Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services

1. Predictors of Post-School Success for Youth with Disabilities:Collaborating with our Partners to Make Success Happen Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services

2. Interagency Collaboration Collaborative Service Delivery Collaborative Framework Information taken from Dr. Paula Kohler’s Taxonomy for Transition Programming

3. Collaborative Service Delivery • Key Components • Reducing system barriers • Braided funding • Collaborative development & use of assessment data • Shared delivery of transition services • Information dissemination among agencies • Collaborative programming (with employers, special AND regular education teachers, vocational instructors, higher education, VR)

4. Collaborative Framework • Key Components • Interagency coordinating body • Formal interagency agreement • Roles clearly articulated • Established communication methods • Shared student information • Single case management system • Lead agency identified • Designated transition contact for all providers

5. How do we make Interagency Collaboration work? • In OK we ask: • Who is NOT at the table? • Who do we need to include to make this happen? • Who can help develop, disseminate, or move this along? • Who is or may already be doing something like this that we could join? • What else can we do to help youth? Families? Schools? Our staff?

6. PARTNERS • Schools • Higher educational institutions • State agencies • Advisory councils • Parents/parent groups • Private businesses • Community Rehabilitation Programs • Disability Organizations • Career and Technology Education Centers • Governor’s Workforce and Economic Development Council • National Organizations

7. EXTERNAL COMMITTEES • IDEA B Advisory • OK Directors of Special Services (ODSS) • Metro ODSS • OK Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) • Alliance for Full Participation • OK Family Network • OK Health Information Plan • Project SEARCH Partners • Business Advisory Councils • Supported Employment Leadership Network • Governor’s Youth Council and Subcommittees • OK Commission on Children and Youth, Strengthening Transition for Custody Youth • Council for State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (Transition) • Oklahoma Transition Council

8. Enough meetings?

9. Ever feel like this? Our roles do have to fluctuate. Cartoon drawing of a woman with caption “hmmm…what to wear, what to wear?” with 5 hats “coach, facilitator, negotiator, evaluator, and mediator”

10. What do we do? • Focus on how to help youth achieve success. • Realize what is important. • Find ways to make processes easier. • Work with staff, other colleagues, agencies, councils, etc.

11. What do we do? • Partner, partner, partner. • Did someone say PARTNER? • CREATE! • And • DISSEMINATE!

12. Challenges • We admit: • We don’t reach all youth with disabilities; • Not all school staff (or families) know about us and what we offer or who we serve; • Not all families don’t always learn about DRS and why they should apply for services OR what they do learn is not accurate; • Not all SSA recipients will go to work, even though we serve them throughout high school;

13. Challenges • We admit: • Some youth we serve while in high school end up unsuccessful closures; • There are underserved populations (e.g., those on 504 Plans) and un-served populations (others with disabilities); • It isn’t always easy;

14. Challenges • We admit: • Families must be involved in the process and on board with employment as an outcome; • We cannot and should not do it alone; and • We always have room to improve!!!

15. It’s not always easy! Cartoon drawing of two mules trying to eat hay, pulling in different directions, thinking about a solution, eating the same pile, and switching piles

16. What do we do about it? • Identify needs • Create partnerships and find ways to step outside the box. • Create tools and resources • Implement and disseminate

17. What do we do about it? • We partner and create! • Sample IEP Goals for DRS Services • Need identified because: • DRS services not reflected in IEPs; and • Token, generic, noncompliant transition goals. • Developed in-house, reviewed by colleagues across the US (NSTTAC, business, schools) • Updated frequently, disseminated to staff and schools

18. SAMPLE IEP GOALS FOR DRS SERVICES

19. SAMPLE IEP GOALS FOR DRS SERVICES

20. What do we do about it? • We partner and create! • Transition Care Notebook • Partnered with Oklahoma Family Network • Need identified because: • Children served in NICU are in transition. • Initiated at a conference and worked on all year (work group of school staff, DRS, parents, DD Council) • Unveiled final product at 7th Annual OTI.

21. Transition Care Notebook

22. Transition care notebook My Accommodations Accommodations are changes to your work or educational environment that allow you to perform at your best. Think about what helps you the most to be successful in work and school (e.g., what helps you see, hear, work, understand, learn, concentrate, communicate, and move around).

23. What do we do about it? • We partner and create! • Oklahoma Transition Institute (OTI) • Partnered with Oklahoma Transition Council • Annual conference/planning institute • Regional teams develop a plan • Conference format • $60,000 event shared by more than 30 partners—lots of in-kind support. • “The” state’s transition training!

24. What do we do about it? • We partner and create! • Timeline of Transition Activities • Partnered with Oklahoma Transition Council • Need identified because: • The Transition Planning Folder was a huge hit. • We needed something easy to update. • We needed to start at birth. • Unveiled draft at 7th Annual OTI.

25. Timeline of transition activities

26. WHAT HELPS GUIDE OUR WORK? • Predictors of post-school success identified by the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) • Career Awareness: Students with more job search skills and career awareness achieved higher rates of post-school employment. • Community Experiences: Students who participated in community-based training (social skills, independent living skills, public transportation, OJT) which involved instruction in non-school, natural environments were more likely to be engaged in post-school employment • Exit Exam Requirements/High School Diploma Status: Students with high scores on academic exams, high GPAs, and a diploma achieved higher rates of post-school employment.

