A youth in DFPS-paid substitute care, who is age 16 or older, must receive a Preparation for Adult Living (PAL) independent life skills assessment and life skills training, unless the youth refuses to do so. PAL staff must document efforts to encourage the youth to accept these services.

PAL staff must inform a youth eligible to receive these services that participation in PAL Life Skills Training (for a youth able to participate in training) is a prerequisite for receiving the transitional living allowance. See 10241 Qualifications for PAL Transitional Living Allowance.

PAL services are available to all eligible youth regardless of disability. For youth with disabilities, PAL staff, or equivalent Single Source Continuum Contractor (SSCC) staff, must work with the following:

• Conservatorship caseworker
• Education specialist
• Developmental disability specialist
• Local permanency specialist
• Other equivalent SSCC staff

This is to help coordinate and ensure receipt of any of the following:

• PAL program documents
• Life Skills Training verification documents
• Eligible payments
• All available services that should be provided to youth