Michael Bullis, Ph.D. Interim Dean & Sommerville-Knight Professor

1. Starting RightImproving the Facility-to-Community Transition Experiences of Formerly Incarcerated Adolescents Michael Bullis, Ph.D. Interim Dean & Sommerville-Knight Professor Director, Secondary Special Education & Transition Research Group Director, National Post-School Outcomes Center College of Education, University of Oregon (bullism@uoregon.edu; 541-346-1645)

2. OBJECTIVES • WHO? • WHAT HAPPENS? • WHAT TO DO? • ????

4. Bridges From School To? (1984)

5. HALPERN’S MODEL (1987)

6. WHAT IS TRANSITION? • Transition services means a coordinated set of activities for a student, designed within an outcome-oriented process, that promotes movement from school to post-school activities, including post-secondary education, vocational training, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation…

7. EMPLOYMENT - NLTS

8. LIFE ON THE OUTS

9. BACKGROUND

10. WHO? (Donovan & Jessor, 1985) • Criminal Behavior • Substance Abuse • Promiscuity • School Failure

11. TRACS SAMPLE

12. TRACS SAMPLE

13. WHAT HAPPENS? • RETURN • EMPLOYMENT • EDUCATION • ENGAGEMENT

14. RETURN – WHAT LEGISLATORS REALLY CARE ABOUT

15. AN IMPORTANT TIME

16. WHO RETURNS? (6 MOS.)

17. WHO RETURNS? (6 MOS.)

18. WHO RETURNS? (12 MONTHS)

19. WHO GOES TO THE “BIG HOUSE”?

20. EMPLOYMENT

21. MORE EMPLOYMENT

22. WHO WORKS? (6 MOS.)

23. WHO WORKS? (12 MOS.)

24. EDUCATION

25. “DON’T CONFUSE ME WITH DETAILS”

26. ENGAGEMENT

27. ENGAGEMENT (2nd VIEW)

28. WHO BECOMES ENGAGED? (6 MOS.)

29. WHO BECEOMES ENGAGED(12 MOS.)

30. ANOTHER LOOK (6 MOS.)

31. ENGAGEMENT (12 MOS.)

32. WHAT TODO?

33. PROGRAM STRUCTURE • Located in School • Community-based Multi-agency collaboration • Service Coordination • Staff Training • Family Involvement • Peer Involvement • Intensive Individualized Instruction • Social Skill Training • Link to competitive Work

34. THE TRANSTION SPECIALIST – “A LITTLE HELP FROM ME FRIENDS” • They (the transition staff) give lots of chances; they work around your schedule. They really help the student, not on getting you through some requirements. I wouldn’t be nowhere in life without this program. - Youth with ED and criminal record, Bullis et al., 2002

35. I will need help making my own food and like just going outside, being in public, job applications . . . just simple things. It’s going to be hard . . . like even doing my own clothes, it’s going to be hard ‘cause I haven’t done it in a long time. --Former Juvenile Offender with Disabilities

36. TRANSTION SPECIALIST – A PARENT PERSPECTIVE • These kids can’t keep up with all that it takes to get help, they can’t keep up with all the appointments, or fill out all those forms by themselves, or remember to take their drugs. They need help with all that, and learning how. It’s hard enough for us -- can you imagine how hard it is for them? – Parent on the social service system, Bullis, 2004

37. What is Project SUPPORT? • Multi-State Agency Collaboration • Department of Education • Oregon Youth Authority • Vocational Rehabilitation Services • University of Oregon

38. What is Project SUPPORT • Transition services for incarcerated youth with disabilities (SPED or mental health disorder) • Key staff person: Transition Specialist • Works closely with POs, OVRS counselors, and other community agencies

39. Demographic Information • Average age is 17.4 • 78% male & 22% female • 26% Minority

40. Disabilities

41. Criminal History • 65% of participants were adjudicated at 14 or younger • Multiple crimes were committed by youth • Most Prevalent Types of Offenses include: • Theft (36%) & Burglary (24%) • Criminal Mischief (27%) • Assault (21%) • UUMV (21%) • Sex Related Crimes (18%)

42. SUPPORT/TRACS - 6 months

43. Engagement

44. REFERENCES • Bullis, M. (2004). Hard questions and final thoughts on the community transition of adolescents with emotional or behavioral disorders. In D. Cheney (Ed.), Transition of secondary students with emotional or behavioral disabilities (263-279).Arlington, VA: Council for Exceptional children, Division on Behavioral Disorders and Division for Career Development and Transition. • Bullis, M., & Yovanoff, P., & Havel, E. (2004). The importance of getting started right: Further examination of the community engagement of formerly incarcerated youth. The Journal of Special Education, 38, 80-94. • Cheney, D., & Bullis, M. (2004). Research issues in the transition of students with emotional or behavioral disorders. In R. Rutherford, M.M. Quinn, & S. Mathur (Eds.), Handbook of research in behavioral disorders (pp. 369-384).New York: Guilford Press. • Johnson, M., Bullis, M., Benz, M., & Hollenbeck, K. (2004). Teaching job-related social skills: Work adjustment for gainful employment success. Longmont, CO: Sopris-West.

45. MORE REFERENCES • Bullis, M., & Fredericks, H. D. (Eds.). (2002). Providing effective vocational/transition services to adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders. Champaign-Urbana, IL: Research Press. • Bullis, M., Yovanoff, P, Mueller, G., & Havel, E. (2002). Life on the “outs” - Examination of the facility-to-community transition of incarcerated adolescents. Exceptional Children, 69, 7-22. • Bullis, M., Walker, H., & Sprague, J. (2001). A promise unfulfilled: Social skill training with at-risk and antisocial children and youth. Exceptionality, (1& 2), 69-92. • Todis, B., Bullis, M., D’Ambrosio, R., Schultz, R., & Waintrup, M. (2001). Overcoming the odds: Qualitative examination of resilience among adolescents with antisocial behaviors.Exceptional Children, 68, 119-139. • Unruh, D., Bullis, M. Booth, C., & Pendergrass. (2005). Project SUPPORT: A description and evaluation of a transition project for formerly incarcerated adolescents with special education and mental health disorders.In M. Epstein, K. Kutash, & A. Duchnowski (Eds.), Outcomes for children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders and their families: Programs and evaluation best practices (pp. 375-397). Austin, TX: PRO-ED.