History

In October of 2007, the Rural Institute (RI) on Disabilities was awarded a Project of National Significance from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The purpose of this award was to create an information and resource center around Transition. MT-TIRC, the Montana Transition Training, Information and Resource Center, was formed, and an advisory board was created to provide direction and input to the center's activities. The MT-TIRC board was made up of at least 51% of youth with developmental disabilities, along with parents and representatives from schools, the Montana Developmental Disabilities Program, the Montana Council on Developmental Disabilities, Disability Rights Montana (DRM), Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), the Office of Public Instruction (OPI), Parents, Let's Unite for Kids (PLUK), and Social Security (SS).

MT-TIRC has been committed to developing and disseminating information that improves the transition outcomes for youth with developmental disabilities (DD), particularly inclusive transition outcomes (in the community, alongside same-aged peers without disabilities) in the areas of education, employment, housing and recreation. As we worked with families, youth, schools and agencies we found that they needed help envisioning what an inclusive life as a young adult could look like. Where would they live? What would they do for fun during the day? Where would they work? Would they take classes or pursue a degree? What help would they need to do these things and who could help them?

The MT-TIRC advisory board provided input on training topics for webinars and conference presentations, presented during webinars and at conferences, and disseminated transition information while staffing conference exhibitor tables. The board members also identified various projects and issues they wanted to address and formed work groups to design products and publications. The three main work groups include: The Emerging Leader Project, the Portfolio Project, and the Mental Health Work Group.

Emerging Leader Showcase Project

The Emerging Leader (EL) Showcase was developed to help youth, families and schools create a vision for what life in the community could look like for young adults who have ongoing support needs. The advisory board formed a work group to come up with recruitment ideas, processes for interviewing leaders and capturing their stories, and strategies to disseminate information about the project and high quality transition outcomes and possibilities across the state and nationally.

Activities of the work group include:

• Presentations at conferences by Emerging Leaders about Emerging Leaders 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 CEC conferences, with Key Note in 2011; 2008 Montana Youth in Transition & MAR Conference; 2009, 2010, and 2011 Montana Youth in Transition Conferences; 2011 Integrated School Mental Health Conference)
• Presentations using Portfolios at middle and high schools by Emerging Leaders to other youth about Emerging Leaders
• Webinar presentations to national audiences by Emerging Leaders
• Work group members developed Emerging Leader recruitment Public Service Announcements, which were sent to two public television stations
• Tee shirts! The board selected the logo and shirt color. They participate in the sales of tee shirts at various events and conferences. The tee-shirts advertise the web site and sale proceeds are used to support advisory board members to attend meetings and conferences
• There is an Emerging Leader section of the Transition and Employment Projects web site
• Two annual newsletters compiling that year’s Emerging Leader stories
• A monthly Emerging Leader story disseminated through the Montana Transition Listserv
• Personal letters from Governor Schweitzer to each Emerging Leader thanking them for sharing their story
• A narrated PowerPoint presentation is in development created by Emerging Leaders about Emerging Leaders
• An Animoto video was created about Emerging Leaders and shared at the 2011 Transition Conference

We continue to recruit stories of young people with developmental disabilities who live, play, learn and/or work in inclusive ways in their community. We especially want to hear about youth and families who are self-directing their supports and creatively blending resources. These supports can be organized and managed by a funded adult agency or family and friends. We are also looking for examples of creative funding such as blended services and natural supports, use of SSA Work Incentives, privately funded services or some sort of traded or bartered supports. Emerging Leader Showcase stories can be found on the Transition and Employment Projects Emerging Leaders webpage.

Portfolio Work Group

The Portfolio work group is made up of seven youth who wanted to create their own Representational Portfolios and help Transition staff pilot long distance mentoring in developing Portfolios. The group has met by phone and Internet to receive training, review each other’s work, and receive feedback on their own Portfolios.

• Three youth presented their portfolios at the 2011 Transition Conference in Great Falls
• Three youth and one parent presented information and three Portfolios at a nationwide webinar on 8/16/2011
• One youth board member has presented her Portfolio at her IEP, to a middle school special education class, and to her high school special education class
• One parent and Rural Institute Project Director used the Portfolio to represent a student to prospective employers and secured positions at the University of Montana Math Department and Prudential Real Estate.

