About Us
Rivendel Independent Living, Inc. (RILI) has operated independent living communities for young adults, ages 18-24, since 2000. Through an array of diverse and innovative service styles, RILI has served over 500 young adults in transition.
We believe young adults are unique and so too must be any intervention. Avoiding the “one size fits all” approach, we provide a variety of services, which are intended to relate actions to “real world” consequences, both positive and negative.
We recognize that Peers are powerful. Social and psychological research demonstrates that peers can have a profound positive or negative influence on their fellow peers. As such, we promote a culture that emphasizes mutual dependency and accountability: Young adults enjoy equal status and share responsibility for one another’s welfare.
We strive to create a kind of “healthy” household environment where members become comfortable sharing their feelings without offending others or fearing repercussions. Conflict is natural, and it can be a part of any healthy family’s communication process for the purpose of exploring solutions and resolution. Healthy families negotiate and compromise. Each young adult has a chance to contribute to family discussions. In family projects, everyone’s involvement is encouraged.
We emphasize resiliency. In the right environmental conditions, anyone can eventually learn to rebound from adversity. We promote and maintain therapeutic settings, which fosters healing and creates opportunities for young adults to process and gain insight and strength from past experiences.
These principles are embodied in Rivendel’s practices, which are geared to help young adults develop the skills necessary for autonomous living, lifelong learning, a sense of personal worth, success at achieving goals and good citizenship.