Southwest Key’s Independent Living Skills program is based on the theories of a positive youth development model of practice. Our practice methods encourage and create opportunities for young people to be meaningfully involved in a variety of projects that meet their specific needs. Our programs empower youth to actively engage in their own development while contributing to the larger community in which they live. These combined efforts are inextricably linked and in our experience demonstrate the greatest promise for achieving positive outcomes for adolescents. Resilience research shows that young people living in high-risk conditions are able to transcend their environments and overcome the odds to lead successful lives. Youth who are socially competent, have problem solving skills that include critical and creative thinking strategies, a sense of identity, a sense of purpose and belief in a bright future have the traits that will enable them to successfully maneuver through difficult life circumstances. At Southwest Key, we seek to nurture these qualities in the youth who participate in our programs.

View the Independent Living program overview in PDF