Transcript Welcome & Introductions(ask everyone to give a brief

California Bridges to Youth
Self-Sufficiency
An Overview
Mission Statement
Educating youth and their families to use
services and supports as a bridge to
greater self-sufficiency.
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Overview
California's Bridges to Youth Self-Sufficiency is an
exciting new program sponsored by the Social
Security Administration, the California Department of
Rehabilitation, and seven California school
districts. This program is dedicated to informing and
motivating families and young people with disabilities
about work and current work incentives, to assisting
them with the transitions to work, and to helping them
maximize their economic independence and achieve
greater self-sufficiency.
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SSA National Project
Goals
 Improve employment and educational outcomes of
transition aged youth (14-25) who are recipients of
public benefits or “at risk” of becoming recipients.
 Ensure ‘customer’ satisfaction and informed choice
in pursuit of individual employment goals.
 Collaborate and build interagency partnerships with
youth transition systems in order to integrate
services and blend resources.
 Compile data to evaluate the effectiveness of the
project strategies.
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SSA National Project
Objectives
1.
2.
Increase the self-sufficiency of transition aged
youth with disabilities by decreasing their
dependence on public benefits; and,
Conduct a research and evaluation study on this
population to inform policy decisions.
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Bridges Project
Outcomes
This project will track five categories of outcomes to
gauge the success of interventions:
1. Employment Outcomes (e.g., work history, part or full-time
employment)
2. Educational Outcomes (e.g., high school and postsecondary
completion)
3. Level of Independence (e.g.,reduced benefits due to earnings)
4. Service Participation (e.g., participation in all services to
determine effectiveness
5. Quality of Life Indicators (e.g., individual and family satisfaction)
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Project Sites
• Capistrano/Saddleback Valley Unified
School District Consortium
• Irvine/Newport-Mesa Unified School District
Consortium
• Riverside County Office of Education
• Vallejo City Unified School District
• Whittier Union High School District
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Outreach and
Recruitment
Outreach and Recruitment of Students in Special
Education and/or with Section 504
Contacts with special educators, school nurses and
counselors, foster youth providers, youth in the juvenile
justice system, teen mothers and others. Each site’s goal
will be to serve a minimum of 50 participants at any one
time, consisting of a range of participant ages.
Early Intervention
Contact students with disabilities receiving SSA benefits in
middle school (ages 13-14).
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‘Core’ Services
• Workability I
Comprehensive pre-employment preparation, paid and
unpaid employment placement, and follow up.
• Transition Partnership Program (TPP)
Community based instruction, vocational and basic
skills assessment, tutoring, vocational and work-site
training, specific job skills training, pre-employment
preparation, work-site evaluation, work experience,
career/job development, job placement, job coaching,
job retention and follow up services.
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‘Enhanced’ Services
Coordination and Integration of Services –
Case Management
The student’s transition services will be supported by
an interagency team that will include the student,
family, project Service Coordinator and representatives
of appropriate adult agencies.
Benefits Planning
The sites’ Benefits Coordinator positions will provide
benefits and financial planning to each enrolled
participant.
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‘Enhanced’ Services
Healthcare Services
Youth and their parents will be counseled by the
project’s Benefits Coordinator and school health care
professionals on the availability and access of
Medicaid and Healthy Start services.
Ongoing Employment Support and
Follow Along Services
The Service Coordinator and State Vocational
Rehabilitation Counselor (as appropriate) will
coordinate ongoing employment support and
counseling.
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