Youth Transition Toolkit : A guide for young people with disabilities transitioning to adulthood

1. Youth Transition Toolkit: A guide for young people with disabilities transitioning to adulthood Rachel Stewart, Youth Program Manager

2. Overview • Personal and Project Background • Youth Transition Toolkit website design and features • Contents • Topics covered • Lesson Plans and Activities • Demonstration of website

3. My Personal Background • Born with spinal muscular atrophy, used a wheelchair since the age of 5 • Use personal care assistance • Transitioned to living independently for college • Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medi-Cal, and In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) • Ready to transition into the workforce -- SSI as an employment support vs. poverty trap • Work incentive programs • Resources are out there to help, but they’re hard to find if you don’t know where to look…

4. Funded by a Medicaid Infrastructure Grant (MIG) from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) – administered by San Diego State University’s Interwork Institute. • Overall goal: increase employment of youth and adults with disabilities • Numerous projects geared towards youth with disabilities • Goal of empowering youth, developing self-advocacy skills, and providing access to information and resources • Partner with a variety of state departments and non-profit organizations

5. Things are About to Change Video • Youth with disabilities telling their transition stories, and giving tips on avoiding pitfalls • Helping you to realize what’s possible! • Sneak preview…

6. Youth Transition Toolkit Website www.TKNLyouth.info • Website Development and Refinement • Subject matter experts: • Communities of Practice, CA Dept. of Ed, School District Personnel, Transition Alliance • Dept. of Rehabilitation • CA Foundation for Independent Living Centers and State Independent Living Council • Youth with disabilities: Nothing about us, without us! • Content is designed to EMPOWER YOUTH • Target audience is YOUTH! – ages 12-28+ • Tips for Parents • Information relevant to teachers, transition specialists, and service providers

7. Youth Transition Toolkit Website • Chapters include: • Education • Independent Living • Employment • Finances • Healthcare • Social/Recreation • HTML website pages and downloadable PDFs of each “chapter” and worksheet

8. Education Chapter • Empowering youth while in high school • Person-centered transition planning, leading your own IEP/ITP, etc. • Information to assist in the transition to Post-secondary education: community college, 4-year university, or vocational school • Understanding the differences between high school and college • Information on financial aid and scholarships

9. Independent Living Chapter • Background on disability history, independent living movement • Information on housing, transportation, and personal assistance services • Worksheets to help you set goals for your future and checklists to ensure preparation for independence

10. Employment Chapter • Career planning - Choosing a career and job search resources • The impact of employment on benefits • Disability benefits 101 website • Job accommodations and disability disclosure • Tips on resume writing and successful interviewing techniques   • Building work experience, including volunteerism and internship programs   • Personal assistant services at work

11. Finances Chapter • Tips on money management, including: • basic budgeting • balancing a checkbook • paying bills • tracking your spending • opening up a bank account • Credit cards and how to avoid getting into debt • Worksheets on financial planning and budgeting

12. Healthcare Chapter • Keeping track of medications, making doctors appointments and communicating with your doctor • Insurance information, including Medi-Cal, healthcare through employment and continuance of coverage under the family’s plan • Worksheets on handling your own healthcare needs • Tips for your parents on how they can empower you to start handling your own health-related needs

13. Social/Recreation Chapter • Clubs/activities specifically designed for youth with disabilities • Youth Organizing (YO!) Disabled and Proud Program • Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) • People First • Adaptive sports programs • Ways to become more involved in your community • Tips on traveling with a mobility impairment

14. Pilot Sites • 25 Pilot Sites! • High Schools/districts • Includes Workability I, Transition Partnership Programs, and special education/adult transition programs • College 2 Career Program • Independent Living Center • Family Empowerment Center • Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities • Other Community-Based Organizations providing transition services

15. Lesson Plans • Lesson Plan materials are geared towards teachers, transition specialists, independent living center staff, etc. to help them lead transition-related activities • Main goal of Lesson Plans is to lead activities designed to: • Empower youth • Build self advocacy and self determination skills • Encourage youth to start thinking about and planning for their future • Lead youth to www.tknlyouth.info to find additional resources which can help successfully transition into adult life

16. Lesson Plans • All materials located in the secure section of the Youth Transition Toolkit website – currently will only be available to pilot sites • Will be available to anyone by the middle of 2012 • Complete flexibility in how facilitators/teachers choose to use lesson plans: • Lead only certain activities or lesson plan chapters • Modify activities

17. Lesson Plans • “Lesson Plan Overview” • Comprehensive summary and instructions on the lesson plans and tips for how to enhance activities (i.e. inviting guest speakers, showing video) • “Workshop Planning Tips” • Guide for community-based organizations on how to organize workshops – information on: • Participant recruitment strategies • Tips for success: finding a youth co-facilitator, providing food, assisting with transportation, accessible venues, etc.

18. Education Lesson Plan Activities • The Future’s Wide Open... • Filling out worksheets to prepare youth for leading their own IEP/transition planning meeting • Planning For College • Learning about university and community college supports, preparing for the transition to college and requesting accommodations • Expanding My (Training) Horizons • Researching vocational training options other than a traditional college setting, including ROP, trade schools, internships, and volunteerism

19. Independent Living Lesson Plan Activities • The Untold History • Presentation on disability history (including the independent living and disability rights movements) and discussion of additional advocacy efforts • Models of Disability • Understanding the difference between the medical and social models of disability and how these impact how we perceive disability • Thinking About Disability • Thinking about how disability has impacted their life (both positively and negatively) and learning about disability as a shared experience

20. Independent Living Lesson Plan Activities, Cont. • Setting Goals • Learning about different programs and services to assist with gaining independence (regional center ILS, IHSS, Independent Living Centers, etc.), and setting goals/next steps to transition into living independently

21. Employment Lesson Plan Activities • Connecting the Dots… • Brainstorming personal barriers to employment, and learning about services which can help break down some of these barriers (i.e. Department of Rehabilitation, Regional Centers, One-Stop Career Centers) • Employment Rights! • Presentation on employment and anti-discrimination laws; personal planning related to disability disclosure and requesting accommodations • Resume Writing • Workshop to begin the process of writing a resume and learning about different resume styles

22. Finances Lesson Plan Activities • “Money Smart for Young Adults” Curriculum • Flexible FREE curriculum designed by the FDIC to help youth learn the basics around money management • Disability Benefits 101: Planning your Future • Learning how to navigate the Disability Benefits 101 website • Work Incentive Programs: Working it! • Understanding basic information about Social Security cash benefit programs and how these programs interact with paid employment

23. Website and Lesson Plans Demonstration www.tknlyouth.info

24. Contact information • For questions or to request information on lesson plan activities/materials contact: • Rachel Stewart, Youth Program Manager • 916-319-8519 • rstewart@interwork.sdsu.edu