Working Together for Hoosier Youth

Working Together for
Hoosier Youth

By Faith Thomas,
Indiana Institute on Disability and Community

The transition stakeholders in Indiana work together to achieve successful transition outcomes for exiting high school students. There are five primary strategies utilized by local areas to customize transition services to meet their communities’ needs. These five strategies include the following:

Community transition councils/interagency teams develop local supports and information resources for students, parents, and teachers.
Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) provides services to eligible students beginning in the summer prior to their final year of high school.
School districts or special education districts contract with local community rehabilitation programs (adult employment providers) to provide transition services.
Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) has provided transition grants to five schools in the state to develop transition programs for VRS-eligible youth.
Schools provide community-based services for students 18-21 years old with the support of the local transition stakeholders.

Community transition councils
In the early 1990s, many schools and communities established community transition councils as part of the Systems Change grant. While many councils thrived in their initial years of development, over time they have struggled to maintain their momentum and achieve their desired outcomes. Currently, there are 25 councils in Indiana. Council membership typically includes key transition stakeholders in the community, i.e., students, parents, special education teachers, VRS Counselors, community rehabilitation programs (CRP), Area Agency on Aging, Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services, One-Stop Centers (WIA and Employment Services), community colleges/universities, and residential providers. Some councils have expanded to include representatives from local businesses to obtain input on employers’ needs and expectations.

The common purpose of the councils is to improve students’ transition outcomes. There are various activities used for achieving this goal; however, most focus on information dissemination. Methods vary from council to council for sharing information. Some typical examples include:

Sharing agency updates and policy changes as a standard part of monthly transition council meetings. It is anticipated council members will share this information with students, parents, and colleagues.
Publishing newsletters on a scheduled calendar and distributing to all high school students with disabilities and their parents.
Maintaining web sites to provide updates and essential transition information for students and parents.
Creating and maintaining resource directories to provide general transition information. Directories often include a timeline for transition activities, as well as information on local social services agencies and contacts for students and parents to access services.
Offering transition fairs (or forums) to provide opportunities for one-on-one interaction between students and their parents with social service agencies and other providers. These fairs have had different levels of success across Indiana. Most fairs’ agendas are the same. Typically, representatives from the local social service agencies and providers present information about their services and their application processes. Universities, community colleges, employers, and local recreation establishments may also attend. It is common for breakout sessions to be offered on a variety of issues for students and parents.
Although most fairs are similar, their student and parent attendance is quite varied. Some fairs boast attendance rates of 150-250 people while others are disappointed with only a handful of people attending. There does not appear to be an obvious cause for this discrepancy. While marketing efforts may include flyers distributed to students, mailings directly to students’ homes, cable television announcements, press releases in local papers, and offering free child care during the event, it does not seem to have a direct impact on attendance. The only obvious difference is the fairs with the highest attendance offered a meal as part of the event. Councils are striving to improve attendance by looking at scheduling their events in conjunction with other planned events such as open houses and parent-teacher conferences. Other councils have begun offering fairs every other academic year to increase interest when the fairs are offered.
Sponsoring transition in-services or training events is another way to share information and provide instruction. The topics of in-services vary depending on local needs and focus on providing information to classroom teachers with open invitations to parents and family members. Some councils and local communities develop their own trainings, while others access the Indiana’s University Center for Excellence to conduct or support the training events. Examples of trainings include, but are not limited to: functional assessments, vocational profiles, person-centered planning, transition laws and policies, basics of transition, supported employment, and Vocational Rehabilitation Services and school collaboration.
Addressing disability awareness to promote the needs and issues of people with disabilities to the general student population and local community is an important component of many councils. Councils have sponsored guest speakers at high school assemblies as well as organized disability fairs with activities demonstrating the impact of various disabilities on individuals’ daily lives.

Not only do councils disseminate information, but they also use other methods to improve transition outcomes for students exiting high school. Many councils may actively collect data from local students, parents, employers, and community members to analyze the schools’ curriculum and ensure transition is being adequately addressed and responding to local community’s needs. Other councils establish a process for referring students to VRS for employment services prior to exiting high school, as discussed in the following section.

