Our Services
Diverse group of five highschool-aged friends

Transition-Age Youth Services

Wraparound services for young adults including housing, mental health, substance use services, employment, and education support.

VOA Alaska’s Transition-Aged Services program provides a safe, supportive, and structured environment where young adults ages 18–24 can build resilience, strengthen their mental health, and continue their recovery journey while overcoming barriers to independence.

The program empowers young adults to develop and practice interpersonal and group skills, strengthen recovery skills, and remain integrated or reintegrate into their community, family, and relationships.

Three Phases of Support:

  • Stabilization, crisis support, and peer groups to build wellness and connection.
  • To build independence, clinical, psychiatric, and medical support services, employment, and education.
  • Graduation planning and transition to self-sufficiency.
Val talks to VOA Alaska staff.
Youth smiling in conversation in group counseling

Having someone in my corner, even when I didn’t think I deserved that, meant so much. You showed me that I was worth it. I couldn’t have found the strength by myself.

Young adult graduate of VOA's TAY Services Program

Helping Transition-Age Youth overcome barriers in their continued recovery, mental health and wellbeing. ​

Three people sitting around a table, looking off screen, with video game controllers in hand.
Client watching the fingers of a therapist during an EMDR session

Mental Health Group & Individual Therapy (18-24) Empowering young adults to learn coping skills and build resilience through individual, group, and family therapy, psychiatric evaluations, and medication management.

Outpatient, Low Intensity (Ages 18-24) Provides individual and group therapy for individuals with co-occurring substance use and mental health needs.

Intensive Outpatient (Ages 18–24) Provides 9 or more hours per week of individual and group therapy for young adults with co-occurring substance use and mental health needs. This level of care is designed for those who require more structure and support than low-intensity outpatient treatment, but do not need full residential services.

Day Treatment (Ages 18-24) The partial hospitalization, or Day Treatment, program provides a combination of therapeutic services for co-occurring substance use and mental health symptoms, with education and employment-focused services to aid youth in transitioning to young adulthood.

Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Helping young adults with mental health or substance use challenges secure and maintain meaningful jobs through rapid job searches, individualized supports, and ongoing assistance

Crisis Intervention & Interim Services VOA’s Rapid Response team offers on-call behavioral health support, interim services, and care navigation for youth ages 13-24 and their families. Call (907-) 419-4158 to connect with a clinician or peer support specialist.

*The Alaska affiliate does not own or operate any housing units. However, a program with the VOA National office does operate four affordable housing properties in Alaska. Click here to learn more about Affordable Housing with Volunteers of America. 

Transition-Age Youth Day Treatment​

We carry out this program as a living expression of VOA Alaska’s mission: to empower Alaskans and uplift the human spirit. Here, young people find a safe, supportive, and healing community where they can strengthen resilience, nurture hope, and move toward independence.

This work is more than a program — it reflects who we are. At VOA Alaska, we walk alongside youth and families, honoring their journeys with courage, connection, and responsibility, and creating pathways for brighter futures.

 Psychotherapy Groups

  • DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy): Focuses on mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness through practice and skill-building.
  • Seeking Safety: Present-focused coping skills approach for safety from trauma and/or addiction.
  • Emotional Regulation and anger Management: Through discussions, journaling, and activities, this program builds awareness of emotions and teaches healthier responses to stress and anger.

Employment & Education

  • IPS Employment Readiness: Prepares participants for the workforce through confidence-building, job search strategies, interview skills, workplace expectations, and presentation.

Social and Community Involvement

  • Sober Activities: Helps young adults learn hobbies/skills that do not involve substances (arts, crafts, cultural activities, NA meetings).
  • Community Lunch/Building: Encourages community connection through shared meals, cultural activities, and value-based group roles.
  • Life Skills: Focuses on daily adulting needs (cooking, cleaning, budgeting, hygiene, sexual health, responsibilities).
  • Healthy Relationships: Teaches communication, trust, boundaries, and role-playing to foster balanced, positive connections.

Substance Use Recovery-Focused Groups

  • Living in Balance: Education-based program on early recovery, stress, emotional wellbeing, anger, and communication.
  • Building Resilience: Develops coping mechanisms for adversity, focusing on issues like anger, anxiety, depression, grief, and self-esteem.
  • Recovery Skills: Covers refusal skills, making friends, readiness for change, and sustaining progress in treatment.
  • Relapse Prevention: Teaches triggers, cravings, guilt, and shame management; guides in creating relapse prevention plans.
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