PAL staff must ensure that a life skills assessment, appropriate to the youth’s individual needs, is conducted to assess the youth’s general readiness to live independently. DFPS and SSCC staff use the Casey Life Skills Assessment External Linkinstrument.

PAL staff or a PAL contract provider must administer the assessment according to the following time frames:

• If DFPS obtained permanent managing conservatorship before the youth turned 14 years old, within six months after the youth’s 14th birthday.
• If DFPS obtained permanent managing conservatorship after the youth’s 14th birthday, within six months after obtaining permanent managing conservatorship.
• If the youth is in DFPS temporary managing conservatorship, within six months after the youth’s 16th birthday.
• If the youth enters care at age 16 or older, within six months after the youth enters care.

PAL staff must ensure that an assessment is completed no later than the end of the PAL Life Skills training for each youth.

PAL staff or a PAL contract provider (depending on who administered the assessment) must explain the life skills assessment results to the youth. PAL staff must ensure the caseworker receives a copy of the youth’s assessment results.

The conservatorship caseworker collaborates with PAL staff to include the needs of the youth, identified in the assessment, in the Child’s Plan of Service (CPOS). The caseworker also conducts an annual update of the independent living skills the youth learned the preceding year to ensure the youth is being prepared for a successful transition to adulthood. As part of the annual update, the conservatorship caseworker must review the original assessment responses and document the youth’s progress and continued needs in the youth’s CPOS.

See 6241 The Child’s Plan of Service (CPOS).