Rights of Passage
Covenant House Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska

Teaching Independence
Rights of Passage (ROP) is a transitional living program in downtown Anchorage, Alaska, for homeless youth ages 18 to 21. Part of Covenant House Alaska, ROP provides long-term residential opportunities to 14 young people, focusing on independent living skills for those youth who have had difficult experiences such as substance abuse, mental health issues, domestic violence, and neglect. The program provides youth an opportunity to develop the skills necessary to maintain long-term independence. Each youth can stay in the program up to 18 months with an additional 6 months of aftercare. It is estimated that there are 2,000 at-risk and homeless youth in Anchorage.

ROP works with youth as individuals and identifies the factors that are preventing youth from being independent. ROP works under the national Covenant House Mission and five principles:

The Covenant House Mission: We who recognize God’s providence and fidelity to his people are dedicated to living out his covenant among ourselves and those children we serve, with absolute respect and unconditional love. That commitment calls us to serve suffering children of the street, and to protect and safeguard all children. Just as Christ in his humanity is the visible sign of God’s presence among his people, so our efforts together in the covenant community are a visible sign that effects the presence of God, working through the holy spirit among ourselves and our kids.

The five principles:

Immediacy: In crisis, needing food, clothing, medical attention, and shelter, the kids who come to Covenant House are welcome day or night, without question or cost.
Sanctuary: We offer youth the opportunity for growth by providing protection from unsafe situations and street life. This enables youth to move forward toward positive goals, beyond the pain of their pasts.
Value Communication: The values of the streets are destructive. Through communication of positive values, we nourish in youth the belief that they can have a better future.
Structure: Stability is essential to the growth of our kids. We offer guidelines and plans youth can use to build a better future.
Choice: We encourage kids to make serious choices about their futures. We communicate to them that choice involves responsibility as well as rights.

A Team Approach
Covenant House Alaska uses a team approach to helping youth accomplish their goals. The ROP program starts with the belief that staff should provide youth with direction and options, while educating and encouraging them to make healthy choices. While the program emphasizes that unhealthy choices happen and have consequences, youth are reassured that unhealthy choices will not affect their relationships with the staff.

ROP is staffed by a program coordinator, two case managers, and three case workers who are integral in the lives of the youth. Case management is a critical part of the program, and each youth is assigned a case manager who works with him or her on goal development, education, employment, and life-skills development. In addition to the ROP staff, youth work with other Covenant House Alaska program staff to meet their goals.

During their stay in the program, youth are matched with a mentor, who provides them with healthy and stable relationship modeling. This corresponds with the program’s goal to provide youth with positive adult role models and confidants. The relationship between youth and adults is essential to the delivery of services and the development of success plans. The mentoring program screens volunteers, trains them intensively, and requires them to commit to monthly activities and meetings.

Youth Leadership Spreads Its Wings
Youth involvement is a significant part of the program and exists on two levels: in the ROP program and in the wider community.

Youth vote for a house president, who acts as the voice of the youth and works with staff on program policy that involves youth. House residents are responsible for weekly shopping as well as planning house activities such as holiday celebrations and retreats. Youth also help develop their case plans, identify their own goals, and work with staff to determine what level of support they need to accomplish their goals. Decisions are made with the youth in biweekly house meetings, and youth help revise the program handbook.

ROP youth have played an important part in educating the community on the program and on the plight the homeless. The Youth Enrichment program works to get youth involved within the community. Covenant House has developed successful working relationships with organizations, such as the United Way, the mayor’s office, and local banks, that offer professional opportunities for youth, from public speaking to volunteerism and internships.

Covenant House has developed the Young Ambassadors Speakers Bureau, which is designed to teach youth public-speaking skills and give them opportunities to share their voices with the community.

Valuing the Process
ROP gives youth a voice and the necessary tools to communicate effectively. Youth are encouraged to be leaders, representing the organization through public speaking and getting involved in community agencies through internships.

Staff members to recognize that their role is not to change or save the youth, but to provide a positive environment that incorporates youth strengths, gives them options and structure, and allows them to make mistakes and learn from natural consequences.

What makes ROP successful is the youth. Each youth’s accomplishments are measured not only in achievements, but also in what they have learned that may not have been an expectation of the program. It is important not only to measure the tangible, but to value the process. As a result, ROP has seen an increasing number of youth staying in the program and graduating.

What Works
(1) Strong mission and philosophy of care
(2) Communication
(3) Mentors and volunteers
(4) Ongoing staff training
(5) Flexibility
(6) Choice

Spread the Word
Staff conduct outreach around Anchorage to educate a variety of community members on Covenant House's Rights of Passage (ROP) program.

Funding
ROP is funded by grants and private donations.