The Young Adults in Transition Program, also known as The YAT Program, is a unique service included in our robust counseling offerings, available to clients aged 15-26. The YAT Program supports young adults with the transition to independence. The program offers individualized services based entirely on the needs of each participant, which include focus within the following domains: Education, Employment, Transportation, Housing, Medical/Mental Health, Access to Community Resources, Legal Assistance, and Social/Recreational Assistance. All of the YAT Program clients also see a Mental Health Therapist, either through Looking Glass or another mental health provider in Lane County.
Kim Farley, YAT Program Coordinator, enjoying the great outdoors at Packard Creek with trusted companion, Teddy.
Kim Farley has been the YAT Coordinator since the program’s inception in 2010, and is the sole provider of the service. Last year Kim helped 70 young adults transition to independence! Here’s what Kim had to share about the experience of working as the Looking Glass YAT Program Coordinator over the past eight years:
Q. What interests you about this type of work?
A. I believe that the age demographic that YAT serves is such a crucial and inspirational point in the lives of these young adults. They’re at a place in their existence where they’re able to start really finding themselves, which opens up such bright and beautiful opportunities. If we give them the support and the tools that they need to be successful now, they start believing in themselves, and it’s just such a phenomenal thing to be a part of.
Q. In your opinion, why is the transition to young adulthood so tough for so many youth, and why can extra support help them navigate the difficulties associated with this time?
A. I think many of us forget what it was like to be a young adult, trying to figure out how to live in this world, and how to find the person that they are meant to be. It can be so tough for them, and there is often an unspoken pressure to just magically figure out how to navigate adult life. If you can imagine trying to cross a bridge that is missing half of the planks, it can feel like that. To have somebody who believes in them, and can help them to develop the skills that they need, at a level that works for them, gives them strength and hope.
Q. Do you have a favorite client success story that sticks out to you?
A. All of the success stories are my favorite story. One that resonates in particular, though, is in working with an individual that emerged from the kind of situation that a lot of folks may imagine only really happens in movies or crime television series, and for this person, that is their truth. They started working with YAT when they were in high school, after running away from home. The next few years were tremendously difficult for them, just going to a grocery store would send them into a state of panic if the cashier had similar attributes to their abuser, or having their blood pressure taken at the doctor, the type of things that we take for granted every day, were unbearable to this person. Over the years, with enough support and services, this client has become a strong, independent, resilient, productive, and successful member of our community.
Looking Glass thanks Kim for the excellent service provided to our community through the Young Adults in Transition Program!
Check out this video that gives an overview of the wide array of Counseling Services offered by Looking Glass: