulty in developing work skills, and in accessing appropriate general and mental health care.
“We recognize that transitioning to adulthood is a daunting task for young people who have a mental illness or substance use disorder. Southwest looks forward to collaborating with other agencies in our community to build a meaningful future for these young people,” said Joseph Tardella, executive director of Southwest Counseling Solutions.
Cornerstone is funded through a grant from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation. The National Council and MTM Services, the behavioral health consulting group engaged to lead the project, supported SWCS in designing the program. The grant to SWCS provided $5,000 for planning and development costs during the first year, then $70,000 per year during the two-year implementation and data collection period. SWCS not only will receive intensive consultation focused on helping it meet program objectives, but also will be involved in customizing strategies that it can apply after the grant project ends. Data collected from the program will help determine the sustainability of the project to transition youth, both for SWCS and for other public mental health agencies that serve these young people. | |
Counseling Overview
