Cha’Von Hines
MSW: 493
Severe Mental Illness and Aging out
DePaul University

I currently provide direct service to young adult’s between the ages of 18 and 20 years old who suffer from severe mental illness. These young adults are currently Wards of the State of Illinois and are close to “aging out” of the Child Welfare System. They currently reside in an Independent Living Program where they receive specialized support to help them transition from a residential treatment center into the community. The program emphasizes on building self-sufficiency, problem-solving skills, educational and employment development skills to prepare them for emancipation. Most lack education, housing, medical insurance, and are deficient in adaptive and social skills. They have a history of chemical dependency and an extensive involvement in the criminal justice system. Many of these young adults were stripped of family support upon entering the Child Welfare System and continue to carry past traumas of maltreatment and being removed from their homes. They are also aging out without being without being linked with adequate resources and the continuity of support services. The rescores and support system will end abruptly and they will have to quickly adapt to adulthood alone. I selected Young Adults with Severe Mental Illness as my community focus because I discovered that they face significant adversity after they age out of the Child Welfare System. As a result of being abused or neglected as a child, these young adults have spent the first 21 years of their life separated from their biological family, bouncing from one placement to another and changing schools every few years; never really given the opportunity to develop any secure attachments, are forced to function in this world alone. After working hands on and reviewing comprehensive literature on young adults with severe mental illness, I find that the Child Welfare System does not provide enough resources to help support this population transition. After interviewing some of the clients that reside at Thresholds Young Adult Program, they either had not given much thought about aging out, or they reported they would not survive without the support from the agency. In this paper, I will focus on the Child Welfare System and challenges young adults with severe mental illness face once they “age out” of the system. I will examine the scope of the problem with the system as it relates to the vulnerable young adults. I will also identify the resources that are currently available to support this population as they transition into the community, as well as provide recommendations for how the system can improve the emancipation process. Turning 18 or 21 years old is considered a mild stone for gaining independence. For many young adults, this is the beginning of moving into their first apartment, enrolling in advanced education program or staring a career. The development of secure attachments, positive social interactions and self-sufficiency skills during the initial stages of development, allows for a smooth transition to adulthood. Young adults who have experience significant trauma such as any form of abuse and or neglect, and were placed into the Child Welfare System may experience difficult challenges upon emancipation. Comprehensive research suggest that the development of a secure attachment in the first two years of life is related to effective emotional regulation, and higher sociability with adults and peers ( Pearce and Pezzot-Pearce, 2001). According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, “aging out”, the system reports that once a Ward turns eight or twenty-one; regardless if they have developed all the skills and tools imperative for survival, they are no longer under the systems care. Christy Gutowski (2012) an editor from the Chicago Tribune reported that prior to emancipation, DCFS pushes for older wards to move quickly towards Transitional Living Programs even if they have not developed the social/environmental skills to live independently. This has become increasingly problematic because most of these young adults continue to depend on others and need continued support as they transition to adulthood. According to Pottick et al. (2008), between 25,000 and 30,000 youth age out of the Child Welfare System annually in the Untied States. At least 70% of those individuals have been diagnosed with Sever Mental Health Conditions. As a result of these traumatic experiences, many of these young adult, will be diagnosed with sever mental health conditions. Post- traumatic stress disorder, Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity disorder, Schizophrenia, Major Depressive Disorder, and Conduct Disorder are some of the most common diagnoses. After examining the experiences and outcomes of young adults with Sever Mental Illness, researchers indicated that many of these individuals were more likely to face adversities than their peers. These challenges consist of unemployment, housing instability and homelessness, educational achievement, and justice system involvement (Pottick et al. 2008). It is not surprising that adolescents who approach emancipation out of the system have a significantly difficult time transitioning into self-sufficiency. Perhaps, the problem is due to the fact that for most young adults, learning life skills occurs within a family milieu; for Ward of the state their opportunities to learn life skills are limited because they lack a stable home environment. Furthermore, being diagnosed with a Sever Mental Illness makes transitioning even more difficult. These young adults are expected to learn how to adjust and start taking responsibility without the consistent support services they once had. Another issue that researchers find problematic is