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Deliberate Involvement : Developing Transition Programs to Include Families

Deliberate Involvement : Developing Transition Programs to Include Families. Melanie H. Johnston, MA. THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY!. Getting Families Involved. THE GOOD. Increasing family involvement during the transition process: Provide awareness and referral to VR and DD services.

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Deliberate Involvement : Developing Transition Programs to Include Families

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  1. Deliberate Involvement: Developing Transition Programs to Include Families Melanie H. Johnston, MA

  2. THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY! Getting Families Involved

  3. THE GOOD • Increasing family involvement during the transition process: • Provide awareness and referral to VR and DD services. • Multiple factors are taken into consideration valuing the opinion of family, educators and community team members. • Rumors, myths and fears about adult resources are addressed.

  4. THE BAD • The process can be isolating for the family and the consumer/student: • General lack of understanding • limitations for transition into adulthood for young adults with disabilities. • Most professionals don’t know where to start outside their comfort zone which may not fit the needs and abilities of the consumer/student and family. • Hard to find a family support group or ally in the process. • There is no absolute plan or structure to adequately involve all families and cultures.

  5. THE UGLY • The consumer/student and families are going to be on their own for the first time since initial diagnosis/placement driving the process: • Fostering positive relationships takes an unbelievable amount of energy and time. • Redefinition of consumer/family support system from familiar Public School to agencies and services requires learning all new processes and people.

  6. Transition Planning and Families Research and Literature Review indicates: “Family involvement is difficult to achieve.” www.vrtransitionstudy.org

  7. Reality is…. • Involving families takes as much focus and dedication as when the individual was first diagnosed/identified with special needs. • The level of family involvement will set the tone for the rest of the individuals adult life.

  8. A New Level of Family Involvement • Must be a new beginning: • New focus • New involvement • New commitment • Start forming the new relationship at the first Futures Planning Meeting moving into High School.

  9. Road Blocks to Building Family Partnerships • Ethnic and cultural differences • Past Experiences • Fears and realities

  10. Common Reasons Families Don’t Participate: • Feel they have nothing to contribute. • Language and cultural differences. • They do not understand the planning process or the service system. • They do not know how to become involved in a meaningful way. • They do not feel welcome at the school. • Feel intimidated.

  11. Be Deliberate: Build Family Partnerships • Acknowledge diversity and culture. • Recognize families for expertise regarding the consumer/student. • Define the change in relationship between school staff and family: • Define partnership • Acknowledge past relationship • Identify future relationship Wandry, D., Pleet, A, A Practitioner’s Guide to Involving Families in Secondary Transition; CEC 2003.

  12. Relationship Building • Cultural Reciprocity: • Identify values • Does the family views/values differ from yours? • Acknowledge cultural differences and assumptions. • Adapt professional recommendations to the value system of the family. Beth Harry, Researcher, University of Miami 2011 Council for Exceptional Children http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=1854

  13. Developing Family-Professional Partnerships • Go back to the beginning • Establish positive communication and interactions • Initial Contact • Regular Contact • Follow –up outside of formal meetings • Learn about the attitudes and perspectives of the family. • Meet the family where they are.

  14. KISS(Keep It Situational and Simple) • Focus on Student and Family Strengths • Family Life/Culture • activities and opportunities • Community Life

  15. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

  16. Strategies for successful family involvement for PPCD • Written policies that promote family involvement. • Administrative support in the form of funds that are made available through the district budget for materials, space, equipment, and staff time to carry out activities. • Ongoing training made available for staff and families. • Joint planning, goal setting, policy development, and evaluation between parents, teachers, and school administrators. • Communication between home and school that occurs on a regular basis (parents and families feel comfortable coming to the school, sharing ideas, and voicing concerns). • Networking programs to share information and resources. • Inclusion of regular evaluation activities at key stages as well as at the conclusion of any project or activity cycle. Source: Williams & Chavkin, 1989. Southwest Educational Development Laboratory; Parents Helping Parents http://www.php.com

  17. Be Deliberate: Building a Partnership • Provide information about the transition process. • Connect families with others who have experienced similar transitions. • Let families know that preparing and adjusting to the transition process takes time. • Encourage families to participate in the process. • Communicate with families regularly.

