STATE OF NEVADA - Division of Child and Family Services

to address and overcome presenting challenges that limit comprehensive, consistent IL program services
throughout the State. The Casey Family Programs assisted in the IL Program assessment and
evaluation and the development of a standardized overall service program delivery system. The IL
Program continues to strive to improve IL services to youth in out-of-home care by evaluating the quality
and efficacy of its current IL programming and opportunities extended to youth and reviewing ways to
enhance fuller access and participation, identifying gaps in the service array, and building greater
collateral involvement with community stakeholders throughout the state. In order to continue the work
DCFS facilitates a Statewide IL Workgroup which meets twice per month to address issues concerning IL
throughout the state.
3. DCFS will continue to elicit assistance from the NRCYD in order to support activities/practices to assist youth in
developing the skills necessary for successful transition to adulthood.
(a) In addition, there will be an emphasis on how to create and sustain statewide and local advisory boards to
assist youth with advocacy, self-advocacy, leadership development, and program improvement efforts.
Officers on the Statewide Youth Advisory Board will receive training in public speaking and technical
assistance in tracking and monitoring state and federal legislation related to foster care youth and other
social welfare policies impacting them. These youth will also receive training on how to give effective
testimony before legislative committees.
4. DCFS recognizes the need for continuous training and technical assistance as follows:
(a) Continue to utilize training and technical assistance from the National Resource Centers for development
and implementation of IL programs statewide and Casey Family Programs;
(b) Collaborate with foster care training, recruitment, and licensing to develop an IL training module for foster
parents;
(c) Include IL foster youth (current and former) to assist in the training of foster parents;
(d) Provide statewide training to existing foster parents and care providers regarding IL services and
resources;
(e) Develop training for staff and supervisors regarding the identification of significant connections for youth
and how to perform diligent search;
(f) Train staff and supervisors to ensure that they are knowledgeable about the full array of housing options
that best meet the individualized needs of youth.
(g) Collaborate to enhance the coordination between IDEA and IL planning; and
(h) Continue to provide statewide training to all workers, supervisors, IL partners and stakeholders regarding
IL, and access to services.
5. DCFS will build collaboratives with other federal agencies serving at-risk and neediest youth through the Shared
Youth Vision Initiative by December 2012.
(a) Collaborative Development will occur with the following:
i. Transitional Living Programs
ii. Workforce Investment/Employment Training
iii. Department of Education
iv. Department of Labor
v. Department of Housing and Urban Development
6. DCFS will ensure full Implementation of the National Youth in Transition Database by September 2010.
The Division of Child and Family Services has been actively involved in the implementation of NYTD through staff
participation in all federally sponsored NYTD trainings and webinars. Beginning in the summer of 2009, DCFS created a
NYTD workgroup consisting of the Independent Living Services staff and the Information Management Services unit
(IMS). To date, DCFS has completed the following:
Nevada APSR – SFY 2010
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