HOUSING
Beginning to break down the cycle of trauma is a journey that necessitates a whole village, and it’s in our homes that we give our youth the chance to take their first steps.
This dismantling, then rebuilding, requires both tenacity and tenderness; compassion bound up in commitment. We want the waves we’re creating for our youth to ripple out far and wide, well beyond our walls—but first, our focus remains on what’s unfolding within our own walls.
HOW OUR YOUTH REACH US
Referrals for AKI typically begin with Washington’s Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF). As a teen exits our program and a room opens up, a virtual interview takes place with the youth, their DCYF team and the corresponding AKI project or case manager.
Here, we make our case for safety and the intent of stabilization through therapy, educational planning, medication if needed and all of the other basic building blocks of adulthood. Once a youth consents to walk through our doors, we individualize their care plan as much as we can.
Generally, the length of stay in our homes averages 12 to 18 months. Addiction is not a roadblock and we do everything possible to keep a youth in our care. When the day comes that they’re ready to graduate to a lower level of care, our teens continue to have an active role in what comes next; be it individual living, family reunification or a therapeutic foster home.
BEHAVIORAL REHABILITATION SERVICES
Our Butterfly House opened its doors in 2020, with the Hummingbird House right behind it in 2021. As Behavioral Rehabilitation Services (BRS) homes, we’re licensed for youth ages 13 through 18 and have the highest acuity—that is, kids with behavioral health conditions— in SW Washington. This translates to more well-trained and thoroughly vetted staff in both homes.
The fact that both the Butterfly and Hummingbird Houses are actual homes makes them unique. Each space is able to welcome five to six teens at a time, and each teen is given their own room. Each house has its own distinct daily rhythm and “culture”—the Butterfly House is a little louder, more eclectic and artsy, while the Hummingbird House tends to be more easygoing and even-keeled. Our care staff often prepare meals, but our kids are always invited into the kitchen to experiment (or stick with their tried-and-true comfort foods).
Because we’re embracing teens who have not only been through serious trauma, but are behaviorally demanding and possibly struggling with addiction, more of our time is centered around crisis intervention and harm reduction. In both BRS homes, our core tenet is stabilization—identifying the right educational pathway, creating and implementing a specific plan for therapy and possibly starting or resuming medication—and then we can begin the work of helping them learn how to communicate more effectively and build healthier relationships. That said, our youth are allowed to have cellphones, to hold jobs, to make choices around their education and earn privileges. At the end of the day, we want our BRS kids to feel like teenagers.
It’s this same approach that sets our youth up for success on their next venture; whether that’s reuniting with family, living independently or moving into our ATLP program. As the proverb goes, “The longest way round is the shortest way home.” In other words, our inroads are far more profound when the groundwork has been laid with deep care and consideration.
ADULT TRANSITIONAL LIVING PROGRAM
Our Butterfly and Hummingbird Houses were the natural launch pad for our Lily Pad Apartments, an Adult Transitional Living Program (ATLP) that opened in 2023. In fact, there’s only one other program with this same status in all of Washington. While the Lily Pad Apartments are designated for youth aged 16 to 18, those already in the program before their 18th birthday can stay in the apartments until they turn 21.
Here, teens come to us having already stabilized in the categories we outline in our BRS homes. This means we can turn most of our energy and attention toward independent living skills, like time and money management; grocery budgeting and meal planning. Meanwhile, our youth continue to fine-tune the basics of self-care, including laundry, making medical and dental appointments, or completing their driver’s education. They’re also earning their diploma, GED or equivalent—some of our youth are even achieving college-level credits while they’re in high school.
A routine day in the Lily Pad Apartments involves a check in on the day’s plans with morning staff, then afternoon and evening staff coming together to help carry out those plans. Once a month, we hold house meetings to cover topics like dividing household chores, youth communications and whether any room rearrangements need to take place. The apartments are much more like a young adult living experience, with two to three youth living in one of three triplex units. Youth are allowed to have their own vehicles and can spend the night away. We really encourage our teens to have a voice in the program, too: they’ve helped us interview incoming housemates and even redesign our program manuals.
Ultimately, our Lily Pad Apartments gives our youth the skills and confidence to go out into the world at large and carve a different path forward for themselves than what was inherited. We also underscore that with this transition will come a completely different experience from when they first entered into care—not to mention, they will have relationships from their time at AKI to carry with them for the rest of their lives.
EXTENDED BEHAVIORAL REHABILITATION SERVICES
Recognizing the dire need to extend Behavioral Rehabilitation Services (BRS) to youth ages 18 to 21, AKI opened the Bumblebee House at the end of 2023—one of only two extended BRS houses in the Pacific Northwest at this time.
Our Bumblebee House, a duplex with a single youth in each unit, is built for those with the highest level of acuity who are unable to thrive in a group environment. This exceptional setting allows our youth to nurture independent living skills in a safe, low-stimulus environment with a high staff-to-client ratio.
Since each unit represents a highly personalized living space, we allow our youths to take ownership of their daily rhythms, too. We encourage them to embrace their selfhood and develop a routine that aligns with their short- and long-term goals, whether that’s completing high school, pursuing higher education, finding employment or engaging in community activities. We leave room for the ins and outs of life, like budgeting, scheduling and attending appointments, cooking and meal planning, while we make sure to emphasize social skill development to nurture resilience. These skills are fine-tuned daily through emotional regulation, coping strategies, critical thinking and problem-solving.
As we work together to lay down the stepping stones for independence, we’ve watched our duo at the Bumblebee House grow exponentially. The combination of autonomy and emotional attunement continues to be a powerful tonic for those needing a little extra scaffolding to prepare for their futures.
RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES SERVICES
Upon learning that female youth with developmental disabilities don’t have access to any residential services in SW Washington, AKI stepped up to meet the moment.
Here in the Dragonfly House, up to two youth ages 13 to 18 with developmental disabilities can live closer to their families in a staffed residential environment—an ideal solution so that guardians can remain involved as their child receives more comprehensive support. Our staff are trained in applied behavioral analysis (ABA), which is designed to help youth grow socially and emotionally to live more fulfilling lives in adulthood, and our program manager works directly with the youth’s existing supports, the Developmental Disabilities Administrion (DDA), DCYF, teachers and therapists to establish that all of their needs are being carefully considered.
A routine “day in the life” for the newest AKI house involves an established schedule for both school and non-school days. Each youth participates in school full-time, alongside occupational therapy, ABA therapy or other mental health supports as needed. Our youth practice independent living skills and learn vital de-escalation skills in a warm, vibrant space decorated with a sensory swing, crash pad and vibrating plates with space to paint. Our hands-on staff prepares a nutritious menu daily, with options for our youth to refine their preparation and recipe-following skills folded in.
When the time comes for our youth to transition to adult living, these same well-matched therapies, predictable schedules, prompts for independence, and community integration opportunities make finding their next placement seem habitual and reflexive. Much like actual dragonflies, this is the ultimate goal: for each Dragonfly youth to move these “four wings of support” independently so that it feels just like second nature.