  18. Reasons Parent and family involvement is difficult to achieve • Not enough time (especially during the day) • Lack of child care. • Not available during the time school functions are scheduled. • Lack of transportation. (Source: National PTA, 1992, survey to 27,000 local and unit presidents and 3,000 council leaders asking them what barriers they faced when they tried to get parents involved.)

  19. Be Deliberate: A New way of Meeting with Families • Create a cooperative non-judgmental environment. • Meeting times and dates are determined by family not educators or agencies. • Encourage families to share and take a leadership role. • Families and service providers participate to identify community needs and transition services.

  20. Addressing Fears • It’s never too early, it’s never too late. • Identify specific challenges of transition: • Independence vs. dependence on family system. • Agency and funding concerns. • Dayhaband employment related issues. • Sexuality issues. • Use “proactive” language • Focus on solutions. • Try new ideas and take calculated risks.

  21. Be Deliberate: Addressing Fears • Acknowledge negative experiences in dealing with schools and agencies in the past. • Complex nature of planning for the future, accessing adult services and supports, and changing roles as youth become adults adds stress to family. • Families and student/consumer are unsure of what the future holds and what supports will be needed. • Families and student/consumer often do not understand the language used or how services will actually evolve.

  22. What is Success?? • Different for each client/student and family. • Must consider the satisfaction and daily contentment with accomplishment and independence level of each client/student. • Considers the wants and needs of the client/student before the desires of all other stake holders. • Transition is a process that takes time, patience and evaluation.

  23. Changing Direction isn’t a Dead End

  24. It is like a Traffic Circle…. A place to turn around and start a new direction!

  25. Be Deliberate: Provide information about agencies and programs • Referral sources • Agencies • Names, addresses, phone numbers • Publications • Advocates

  26. Empowerment - Family Supports • System linkage • Social and health services • Medicaid waiver programs • SSA work incentive waivers • Benefits counseling • Guardianship issues • http://www.serve.org/TT/index.html

  27. Availability of information about agencies, community programs VR and visibility of VR personnel in schools and the community are key factors in establishing and maintaining relationships and communication.

  28. Reasons Parent and family involvement is difficult to achieve • Reluctance to apply for VR services for fear of their child losing his/her Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance benefits.

  29. Agency Connections • Extent to which school personnel and families can successfully refer Vocational Rehabilitation service-eligible students/consumers largely depends on the quality of communication between Agencies and schools and families.

  30. Be Deliberate: Agency Connections • Provide information on state and federal agencies and programs. • Provide frequent opportunities for staff and families to visit agencies,programs and vocational options that will impact consumer transition. • Participate in joint transition planning withreceiving agencies, programs, jobsites. • Offer parent education regarding receiving agencies and programs.

  31. Be Deliberate: Know resources for answers • Don’t try to be an expert in all areas. • Provide Real information about wages, waivers, and benefits retention. • Maintain a list of knowledgeable • Professionals • Families • Advocates

  32. Informed Decision Making • Consumer/student and Families Need Information • Consumer/student and Families Value Consumer Choice • Deborah Leuchovius, Sean Roy - Pacer Center Research Presentation National Council on Rehabilitation Education Conference, Arlington, VA 10/28/09

  33. Signs of Successful Family Involvement • Parents and families become actively involved in their student’s education—at home, in school, and in the community. • Teachers, staff members, and families value each other. • Schools and programs celebrate cultural diversity in their communities. • The community shows consistent investment in the education, inclusion and employment of students and will strive to increase opportunities.

  34. Words of Encouragement • BE A PEST!!! • The Squeaky Wheel gets the grease! • If at first you don’t succeed, get a bigger hammer. ~Alan Lewis • The most essential factor is persistence- the determination never to allow your energy or enthusiasm to be dampened by the discouragement that must inevitably come. ~James Whitcomb Riley

  35. Final Thought • Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. ~Henry Ford

  36. Resources www.dads.state.tx.us/ http://www.dads.state.tx.us/ltss/index.html www.dars.state.tx.us/ http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/mhcommunity/default.shtm www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/pass.htm http://www.seamlesstransition.org http://www.pacer.org http://www.php.com http://Transitioncoalition.org http://www.autismhandbook.org http://www.thearcoftexas.org http://www.isbe.state.il.us/spec-ed/html/transition_video.htm

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