VRS serving students beginning in the summer before the exit year
Schools and Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) are the only partners mandated to provide transition services by the Rehabilitation Act Amendment of 1998. In accordance with this legislation, VRS has a timeline of activities for providing employment services and training to students exiting high school. These activities may be supported and coordinated by the special education teachers, VRS counselor, or transition council. Below is a timeline summary:

VRS Counselor attends junior case conferences (or year prior to exiting) of students prioritized with school staff. When a VRS counselor does not attend the conference, written information is provided to the student and family members.
In the summer before the student’s senior year (or year of exit), the VRS Counselor takes the student’s application for VRS, determines eligibility, and completes the Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) that compliments the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals.
If needed, VRS funds the student’s chosen community rehabilitation program to complete a vocational assessment.
During the final year of high school, VRS funds the student’s chosen community rehabilitation program to provide employment services to the student. These supports and their duration are based on the individual student’s needs and may include job development and job coaching or focus on transitioning the student from the school job coaching supports to the adult supports. The latter facilitates a smoother transition for the student from school to adult life. The goal of these services is for students to be placed in permanent jobs prior to exiting high school.

Offering these services benefits the students, the school, and VRS. First, it connects students to an employment funding source with the opportunity for a seamless transition from high school to adult life to occur. It also lessens the likelihood of students exiting from school without the necessary supports to obtain and retain competitive employment. Second, it allows for schools to provide consultation to the CRPs (adult employment providers) on what support strategies work well and what does not work for individual students. It also enables schools to redistribute their staff resources. After exiting students are supported by adult providers, it offers the opportunity for school job coaches to spend more time with younger students and strengthen their transition services. And third, by connecting with students prior to exiting school, VRS is able to enroll more students, and build upon students’ IEP goals and the success of their high school experiences. This increases the likelihood that students will achieve positive closures within a timely period.

Contracting with community rehabilitation programs
This strategy of schools contracting with community rehabilitation programs (CRP) has been an effective method for providing the necessary employment and self-determination skills for students. By contracting with a CRP, the school utilizes the skills and expertise of the CRP staff to enhance the transition program. Common activities conducted by the CRP include facilitating person-centered planning processing, conducting community-based vocational assessments, developing vocational profiles, offering job coaching to support students with severe disabilities in competitive community jobs, training school staff in best practices of supported employment, and applying self-determination curriculum in typical community settings.

VRS transition grants
Five years ago Indiana VRS offered a grant opportunity for special education districts to provide transition services to high school youth who were eligible for VRS services. The grant funds were seed money for schools to develop transition programs based on promising transition practices. Four schools developed transition programs with these funds and are in their final year of grant funding. With these funds, schools have developed transition curriculum, offered community-based career exploration, provided job-coaching supports, and provided permanent job placement prior to students exiting high school.

18 to 21-year-old community-based services
As in many other states, Indiana is identifying ways to provide age-appropriate activities for students who are 18-21 years old. A few model projects have developed community-based services enabling youth to spend 100% of their school day off campus. By connecting with adult funders, the goal of these services is to ensure the students’ last day of high school looks the same as their first day of adult life. Agencies working together to provide services and fund activities include Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services, VRS, Medicaid Waiver, and the school district.

Guided by person-centered plans, the schools develop individualized services for students in their home communities and work to identify long-term supports to maintain these activities upon exiting school. Embedded throughout their activities, students are taught and apply self-determination skills in their communities.

This article provides a glimpse into the strategies used by transition stakeholders in Indiana to support transition-aged youth. In conclusion, it is essential to note the foundation of successful transition activities is collaborative relationships between all the transition stakeholders. By working together, sharing information, focusing on improving students’ outcomes, and getting to know each other, relationships can be forged to creatively address the students’ transition needs that are unique within each community.

For more information on these activities, contact Faith Thomas, Indiana Institute on Disability and Community at (812)855-6508 or via e-mail at fmthomas@indiana.edu.

