Programs for Transition-Age Youth (TAY)

DANIEL’S PLACE

Daniel’s Place drop-in center for young adults is located at 3745 Overland Avenue in Los Angeles. The center provides a wide array of services for individuals 18-28 years of age, who are in need of mental health services and are experiencing homelessness. 

HISTORY

Daniel’s Place opened its doors in 1998 and is named after Daniel Greenberg, who was a scholar, athlete, actor, humanitarian, outreach worker at Step Up, and a member of its Board of Directors. Daniel’s Place was created to honor Daniel’s memory and to educate and support young persons in recovery from mental health conditions.

SERVICES

Daniel’s Place provides a safe, comfortable social environment to assist youth in their path to wellness and recovery. This includes securing housing for youth and providing supportive services to help youth begin their transition into independence. Specifically, Daniel’s Place provides:

• Supportive, clinical, recreational, and skill building groups
• Individual therapy
• Psychiatric, nursing and case management services
• Personal coaching for learning, linkage to education and employment
• Linkage to housing
• Hot meals & showers
• Assistance with transportation
• A clothing closet
• A safe place to be 5 days a week

Step Up’s TAY programs are one of the few in LA County offering services specifically targeted to transition-age young adults (TAY) 18–28 years of age. According to the 2020 LAHSA Homeless Youth Count, Los Angeles County has 4,763 unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness, which was a 19% increase from 2019. These young adults have unaddressed trauma and untreated mental health conditions. These challenges severely compromise the health and well-being of youth experiencing homelessness and jeopardize their efforts to reconnect with society and succeed in education and employment. Without appropriate and compassionate intervention, many youths who experience homelessness are at high risk of entering into an irreversible cycle of chronic homelessness, total dependence on welfare, long-term mental health conditions, and a permanent aversion to society. Step Up has made the TAY services of Daniel’s Place an organizational priority to deliver the necessary support.

FSP – TAY Program

This FSP – TAY Program is designed for individuals 18-28 years of age, with a history of multiple psychiatric hospitalizations, incarcerations, who have experienced a first psychotic break, homeless or are in danger of homelessness, and may have a history of co-occurring disorders.

Step Up’s Permanent Supportive Housing

Step Up’s 13 permanent supportive housing communities, and scattered sites across the region have units for TAY participants from all of the above programs.

Hollywood Homeless Youth Partnership (HHYP)

Step Up is also a member of the Hollywood Homeless Youth Partnership (HHYP), a strategic alliance of youth-serving agencies including: LA Children’s Hospital; LA Youth Network; My Friend’s Place; Los Angeles LGBT Center; and Covenant House. The goal of HHYP is to prevent and reduce homelessness among youth and young adults in Hollywood through: service impact; training and capacity building; research and evaluation; and policy and advocacy. The HHYP collaborative mission is to ensure TAY have access to safe housing where physical and mental health needs can be addressed, so they don’t become a life-long disability; reducing high risk sexual, criminal, and substance behaviors; addressing trauma and emotional distress and strengthening protective factors such as family and social supports; promoting mental and physical health; and providing educational linkages and supported employment services building on the individuals strengths, capacities, resiliency, and natural community.