STRiV Forward’s transitional living program in Utah supports young adults, all genders, ages 18-25+, with personalized mentorship and community. We empower them to build confidence, independence, and prepare for lasting success.
Helping Young Adults Build Confidence and Independence
STRiV Forward is committed to helping young adults achieve independence and resilience through our transitional living program. We serve young people ages 18 to 25 and up. Typically, this is the age group in which emerging adults transition out of high school and into adult activities, such as attending college and pursuing an early career. Unfortunately, this age group faces many difficulties that can hinder their achievement of goals.
Mental health concerns are one such difficulty, especially for those living with conditions like ADHD or depression. Not only that, but new adults must grapple with figuring out their identity and building self-esteem. Poor self-image, executive dysfunction, social media or electronic addiction, and more can contribute to the difficulties students face.
Our dedicated team helps young adults gain agency and take a firm direction in their lives. Our program is the best suited for students who are stable enough to live semi-idependantly, are willing to engage in treatment, and have motivation for personal growth. If you have a loved one who is an emerging adult and needs extra help moving forward in life, STRiV Forward can help.
Start Your Journey Toward Independence
Getting started at STRiV Forward is easy with our step-by-step process.
- Initial Call: Speak with our friendly Admissions Director to explore whether we are the right fit for your student
- Assessment: We work with you to review clinical and readiness criteria, including speaking to past professionals, assessing a general level of safety and stability, and evaluating the student’s desire to work with the STRiV team. It is also important for the student and family to get to know STRiV, including participating in a virtual or in-person tour of our offices and apartments, and to meet the team.
- Acceptance/Admission: Once a mutual fit is determined, students are accepted into the program, and an admission date is established. Preliminary discussions may also help determine the level of structure/support that would be beneficial to have in place from day one.
- Launch: Upon arrival, students settle into their new apartment, begin to make connections, review expectations, and work with the team to create a Road Map for their success while at STRiV, and beyond. The journey begins!
Help For Your Loved One
What We Offer in Our Transitional Living Program
Therapeutic Support and Mentorship for Young Adults
Mentoring is an important part of the therapeutic process at STRiV Forward. Our mentors are carefully selected for their character, compassion, and experience. With a 1:4 mentor-to-student ratio, each student is guaranteed to have individualized attention. From mentors, students learn a variety of life skills and gain unwavering and enthusiastic support.
Mental health support services at STRiV Forward are evidence-based, compassionate, and tailored specifically to young emerging adults.
Daily Structure, Accountability, and Goal Setting
When life gets difficult, having structure can greatly benefit mental health. This is especially important for young adults figuring out how to best manage their time.
Each student at STRiV Forward receives a daily schedule that encourages accountability. This includes daily living tasks, such as cooking, cleaning, and participating in community activities, such as volunteer work. Not meeting these structured goals comes with natural consequences (such as having no clean dishes to eat with), which helps students grasp the importance of their decisions.
As part of treatment, each student has personalized goals to meet. Although we don’t impose a time limit on meeting these goals, we do help our students naturally progress towards them. We reward and encourage effort as much as we do for results.
Executive Function Coaching and Life Skills Training
Our mentors are qualified to help our students learn and practice essential skills that your young adult loved one will need for a healthy and successful life. Each student at Striv Forward creates a weekly schedule with their assigned mentor that encourages accountability. These skills range from doing laundry to knowing how to manage one’s budget. Other skills, such as time management, self-motivation, or overcoming social anxiety, are taught by trained professionals. This comprehensive and personalized approach makes sure that each student has the skills they need to thrive once they leave STRiV Forward.
Academic, Career, and Community Integration Support
Young adults naturally seek independence from various sources, such as secondary education or a job. Our convenient location offers several opportunities for our students to pursue higher education or an early career. Academic and vocational development training are utilized at STRiV Forward, helping our students integrate into the surrounding community.