	Working Together for Hoosier Youth By Faith Thomas, Indiana Institute on Disability and Community The transition stakeholders in Indiana work together to achieve successful transition outcomes for exiting high school students. There are five primary strategies utilized by local areas to customize transition services to meet their communities’ needs. These five strategies include the following: Community transition councils/interagency teams develop local supports and information resources for students, parents, and teachers. Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) provides services to eligible students beginning in the summer prior to their final year of high school. School districts or special education districts contract with local community rehabilitation programs (adult employment providers) to provide transition services. Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) has provided transition grants to five schools in the state to develop transition programs for VRS-eligible youth. Schools provide community-based services for students 18-21 years old with the support of the local transition stakeholders. Community transition councils In the early 1990s, many schools and communities established community transition councils as part of the Systems Change grant. While many councils thrived in their initial years of development, over time they have struggled to maintain their momentum and achieve their desired outcomes. Currently, there are 25 councils in Indiana. Council membership typically includes key transition stakeholders in the community, i.e., students, parents, special education teachers, VRS Counselors, community rehabilitation programs (CRP), Area Agency on Aging, Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services, One-Stop Centers (WIA and Employment Services), community colleges/universities, and residential providers. Some councils have expanded to include representatives from local businesses to obtain input on employers’ needs and expectations. The common purpose of the councils is to improve students’ transition outcomes. There are various activities used for achieving this goal; however, most focus on information dissemination. Methods vary from council to council for sharing information. Some typical examples include: Sharing agency updates and policy changes as a standard part of monthly transition council meetings. It is anticipated council members will share this information with students, parents, and colleagues. Publishing newsletters on a scheduled calendar and distributing to all high school students with disabilities and their parents. Maintaining web sites to provide updates and essential transition information for students and parents. Creating and maintaining resource directories to provide general transition information. Directories often include a timeline for transition activities, as well as information on local social services agencies and contacts for students and parents to access services. Offering transition fairs (or forums) to provide opportunities for one-on-one interaction between students and their parents with social service agencies and other providers. These fairs have had different levels of success across Indiana. Most fairs’ agendas are the same. Typically, representatives from the local social service agencies and providers present information about their services and their application processes. Universities, community colleges, employers, and local recreation establishments may also attend. It is common for breakout sessions to be offered on a variety of issues for students and parents. Although most fairs are similar, their student and parent attendance is quite varied. Some fairs boast attendance rates of 150-250 people while others are disappointed with only a handful of people attending. There does not appear to be an obvious cause for this discrepancy. While marketing efforts may include flyers distributed to students, mailings directly to students’ homes, cable television announcements, press releases in local papers, and offering free child care during the event, it does not seem to have a direct impact on attendance. The only obvious difference is the fairs with the highest attendance offered a meal as part of the event. Councils are striving to improve attendance by looking at scheduling their events in conjunction with other planned events such as open houses and parent-teacher conferences. Other councils have begun offering fairs every other academic year to increase interest when the fairs are offered. Sponsoring transition in-services or training events is another way to share information and provide instruction. The topics of in-services vary depending on local needs and focus on providing information to classroom teachers with open invitations to parents and family members. Some councils and local communities develop their own trainings, while others access the Indiana’s University Center for Excellence to conduct or support the training events. Examples of trainings include, but are not limited to: functional assessments, vocational profiles, person-centered planning, transition laws and policies, basics of transition, supported employment, and Vocational Rehabilitation Services and school collaboration. Addressing disability awareness to promote the needs and issues of people with disabilities to the general student population and local community is an important component of many councils. Councils have sponsored guest speakers at high school assemblies as well as organized disability fairs with activities demonstrating the impact of various disabilities on individuals’ daily lives. Not only do councils disseminate information, but they also use other methods to improve transition outcomes for students exiting high school. Many councils may actively collect data from local students, parents, employers, and community members to analyze the schools’ curriculum and ensure transition is being adequately addressed and responding to local community’s needs. Other councils establish