27. WHAT HELPS GUIDE OUR WORK? • Predictors of post-school success identified by the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) • Inclusion in General Education: Students who took general education classes were 5 times more likely to attend postsecondary education, be employed, and live independently.. • Interagency Collaboration: The more agencies involved in serving youth the more likely the youth were to attend postsecondary education or be employed. • Occupational Courses: Students who took more hours of academic and occupational courses and spent more time in regular education were more likely to be engaged in post-school employment

28. WHAT HELPS GUIDE OUR WORK? • Predictors of post-school success identified by the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) • Paid Employment/Work Experiences: Students who had 2 or more paid jobs or year-round employment during high school were more likely to be employed after high school. • Parental Involvement: Students who had 1 or more parents attend IEP meetings in 11th and 12th grade were more likely to be employed. • Program of Study: Students who participated in school-based programs with a career focus who had a defined career goal were more likely to be employed with benefits. • Self-Advocacy/Self-Determination: Students with higher self-determination skills were more likely to be employed.

29. WHAT HELPS GUIDE OUR WORK? • Predictors of post-school success identified by the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) • Self-Care/Independent Living Skills: Students with high daily living skills were more likely to have a higher quality of life (independent living) and be engaged in post-school employment. • Social Skills: Students with high social skills were more likely to have a higher quality of life (independent living) and be engaged in post-school employment . • Student Support: Students who had support from family/friends/teachers, were satisfied with instruction, and spent more time with family and friends tended to have a higher quality of life and post-school employment.

30. WHAT HELPS GUIDE OUR WORK? • Predictors of post-school success identified by the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) • Transition Program: Students who met 4 or more transition goals, had agency support, and had comprehensive transition planning were more likely to be engaged in postsecondary education or employment. • Vocational Education: Students who took more academic and vocational courses and had technology training were more likely to be engaged in postsecondary education or employment. • Work Study: Students who participated in work study or internships were more likely to be employed.

31. HOW ARE WE USING THIS INFORMATION? • We are working in developing No-Cost and Low-Cost activities that we can work on with our youth and encourage schools and families to do as well. • Career Awareness: Job Club, job shadowing, use of technology, Tech-Now, parents share their day, take kids to work • Partners: Tribal VR, SSA, businesses, CareerTech, parents • Community Experiences: Have clients attend meetings with us, use You Tube, use rehab teachers in summer, practice public transportation, immerse in other cultures for diversity • Partners: Rehab Teachers, DOT, Tribal VR, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

32. HOW ARE WE USING THIS INFORMATION? • Interagency Collaboration: Use vendors for expertise, partner with Workforce, meet with IHEs about documentation and accommodations, cross train with agencies • Partners: Community Rehab Programs, Workforce Oklahoma, higher education, other state agencies, OK Commission on Children and Youth, State Regents for Higher Education, Parent Centers and Organizations • Occupational Courses: Work with CareerTech and higher education to allow better access for students with disabilities and a range of courses for individuals with significant disabilities; help identify them or create new ones (work with Dept. of Ed.) • Paid Employment/Work Experiences: Encourage youth to have typical youth jobs (i.e., babysitting, mowing lawns) and chores, summer programs, Project SEARCH™

33. HOW ARE WE USING THIS INFORMATION? • In OK last year, we had more than 1,500 youth in paid work either during the school day, evenings, weekends, summer, etc. Graphic “work promotes confidence”, plus sign, man holding money bag, equal sign, picture of baby holding fist of sand on the beach and “success”

34. HOW ARE WE USING THIS INFORMATION? • Parental Involvement: Provide translation as often as possible, and provide training to parents on how to foster independence • Parent Center and other organizations, Tribal VR, Tribal Parent Organizations • Program of Study: Provide suggestions for course of study on IEP; help the team see the long-term plan; encourage enrollment in Tech-Now or concurrent enrollment when appropriate • State Department of Education, LEAs, parent groups • Self-Advocacy/Self-Determination: Provide parent academies, have mentors, use free curriculum, and encourage volunteering • Developmental Disabilities Council, parent organizations, higher education

35. HOW ARE WE USING THIS INFORMATION? • Social Skills: Provide social skills training, and host social events for youth to learn and practice their skills in a safe environment • LEAs, OK Transition Council, Development Disabilities Council, Workforce and Youth Summits • Student Support: Encourage peer mentoring and tutoring amongst clients and former clients

36. What do we do about it? • We partner and create! • Tech-Now Inc. • Partner with Tech-Now Inc., public schools, and CareerTech • Need identified because: • Students need to learn technology. • Students may not have many options for electives. • Students do not typically have designated time to research careers and work solely on transition and career development activities. Logo for Tech-Now

37. What do we do about it? • Tech-Now Inc. Cereal Box Picture of a flattened out cereal box created in Tech-Now, has information about what it takes to become a pre-k teacher.

38. What do we do about it? • Tech-Now Inc. Cereal Box Picture of a flattened out cereal box created in Tech-Now, has information about what it takes to get a job in law enforcement

39. Transition Planning Folder, State Rehab Council

40. Keeping track of your progress, State Rehab Council

41. Strong partnerships • Common vision • Give new ideas and different perspective • Help share resources • Extend the message to a broader audience • Reduces duplication and MORE meetings to attend • Improves communication and mutual understanding • Helps serve youth!

42. “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” Henry Ford Photo of hands on top of one another

43. When We Partner We Get Things Done Make Change Happen Road sign “possibilities”

44. SUGGESTIONS What do you do (or would like to do) to address some of the predictors?

45. How can you access our info? • E-mail kosmani@okdrs.gov for any/all information to be sent as an attachment. • Transition Planning Folder can be found at www.okrehab.orgor www.okrehabcouncil.org. • Keeping Track of Your Progress for Transition is in draft status. E-mail for final version or visit www.okrehabcouncil.org.

46. CONTACTS • Michael Layne, Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist, Visual Services M.S., CRC, LPC • mlayne@okdrs.gov • (580) 310-5306 • Kimberly Osmani, Transition Coordinator, M.Ed. • kosmani@okdrs.gov • (405) 635-2768