Independent Living

Developing the life skills necessary to live independently is an important component of our young adult transitional living program. Independent living skills are comprised of more than the fundamental executive functioning skills required to fulfill everyday responsibilities. They are the more practical self-care and self-reliance skills that enable someone to live independently. Teaching young adults practical life skills is essential for their personal growth, independence, and overall success and well-being.

At Cornerstones, the day-to-day living in each residence organically supports our clients’ engagement to learn and practice the skills of independent living. Our clients take part in cooking, cleaning, laundry, budgeting, activity scheduling, and medication management. Our Life Skills and Residential staff are available to the clients throughout the day to guide, scaffold, support, and coach their efforts in all of these activities. Our Life Skills staff in particular works to ensure that our clients graduate from Cornerstones with all of these independent living skills in place. 

It is expected that a client will learn to manage their personal area and belongings. They will also learn how to cook and clean for the community and care for shared spaces together. 

Clients work together to prepare a community meal every weekday evening, accommodating all dietary restrictions. This is a time together to promote conversation and connection. On a rotating schedule, clients are assigned dinner prep or dish duty. They create a weekly menu, request groceries, and prepare meals accordingly. 

Our clients are provided with individualized integrative medicine and collaborative psychopharmacology. We have set times daily when Therapeutic Residential Advisors assist them with accessing and taking their medications. Clients work towards picking up their own medications from local pharmacies. 

Each client’s treatment team supports them with budgeting and fiscal responsibility. Clients take part in financial management training so they can live independently after graduating from the Cornerstones program and navigate the costs of housing, food, memberships, and social enrichment. 

Clients are expected to maintain their personal hygiene in the form of consistent showering and bathing, teeth brushing, hair washing, and dressing appropriately. Positive reinforcement and support from our Life Skills and Residential staff help clients develop and sustain these habits.