The Lackawanna County Independent Living Collaborative is hosting its third annual networking event for direct service professionals working with youth in transition. Speed Networking 2.0 will be held on April 25, 2017 from 1-3 p.m. at the Allied Services – Stauffer Industrial Park. The event is being sponsored by Al lied Services. The goal of this event is to increase inter-disciplinary communication and knowledge in order to provide stronger, more comprehensive services for youth transitioning into adulthood. This is the third event of its kind since the IL Collaborative began in 2013. Representatives from multiple systems including education , substance abuse, mental health, juvenile probation , intellectual disabilities, and child welfare, along with community based agencies will come together to hear from a youth currently in the transition process and then to share information with one another.

The Lackawanna County Independent Living Collaborative is a group of approximately 30 plus agencies, schools , community agencies, mental health, substance abuse providers and the like who are serving youth ranging in age from 16-21 years-old and assisting them along the journey to adulthood. Increasing communication among providers is one of the primary goals of the IL Collaborative. This is achieved through networking opportunities and semi-annual trainings focused on topics related to transition age youth . Additional efforts center on access to transportation, affordable housing, and teen parenting. Since its inception in 2013, the Lackawanna County IL Collaborative has touched over 400 direct service professionals.

For more information about the Speed Networking 2.0 event or about the Independent Living Collaborative, please contact Lori Chaffers , MSW , Supervisor – Independent Living Unit
at 570-963-6781 or via email at [email protected].