Family Plus Counseling Services

The Life Skills Program at the Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home helps youth develop essential skills for independence and success. Designed for young people ages 14–17 who have experienced trauma, incarceration, or are at risk of incarceration, the program serves residents of the Methodist Children’s Home as well as youth in group and foster homes across twenty-nine parishes, including Monroe, Covington, Lake Charles, and Lafayette. Participants learn vital life skills such as personal hygiene, financial literacy, checkbook balancing, meal planning, housing readiness, parenting, sex education, and job-seeking techniques. These lessons equip them to make positive choices and manage emotions in healthy, productive ways—skills that are especially beneficial for those working through anger or behavioral challenges.

The program extends support beyond the initial training, allowing participants aged 18–21 to return for continued Case Management Services and to refresh their skills as they transition into adulthood. Through partnerships with churches, schools, and transitional living facilities, the Life Skills Training Centers provide a community-based approach that helps youth build confidence, responsibility, and self-sufficiency. Additional initiatives include the NextChapter Employment Preparation Program, the Youth Engagement Program, and the Hope Chest Donation Program, which provides household essentials to young adults moving into their first apartments.

At its core, the Life Skills Program emphasizes compassion, consistency, and personal growth. Staff members are dedicated to guiding each youth toward independence while fostering emotional stability and resilience—key components of managing anger, reducing conflict, and building a healthy, self-directed future.