Chafee Services at the Department of Human Services

Officially started as an AmeriCorps State worker on the 5th of September, but I wanted to give myself some time to settle into the office before I got this blog going.

As a C.B.P.Y.T. AmeriCorps State Corps member, I have been chosen to work with Chafee Services at the Denver Department of Human Services.

Chafee Services work with teens who are preparing for independent life and transitioning out of foster care. Throughout the year I will be paired with teens in the Denver area who need assistance applying for jobs, securing housing, furthering and/or finishing their education and working on other life skills before their cases are closed at age 21. Part of my job this year will also be to facilitate Independent Living classes with youth. I start my sessions next month and Annalise (the other AmeriCorps member) and I are prepping for the lessons, activities and cooking we will be encorporating into classes.

"Mission of Chafee Services: To provide and coordinate services for the well being and the protection of the residents in our community.  These services are provided through partnerships that help people move towards independence and realize their potential.

AmeriCorps members serve in the Independent Living Unit and mentor youth one on one who are transitioning out of foster care. This position includes a high level of collaboration with therapists and social workers at the Department of Human Services. Members also lead the Youth Advisory Board for Denver Human Services and help facilitate independent living classes through the Chafee Program and Rocky Mountain Youth International Housing. Check out their website http://denverchafee.org/ for more information. "

As soon as Annalise and I arrived at our desks we felt welcomed by the Chafee Team. Streamers, balloons, and personalized calendars and name tags adorned our shared cubicle and, of course, tons of Ameri-gear.

So far Annalise and I have been shadowing Chafee workers and social workers as they attend meetings and contact with the teens, sitting in on staff meetings at DHS and volunteering. We also have been able to attend Youth Advisory Board meetings to get a feel for what the teens would like to work on. We are antsy to start working with youth but trying to soak in all the information we can before we get started!