ORANGEWOOD CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION (2) - 2010

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action plan if necessary. Yes, the Orangewood Children's Foundation facility is compliant with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). We have also assessed our facilities using the WIA Nondiscrimination & Equal Opportunity Self-Evaluation Guide, which supports our compliance with ADA. 5. Discuss how Internet access will be available to program staff. List computer programs/applications used by agency staff. Every member of our program staff including our Peer Mentors involved in the Foster Youth Liaison Project have a workstation with access to telephone, computer with internet connection and Microsoft Office software including Excel, Power Point, Word, Outlook, Publisher and Access. Furthermore, the staff and youth also have access to a printer, copier, and fax machine. Finally, there are five computers with Microsoft Office software and internet access located in the Orangewood Resource Center for our foster youth clientele. 6. Describe what makes your facility youth friendly and suitable for the proposed activities/services. The Orangewood Children's Foundation (OCF) provides a walk-in, safe, and youth friendly environment to allow youth access to a range of supportive services. Our facility is easily accessible by bus as the eastbound and westbound bus stops are located directly in front of our buildings. OCF serves hundreds of foster youth each year, many of whom visit our Orangewood Resource Center (ORC). The ORC is the location within our facility where FYLP clients are served. The ORC is staffed with Peer Mentors who are young adults who have successfully aged-out of the foster care system. The Peer Mentors easily establish credibility and rapport with our clientele because they share a similar background with them. The walls are colorfully painted to create a warm and non-sterile environment. The services offered to young people who visit the ORC include food and a kitchen, lounge and television area, seating area for completing homework or paperwork, computers and internet access, washer and dryer, resources, and a warm, knowledgeable, caring staff. Many of the 580 youth who visited the ORC last year returned multiple times as we received approximately 4,800 duplicated visits. In Fall 2009, we completed renovations in the ORC, which provides a more conducive environment to meet client needs. As a result, we made the following improvements: • Increased the size of the ORC by approximately 50% • Improved staff workspace for FYLP case managers. We now have two workstations specifically for FYLP Peer Mentors. There is a dividing wall between their workstation and the ORC, which offers a semi-private area for confidential conversations. There is a locked storage space for FYLP client files directly behind the FYLP workstations. Conference rooms and enclosed offices are also available for confidential discussions • Added two workstations for general ORC staff, which can be used by FYLP staff when needed • Established an enclosed office for the Foster Youth Liaison Project Supervisor. This is helpful for supervision meetings, private discussions with clients, etc. • Added five computer stations for clients, which include access to the Internet and Microsoft Office software (i.e. WORD, EXCEL, POWER POINT, PUBLISHER, EXHIBIT A OCF/Poster Youth Liaison Project 11