Health, Wellness, and Emotional Growth Opportunities
STRiV Forward cares deeply about the well-being of all our students. As such, basic health education is a crucial component of our transitional living program. Students learn valuable skills such as self-care, healthy eating, sleep hygiene, and the value of exercise. Improving physical wellness improves emotional wellness, helping our students feel more energized and healthy.
Life Skills Training for Young Adults in Utah
Independent Living Skills and Self-Sufficiency
The main goal of STRiV Forward is to teach our students the skills they need to be independent and self-sufficient. Students live in fully furnished apartments with private bedrooms and bathrooms, and as such, are responsible for their daily maintenance.
Examples of skills learned include cleaning, cooking, laundry, and basic home maintenance. All students will learn how to maintain a clean and healthy living environment before leaving STRiV Forward.
Problem-Solving and Decision-Making
Learning how to make good decisions is an important part of growing up. For emerging adults, learning how to problem-solve is critical. As such, our students are placed in real-world scenarios where they must make healthy decisions. These scenarios are safe and overseen by professionals, but still encourage students to think carefully and practice mindfulness.
It’s not just making healthy decisions that is important; stress management and distress tolerance are also critical for a healthy adult. The mastery of these skills allows our students to navigate difficult situations while caring for their mental health at the same time and avoid future situations that can put them in danger.
Money Management and Budgeting
Students at SRTiV Forward are responsible for caring for their own basic needs. They can earn money as part of treatment participation, which they use as part of their budgeting practice. Students are responsible for grocery shopping and other errands, which gives them real-world practice in managing money. As our students grow more responsible, they quickly learn the importance of wise spending and saving.
Goal Setting and Personal Growth
Students, their caregivers or parents, and their care team collaborate to set healthy and attainable goals. These goals vary for each student, but all have the purpose of encouraging personal growth. Some examples of goals include:
- Setting a healthy sleep schedule
- Raising grades in school
- Improving their executive functioning
- Making friends
- Coming up with effective coping skills
- Learning to cook healthy meals
- Becoming more active
- And more
Students frequently check in with their mentors to ensure they are on the right path or to tweak their goal planning as needed. Big goals are broken down into smaller, more manageable goals to prevent burnout and encourage forward momentum.
The STRiV Forward Approach
Individualized Support Plans and Case Management
We believe in providing a personalized experience for each student at STRiV Forward. This is reflected in our small program featuring no more than 12 students at a time. As such, our case management team can collaborate with families on treatment, discharge planning, and more, with a greater focus on each student. This small and personal approach to treatment makes sure each student is seen, valued, and cared for.
Evidence-Based Modalities and Life Coaching for Young Adults
Personal mental and physical health care is important, and STRiV mentors work with their students to establish healthy habits and routines. With the combined use of evidence-based therapy modalities and life coaching, our students gain the skills they need for growth and independence.
Mentorship, Accountability, and Peer Connection
Young adults need to form connections with peers. As such, we use the power of peer connection therapeutically in group therapy and community activities, which encourages accountability and provides mutual support for each student.
Our mentors are professionals who specialize in coaching young adults in a variety of skills. Chosen for their character, compassion, and experience, our long-term mentors are equipped to help your loved one achieve their goals.
Collaboration With Families, Therapists, and Providers
An effective treatment plan requires collaboration between caregivers, providers, and students. This can involve specialized therapists, depending on individual need. STRiV Froward’s collaborative approach to treatment allows both caregivers and students to be actively involved in the process, returning agency to those who may have felt helpless in the past. We strive to empower our students and families alike and encourage them to seize any opportunities for self-improvement and growth.
Helping Young Adults Thrive
A Safe, Supportive Environment in Orem, Utah
Apartment-Style Transitional Housing for Young Adults
STRiV Forward offers stable housing to our students in the form of fully furnished two-bedroom apartments, each with a private bedroom and bathroom. These apartments are not group homes and function much like a typical apartment. Students are responsible for keeping their apartments clean, budgeting, groceries, and cooking with staff support. This allows our students to practice the skills they will need for independence while having professional help available.
