Without each of these components, youths are much more likely to re-offend or be unsuccessful in placement. The goal is to continue the delivery of services that began in the residential program and to successfully reintegrate higher risk students into their communities.

Youth entering the AMI aftercare services will progress through a series of phases designed to provide the opportunity for increasing responsibility and privileges. Each phase will build on the skills and performance demonstrated in the previous phase, and students will earn flexibility to move through the program based on their behavior and performances. Because each student is different, the system allows the program to determine each youth's needs and what services are necessary and to modify the plan immediately to increase or decrease service delivery. The length of stay will vary in each phase, but youth's are more motivated to meet their goals when they are involved in the plan and have some control over the speed with which they progress through the phase.

Phase 1 begins while the youth is in residential placement and builds the foundation for the youth's placement in aftercare. Phase 2 begins when the youth is transferred to the nonresidential institute and is enrolled in the day program and evening extended services with intense supervision. Students in Phase 2 will also participate in activities for approximately 8 hours on Saturdays and Sundays and are not allowed to leave their homes during the evening. Phase 3 allows youth who have completed extended services to attend the day program and be involved in other activities, such as work after school and on weekends, or to begin a placement in the community (day job or public school) and participate in extended services activities. Students continue to be monitored at home for curfew and staff is on call 24 hours a day. In Phase 4 each youth is closely supervised by a community coordinator, Phase 4 students have a full time placement in the community, which allows them to continue working on their long-term goals. The community coordinator monitors the youth's success in placement and provides curfew tracking and supervision while the youth lives at home. Phase 5 youth continue placement with periodic monitoring from the community coordinator. Those youths are encouraged to participate in Institute activities, but would not receive tracking services unless needed. When students complete this final phase, they will enter the AMI three-year follow-up system.