By: Greg Pratt, LISW-S, TIP Team Supervisor, Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health
The TIP Program (Transition to Independence Process), provided here in Clermont County by Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services through Clermont FAST TRAC, has recently celebrated its one year of operation mark. TIP works with Youth/Young Adults between the ages of 16-21 to help them build skills to transition into adulthood more successfully. TIP utilizes an approach that helps the Youth/Young Adults identify and build on their own strengths, their own goals, their own hopes and dreams. TIP’s role is to emphasize the choices and decision making power of each Youth/Young Adult.
The Youth/Young Adults in the program work one on one with a Transition Facilitator, who helps them develop plans around achieving their goals, identifying the people in their life that they would want to include in their plans and helping them to identify all possible options available to them (the good and bad ones). TIP then allows them to make their own informed decision. TIP stands by the Youth/Young Adults through the good and not-so-good decisions and allows them to experience the natural benefits and consequences of their choices. TIP Youth who participate in the program have set and achieved goals in many areas, including living independently, finding and achieving employment, and continuing and completing their education, as well as more crisis oriented areas such as staying out of the psychiatric hospital and jail, and having fewer fights and arguments with family, friends or neighbors. TIP offers Psychiatric and Counseling services for those who choose to explore those options.
To access TIP, the individual must meet some minimal criteria. These criteria include,
- 16-21 years old,
- home residence of Clermont County,
- aging out of the Children’s Protective Services or Juvenile Court system,
- a mental health diagnosis,
- multi-need/ multi-system youth or eligible for multi–system services, and
- in need of additional support,
- at risk for out of home placement, or
- returning from out of home placement.
For more information about TIP or to make a referral please contact Greg Pratt at 513-354-1302. A referral form is also available on the Clermont FAST TRAC website http://www.clermontfasttrac.org.