that the services this population receives as children and adolescents, often come to an end abruptly during the transition to adulthood, even if the need for them continues and even if current life stressors present obvious difficulties (Osgood et al. 2010). Due to being diagnosed with severe mental illness, these young adults report finding it difficult to meet expectations of the resources they are linked with as adults. Here I plan to talk about the hardships young adults face when they transition (Underemployment/unemployment, homelessness, incarnation and educational problems). According to Massey (2004), young adults who have psychiatric disorders demonstrate more difficulty transitioning to adulthood then their peers. Kareema Jones, a current DCFS Ward that will be emancipating in two months states, “I am scared, making it on my own seems impossible”. Kareema has lived in many different placements since birth and endured an extensive amount of abuse and neglect while being in Child Welfare System. As a child, Kareema was diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress disorder. She often presented as avoided and engages in bullying and other hostile behaviors. She has since been diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder and Borderline personality Disorder and has been hospitalized over 100 times due to inability to regulate her affect and psychosis. Kareema has not had any contact with her biological family since birth; she reports that once she has emancipated from the system, she will be alone. She reports that her trauma history has prevented her from developing relationships and often engages in high risk behaviors to fill the void of being alone. When asked if she has developed any supportive relationships with her staff she stated “I have burned all my bridges with the people that once cared for me”. Penzerro and Lein (2005) argue that a lack of stable parent figures most severely affects social development. As her emancipation date nears, Kareema’s current placement has not found the resources to help her transition smoothly into adulthood. Research indicates that difficulties in making use of social support make them vulnerable to adopting a homeless lifestyle (Penzerro and Lein 2005). Due to Kareema’s self-harming and aggressive behaviors, she will not be eligible for government funded programs. She will most likely end up in a nursing home or homeless. Kareema is just 1 out of 3 million young adults in the Child Welfare System that meet the criteria for SMI that will soon transition into adulthood. For those who are eligible for government funded programs such as Independent Living Programs and Transitional living programs, they can be linked to Transitional Living Programs (TLPs) prior to emancipation. These programs provide an array of services for youth who are getting close to their emancipation date. These programs were developed to teach specific skills associated with self-sufficiency, to provide transitional living arrangements, and continued mental health services (Schleicher 2012). In 2008, Chicago developed Transition to Independence Process (TIP) Model to support young adult s with Sever Mental Illness as they transition to adulthood. This model was specifically implemented in the residential group homes and independent apartments to better support young people and helps them plan to emancipate from child welfare systems at age 21 (Klodnick et al. 2014). (I am not sure where to go from here)
The end…..Recommendations After a significant amount of research, I argue that there is limited data on the outcomes of many young adults who have aged out of the Child Welfare system.

Reference
Klodnick, V., Davis, K., Fagan, M., & Elias, A. (2014). Launching into Adulthood from Institutional Care with a Serious Mental Health Condition. Community Mental Health Journal, 50(2), 209-215. doi:10.1007/s10597-013-9643-1
Massey, S. A. (2004). Young adults with mental illness who are transitioning into adulthood and the specific needs common to this population: A critical review of the literature. (Order No. 3133706, Alliant International University, San Diego). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 128-128 p. Retrieved from https://login.ezproxy1.lib.depaul.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/305047391?accountid=10477. (305047391).
Osgood, D. W., Foster, E. M., & Courtney, M. E. (2010). Vulnerable populations and the transition to adulthood. The Future of Children, 20(1) Retrieved from https://login.ezproxy1.lib.depaul.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1519298312?accountid=10477
Pearce, J. W., & Pezzot-Pearce, T. (2001). Psychotherapeutic approaches to children in foster care: Guidance from attachment theory. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 32(1), 19-44. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1017555529166
Penzerro, R. M., & Lein, L. (2005). Burning their bridges: Disordered attachment and foster care discharge. Child Welfare, 74(2), 351-66. Retrieved from https://login.ezproxy1.lib.depaul.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/213812765?accountid=10477
Pottick, K. J., Bilder, S., Stoep, A., Warner, L. A., & Alvarez, M. F. (2008). US Patterns of Mental Health Service Utilization for Transition-Age Youth and Young Adults. Journal Of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 35(4), 373-389. doi:10.1007/s11414-007-9080-4
Schleicher, D. (2012). Adolescent emancipation from foster care: Bay area transitional and independent living programs. (Order No. 3517221, Alliant International University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 157. Retrieved from https://login.ezproxy1.lib.depaul.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1031210925?accountid=10477. (1031210925).