Transcript Slide 1
Transitioning Back, Transitioning Forward Making Transition Services Relevant and Effective for Youth in the Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Systems Leigh Gallivan Mahoney, M.Ed. Who and Why? • Students involved with the child welfare system (in MA, DCF) or juvenile justice (in MA, DYS) – Abused or neglected • Trauma, attachment issues – In placement or community • Placement can mean foster care, congregate care, residential treatment • Multiple placements is the norm, with each usually comes 4-6 months loss of educational progress, plus the attendant struggles of continued disruptive attacments High need, low resource • In MA, 55-60% of youth committed to DYS were involved with DCF prior/during commitment1 – Number jumps to 75% for girls • Nationally, approximately 37% of youth in juvenile justice systems have identified disabilities and special education involvement2 • Though their need is high, on the whole, these youth often have minimal individual advocacy 1 2 Massachusetts Department of Youth Services, 2014 State of Learning Disabilities Report, LD.org High need includes… • Students from this cohort generally exhibit – Poor physical and emotional selfregulation – Poor social interpretation/interaction – Academic delays – Developmental delays – Compromised executive functions Less like following a detailed map than it is developing a student’s inner compass and removing obstacles Good transition planning… • assesses strengths and needs • develops skills • is collaborative • identifies existing supports/creates new ones • fosters self-determination • is comprehensive • is person-centered • contain both plans and follow-up What’s in their wallet? Three predictors: • Human Capital – Education and skills • Social Capital – Access to personal relationships that can assist in both growth and opportunity • Personal Capital – Behavioral characteristics/circumst ances that affect students’ ability to be independent and maintain postsecondary education or employment • Delinquency • Mental health issues • Parenthood Policy connections between child welfare and education Fostering Connections Act transition planning: An individualized plan must be finalized no less than 90 days before a child ages out of care, and include specific options regarding: • housing • health insurance • health care proxy • education • local opportunities for mentors and continuing support services • work force supports and employment services. www.childwelfare.gov IDEA transition planning: An individual plan taking into consideration the child’s needs, strengths, preferences, and interests; focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of a child with a disability, including: • postsecondary education/training • vocational education • integrated employment (including supported employment) • self-determination • adult services, independent living, or community participation; • community experiences • if appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation. www.idea.ed.gov Policy and programming connections between juvenile justice and education Not as robust, but no less necessary: Re-entry and transitional independent living needs for juvenile justice youth • housing • health care proxy • education • local opportunities for mentors and continuing support services • work force supports and employment services • Behavioral health services/supports • Legal challenges to education and employment post-adjudication Systemic Challenges: • Lack of coordination between youth-serving agencies • Shortage of resources in transition services • Shortage of advocacy/funding • Challenges of information-sharing and systems-integration Orange & Van Slyke (2006) Strategies • Identify your students who fit in this category • Identify relevant team members and communicate early – Case workers – DYS ed liaisons – Educational advocates/educational surrogate parents/GAL’s • Identify compliance levers to gain support/collaboration of state/federal entities – Indicator 13 (and other indices) – WIA (has child welfare students/foster care as a target population) – Fostering Connections Act • Actively participate in collaborative systemic change for systems integration and information sharing • Incorporate this thinking into transitional services model development – Goals, forums, participants, activities Yoda on execution Additional Resources Helping Youth Transition to Adulthood: Guidance for Foster Parents https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/youth_transition.pdf What is Child Welfare? A Guide for Educators http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/cw_educators.pdf Working With Youth to Develop a Transition Plan https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/transitional_plan.pdf Coming of Age: Employment Outcomes for Youth Who Age Out of Foster Care Through Their Middle Twenties http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/08/fosteremp/ Transition Planning With Adolescents: A Review of Principles and Practices Across Systems http://www.nrcyd.ou.edu/publication-db/documents/transition-planning-with-adolescents.pdf FosterClub’s Transition Toolkit http://www.fosterclub.com/files/transition_toolkit_v3.pdf Employment of Former Foster Youth as Young Adults: Evidence from the Midwest Study http://www.chapinhall.org/sites/default/files/publications/Midwest_IB3_Employment.pdf Things People Never Told Me www.pathwaysrtc.pdx.edu/pdf/proj2-ThingsNoOneToldMe.pdf Models for Change-system reform for juvenile justice http://www.modelsforchange.net/index.html