Mental Health Work Group

The issue was identified by a youth board member to address the needs of youth with DD and mental health concerns.  A group of three youth and the PLUK representative created a brochure to educate mental health professionals, families, and young adults about the unique needs of this population. PLUK formatted the brochure. Once the brochure was completed in June 2011, work group members were encouraged to continue their efforts through YouthMOVE.

• The Mental Health brochure was included on the OPI DVD toolkit "If You Really Knew MI," which raises awareness of the issue of mental Illness in youth.
• The brochure was disseminated to the Montana Transition Listserv and to the YouthMOVE and Rural Institute email distribution lists; it is also posted on the Transition and Employment Projects, DPHHS Children's Mental Health, PLUK/RI Online Transition Toolbox, and Montana Youth Transitions.
• The brochure will be used in an online university course taught by Dr. Rosemary Hughes and disseminated at a Summit Independent Living Center symposium.
• One work group member presented at the Integrated School Mental Health Initiative conference.

Other Activities:

Webinars

In 2011, a total of nine Webinars were offered free of charge to a national audience. Topics included:

• Overview of SSI and SSDI (4/19/11; 67 participants)
• Dating and Healthy Relationships (5/3/11; 43 participants; youth and Summit ILC presented)
• Social Security Work Incentives (5/17/11; 77 participants)
• Navigating Montana's DD program (6/21/11; 43 participatns; in collaboration with PTI and DDP)
• Parent to Parent: Critical Skills for Your Child to Develop (7/19/11; 33 participants)
• Portfolios: What are they? How can they be used? (8/16/11; 43 participants)
• Using Portfolios for Health Care Needs (9/20/11; 18 participants)
• Identifying and Communicating Support Needs (10/18/11; 44 participants)
• Work Experience in Rural Areas (11/15/11; 62 participants)

All webinars are archived on the Transition and Employment Projects Training Calendar webpage.

One youth Board member keynoted the CEC conference and the Region V PTAC conference in Colorado. View his CEC presentation on YouTube.

Listserv

• Transition information shared at least monthly with a listserv of over 1200 people
• Emerging Leader stories developed and shared monthly via the listserv

Technical Assistance

Technical assistance is provided mostly by phone and email to families, school and agency staff around the areas of transition and employment. We frequently get calls about Transition Assessment for youth with a significant impact of disability, IEP questions, questions about Social Security Work Incentives, resources for services and/or information. On occasion, on-site assistance is provided to youth and families, most commonly with job development efforts or participation in an IEP meeting.

Leadership Development of the Board Members

• One youth board member keynoted the 2011 CEC conference - the presentation was recorded and posted to YouTube and to the Advisory Board Face Book page
• Another youth board member presented at the Integrated School Mental Health Initiative conference
• Two board members took the initiative to get EL recruitments on local TV
• Members are participating much more on meeting calls, sharing information, leading discussions, taking roll call.
• Two board members wrote their own EL stories
• One parent used her daughter's Portfolio to negotiate two jobs with assistance from RI staff.

Evolution of the MT-TIRC Advisory Board to the Rural Institute Consumer Advisory Council

The funding from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities ended in September 2010. The work of MT-TIRC, the Advisory Board, the Emerging Leader Project, and several other Advisory Board work groups has continued with a mixture of funding from the Rural Institute on Disabilities CORE grant; the Montana Council on Developmental Disabilities (10/2010-9/2011); Montana's Children's Special Health Care Services (CSHS) (2/2011-12/2011); and fee-for-service activities completed by the Transition and Employment Projects staff. As of 10/1/11, the MT-TIRC Advisory Board will be renamed the Consumer Advisory Council for the Rural Institute on Disabilities. The Council currently consists of four parents of youth with DD, nine youth/young adults with DD, VR, DRM, PLUK, school, OPI, SSA, and CSHS. We meet quarterly. All five regions of the state are represented.

The council will expand their responsibilities beyond the scope of the Transition and Employment Projects to other projects within the Rural Institute. Board members will be asked to provide input into the Rural Institute’s five-year plan, participate on the search committee for a new Executive Director, and provide input to other Rural Institute Projects upon request.