a process for referring students to VRS for employment services prior to exiting high school, as discussed in the following section. VRS serving students beginning in the summer before the exit year Schools and Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) are the only partners mandated to provide transition services by the Rehabilitation Act Amendment of 1998. In accordance with this legislation, VRS has a timeline of activities for providing employment services and training to students exiting high school. These activities may be supported and coordinated by the special education teachers, VRS counselor, or transition council. Below is a timeline summary: VRS Counselor attends junior case conferences (or year prior to exiting) of students prioritized with school staff. When a VRS counselor does not attend the conference, written information is provided to the student and family members. In the summer before the student’s senior year (or year of exit), the VRS Counselor takes the student’s application for VRS, determines eligibility, and completes the Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) that compliments the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals. If needed, VRS funds the student’s chosen community rehabilitation program to complete a vocational assessment. During the final year of high school, VRS funds the student’s chosen community rehabilitation program to provide employment services to the student. These supports and their duration are based on the individual student’s needs and may include job development and job coaching or focus on transitioning the student from the school job coaching supports to the adult supports. The latter facilitates a smoother transition for the student from school to adult life. The goal of these services is for students to be placed in permanent jobs prior to exiting high school. Offering these services benefits the students, the school, and VRS. First, it connects students to an employment funding source with the opportunity for a seamless transition from high school to adult life to occur. It also lessens the likelihood of students exiting from school without the necessary supports to obtain and retain competitive employment. Second, it allows for schools to provide consultation to the CRPs (adult employment providers) on what support strategies work well and what does not work for individual students. It also enables schools to redistribute their staff resources. After exiting students are supported by adult providers, it offers the opportunity for school job coaches to spend more time with younger students and strengthen their transition services. And third, by connecting with students prior to exiting school, VRS is able to enroll more students, and build upon students’ IEP goals and the success of their high school experiences. This increases the likelihood that students will achieve positive closures within a timely period. Contracting with community rehabilitation programs This strategy of schools contracting with community rehabilitation programs (CRP) has been an effective method for providing the necessary employment and self-determination skills for students. By contracting with a CRP, the school utilizes the skills and expertise of the CRP staff to enhance the transition program. Common activities conducted by the CRP include facilitating person-centered planning processing, conducting community-based vocational assessments, developing vocational profiles, offering job coaching to support students with severe disabilities in competitive community jobs, training school staff in best practices of supported employment, and applying self-determination curriculum in typical community settings. VRS transition grants Five years ago Indiana VRS offered a grant opportunity for special education districts to provide transition services to high school youth who were eligible for VRS services. The grant funds were seed money for schools to develop transition programs based on promising transition practices. Four schools developed transition programs with these funds and are in their final year of grant funding. With these funds, schools have developed transition curriculum, offered community-based career exploration, provided job-coaching supports, and provided permanent job placement prior to students exiting high school. 18 to 21-year-old community-based services As in many other states, Indiana is identifying ways to provide age-appropriate activities for students who are 18-21 years old. A few model projects have developed community-based services enabling youth to spend 100% of their school day off campus. By connecting with adult funders, the goal of these services is to ensure the students’ last day of high school looks the same as their first day of adult life. Agencies working together to provide services and fund activities include Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services, VRS, Medicaid Waiver, and the school district. Guided by person-centered plans, the schools develop individualized services for students in their home communities and work to identify long-term supports to maintain these activities upon exiting school. Embedded throughout their activities, students are taught and apply self-determination skills in their communities. This article provides a glimpse into the strategies used by transition stakeholders in Indiana to support transition-aged youth. In conclusion, it is essential to note the foundation of successful transition activities is collaborative relationships between all the transition stakeholders. By working together, sharing information, focusing on improving students’ outcomes, and getting to know each other, relationships can be forged to creatively address the students’ transition needs that are unique within each community. For more information on these activities, contact Faith Thomas, Indiana Institute on Disability and Community at (812)855-6508 or via e-mail at fmthomas@indiana.edu.

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