Group homes for teens are quite common at this age and are used for numerous reasons. Parents may be seeking alternatives for their troubled teen, a teen may be dealing with a disorder or substance abuse problem, or a teen may be left without a family and nowhere else to turn.
Group homes for teens aim to help the teen benefit from a safe, enabling environment. In the United States, group homes are licensed and monitored by state departments of human services, licensing offices, or bureaus. Since licensing procedures for a group home vary from state to state, it is critical to understand relevant laws in the jurisdiction where you intend to start a group home.
Have in mind that there is no one-size stay length for teens in a group home. Most often, it tends to depend on the needs and goals of the individual. The stay can range from several months to even a few years depending on their various situation.
A group home will focus on providing a properly detailed schedule for the teen residents that will allow them to participate in school, therapy sessions, and other beneficial learning opportunities. A group home serves as a grooming and supportive environment and thus entails that there will be rules and consequences for going against those rules.
Teens can often earn access to privileges by adhering to set rules. Many group homes allow their teen residents to earn privileges through a level or token system. If they break the rules, they may lose access to privileges.
If they maintain the rules and keep their behavior positive, they may earn time to use gaming systems or outings into town. Teen residents will typically attend area public schools, but this may vary depending on the educational focus and needs of the teen.
Pros and Cons of Group Homes for Teens
Indeed, there are pros and cons associated with this sort of group home. These pros and cons include;
Pros
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On-Site Therapy
A good percentage of teenagers who dwell in group homes go there owing to violent home lives or abandonment. These types of problems can have very domineering effects on the lives of children.
Most often, group homes have on-site employees who are well trained in working with children from abusive or dangerous environments. These types of attention will help to discover and heal emotional wounds opened in children’s former living situations.
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Opportunity
You need to understand that a group home changes a teenager’s world completely. The teen will have to meet and align with new friends, new educators, and new experiences. According to experts, these new contacts also come with a wide array of new opportunities.
Teens in group homes may have access to resources they can’t access in their original homes, such as high-speed Internet or libraries. They can often take advantage of tutor visits and may even be qualified to attend various institutions.
Cons
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Exposure to Crime
Note that a good number of residents of a teen group home are there because of bad behavior or criminal tendencies. Guardians who could barely control their teens may choose to refer them to the group home system, and orphaned teens may spend time in group homes in between stints in juvenile detention. Owing to this, it is highly probable to meet other teens who could be bad or dangerous influences on other teens.
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Quality of Life
To guarantee success, teens need a whole lot of one-on-one attention and the enthusiasm and support of parents, educators, and friends.
This can be daunting and challenging for the staff of a group home, especially since they have to provide residents with the individual attention necessary to guarantee success. Have in mind that group homes with low budgets and overcrowding may have to make residents share rooms and supplies.
How to Start a Group Home for Teens
Opening a group home for teens can be quite challenging; however, with adequate planning and enough resources, it is achievable. If you are looking to start a group home for teens, here are steps to take;
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Carry Out An Extensive Research
When looking to start a group home for teens, note that your first step should be to carry out extensive research about the availability of group homes for teens in your community. Find out who underwrites these group homes, the requirements used to qualify a child for admission, the living structure under which a child is expected to comply, and the ratio of teens to caretakers in the home.
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Put Together A Business Plan
Just as with starting any other endeavor, you will need to put together a business plan. This business plan should contain a mission statement that consists of a single sentence that notes what your teen group home intends to achieve once it’s up and running.
The business plan would also need to note how the facility will operate, where funding will come from, rules and regulations under which it will be managed, and oversight to which the home will be subjected over time.
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Appoint a Board Of Directors
When choosing a board of directors for your group home, it is recommended you combine influential community members with professionals focused on teen mental health.
Also, remember to inculcate ordinary citizens with a genuine interest in teen rehabilitation and educators. The appropriate board mix will ensure you obtain cash, build the facility and keep the community’s focus on the residential setting by continuing to raise money and awareness over time.
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Seek Funding
You will need adequate funding to start and run your group home for teens. In the United States, there are numerous resources available to group homes for teens and you can check to see if your home is eligible for these varieties of grants and loans.
Note that the keyword may be mental health, but beneath this standard, you may also be able to tap education, health, and other children-centered granting agencies. You can also seek fundraisers and donations of in-kind goods like beds, linens, chairs, kitchen appliances, tabletop and linen supplies, and other household necessities to help outfit your facility.
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Acquire a Good Facility
You may have to purchase an existing building and hire a contractor to refurbish the structure or purchase property on which your group home will be built. Check with your state and local county, you may be expected to comply with certain zoning laws stipulated to mandate where group homes can be built in your area.
Solicit community help to build your teen group home so you can save money on construction. Local carpenters, bricklayers, plumbers, and electricians may be willing to lend a hand to get your project off the ground.
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Apply For Licenses And Permits
You will also need to apply for licensing, nonprofit tax exemption, incorporation, and other legal protections and sanctions your board recommends. As a 501(c) 3 charity, group homes tend to benefit from a wide range of tax exemptions.
Also, note that you will be able to raise funds more efficiently as a nonprofit. Depending on your location, you may need to obtain administrator certificates, and occupancy permits and submit them to inspections from village, city, township, and/or county authorities. Once approved, you can begin to furnish and decorate the group home.
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Hire Staff And Create A Handbook
You will need staff to run your group home, but have it in mind that you will be expected to carry out criminal background checks on them first. Remember to comply with the teen-to-adult ratio that’s stipulated by law. Your home may also be mandated to obtain insurance on the building and contents and liability coverage.
Premiums for high-risk populations can be quite expensive, so ensure to leverage the expertise of an insurance broker to sample various carriers. Also remember to keep a wait-list of clients to fill beds as residents age out, move out or leave.
Putting together a handbook on the rules and regulations teens are expected to follow while living in your group home will go a long way to ensure residents stay in line while legally protecting you and your board.