Community, Independence, and Peer Support
Everyone needs a safe place to fail and try again, and STRiV Forward is that place. Students and their peers learn and grow together, which provides companionship and understanding. Through our outdoor adventures and therapeutic group therapy, the bonds of friendship have a chance to flourish.
Opportunities to practice independence come in the form of our community and volunteer programs. Students are required to attend three community activities per week, and the activities involved can vary. One day may feature volunteer opportunities with a local nonprofit to help homeless youth or to fundraise coats for children in foster care. Another day may be an exciting hiking excursion through the Utah wilderness.
Regardless of the chosen activity, each one is carefully selected to encourage the organic use of skills learned in our transitional living program.
Access to Local Resources, Schools, and Employment Opportunities
Community resources at STRiV Forward are abundant, with opportunities for careers, academic pursuits, and recreation. We encourage our students to branch out and take classes, seek a job, or pursue a new hobby. Our convenient location puts our apartments within walking distance to not just HQ, but to these local resources.
Why Choose STRiV Forward’s Transitional Living Program?
Freedom With Structure and Real-World Accountability
With a freedom-focused approach, our students have the power of choice and will feel the consequences or rewards that follow their choices. Students generally encounter minimal restrictions regarding curfews and the use of electronic devices, aside from professional recommendations. Our objective is to foster the development of these essential skills during their time at STRiV.
Small, Personalized Program with Individual Attention
Our small program features no more than 14 students with a 3:1 mentor ratio. This allows for optimal individualized attention for each student. With such a low student population, we are best able to catch problems quickly and help our students achieve the goals they set.
Experienced, Compassionate Staff and Mentors
Our mentors are professionally trained in a wide range of human services. They can provide coaching for social skills, executive functioning, healthy choices, academics, and more. Alongside valuable coaching, our mentors act as a confidant and trusted adult that our students can confide in.
A Proven Path to Independence and Lasting Success
Our success speaks for itself, with 90% of our students transitioning to independent living or higher education. Again, success depends on the individual’s drive to grow and accept help, but the supportive environment we cultivate motivates most students to strive for growth.
Getting Started With STRiV Forward
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a transitional living program for young adults different from residential treatment?
What sets a transitional housing program apart from typical residential services is the type of care they provide. At STRiV Forward, our transitional living program for young adults in Utah is designed for stable individuals who can live semi-independently. Although we do treat mental health concerns and provide residential support, we are not specialized in providing intensive or inpatient care.
Typical residential treatment programs are designed for people with severe needs that require 24/7 supervision. An example is medically supervised detoxification for someone with a current substance use disorder. Clients with such needs are best helped in specialized inpatient residential programs, as they have the specialized facilities to help them.
How long do most young adults stay in STRiV Forward’s program?
Students typically spend between 12 and 14 months at STRiV Forward, with an average duration of about 12 months.
What kind of family support is available during the program?
We know how difficult it is for our students to leave their family homes for the first time. Because of this, we offer family support and therapy as needed to help parents/caregivers and their loved ones establish healthy boundaries and encourage mutual understanding. This includes helping parents and caregivers learn how to trust in their loved ones and allow them to grow into the adults they were meant to be. Striv also provides a weekly update call with parents when students first arrive. As students progress, this call may become bi-monthly.
What makes STRiV Forward different from other transitional living programs in Utah?
Several differences set STRiV Forward apart from other transitional living programs. Some of which include:
- A small, personalized program with no more than 14 students at a time
- Individualized attention with a 1:4 mentor/staff-to-student ratio
- Fully furnished apartments with private bedrooms and bathrooms
- Community support and integration
- Academic assistance and career development for interested students
- Structured days with plenty of time for academics, hobbies, therapeutic support, mentorship, and rest
- Outdoor adventures that take advantage of Utah’s awe-inspiring wilderness
- Opportunities to learn and practice real-world basic life skills, such as budgeting and cooking
- Programs focused more on personal motivation and growth than rigid one-size-fits-all approaches
- Lack of tight restrictions for our students as a method to encourage accountability and responsibility
If you’d like to know more about our transitional living program for young adults in Utah, contact our admissions team.