Transcript California Bridges to Youth Self

California
Bridges to Youth
Self-Sufficiency Project
Overview
Award
SSA awarded YTPD grant 9/30/03
CDOR grantee
5 year research and demonstration project
CA. Bridges Project
5 Demonstration Sites (7 School Districts)
A state evaluation
Planned participation in a national
evaluation (Mid 2006)
Planned participation in waivers
Mission Statement
Educating youth and their families to
use services and supports as a bridge
to greater self-sufficiency
Bridges Project Objectives
1. Increase the self-sufficiency of transition
aged youth with disabilities by decreasing
their dependence on public benefits; and
2. Conduct a state-level research and
evaluation study on this population to
inform policy decisions.
Bridges Project Outcomes
1. Employment Outcomes
(e.g., work history, part or full time employment)
2. Educational Outcomes
(e.g., high school and post secondary 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)
Project Sites
1. Capistrano/Saddleback Valley
Unified School District
Consortium
2. Irvine/Newport-Mesa Unified
School District Consortium
3. Riverside County Office of
Education
4. Vallejo City Unified School
District
5. Whittier Union High School
District
Local and State Advisory Bodies
Purpose:
Provide guidance and technical support
Information sharing
Collaboration and linkages
Facilitate systems change
WorkAbility I
CDE Program since 1981
Serves special education students in middle
and secondary school up to age 22
Comprehensive pre-employment
preparation, paid and unpaid employment,
placement, and follow up
WorkAbility I Outcomes (2003)
301 Programs statewide
12,000 Middle school students served
89,000 High school students served
30,000 annual placements
Transition Partnership Program (TPP)
CDOR program since 1987
Serves secondary through post secondary youth
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
TPP Outcomes (2003)
86 Programs
14,396 Clients served
2,529 Annual placements
(90 days unsubsidized, post high school)
Bridges Outreach and Recruitment
Youth aged 14-25 in project site areas
SSI, SSDI, CDB or “at risk” of becoming eligible for
benefits
Foster youth, youth in juvenile justice system, teen
mothers, special education, Section 504, culturally
diverse
Each project’s goal will be to serve a minimum of 50
participants at any one time, consisting of a range of
participant ages
Bridges Services
Benefits Planning: Individual benefits counseling and
assistance for youth and their families.
Service Coordination: Assess and coordinates
individual participant service needs including
employment supports
Education: Educating families, partner agencies, and
education staff about public benefits, work
incentives, and resources
State Evaluation
Comparison group model
Augmented with CDE and CDOR funds
Measures the impacts of agency interventions
Special Education – Baseline
WA I – CDE
TPP – CDOR
Bridges - SSA
Demographic Summary Overview
100
90
80
94
85%
70
60
61%
50
40
41%
30
20
10
0
Number of
Participants in
database
Percentage of Total Percentage of Total Percentage of Total
Paticipants In School
Participants
Participants Who Are
Currently Using SSA
Female
Benefits
Demographic Summary by Age
50%
40%
30%
47%
20%
10%
24%
18%
11%
0%
14-16
17-19
20-21
22+
Demographic Summary by Diagnosis
Primary Diagnostic Category (Not SSA)
30%
26%
25%
20%
19%
19%
15%
9%
10%
10%
9%
5%
3%
5%
0%
Autistic
Mentally
Retarded
Health Impaired
Physic al
Spec ific
Seriously
Disability
Learning
Emotionally
Disability
Disturbed
Multi-Disabled
Sensory
Impaired
Demographic Summary by Residence
Foster Home
Living Independently
2%
3%
Licensed Group Home
2%
Parent or Legal Guardian
93%
Demographic Summary by Ethnicity
60%
55%
50%
40%
30%
22%
20%
9%
10%
5%
1%
4%
2%
1%
0%
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Number of Participants in Bridges Database
122
94
30
49
17
8
3
9
6
6
0
March, 04
Riverside
Vallejo
Newport-Mesa
22
21
15
18
18
12
13
11
3
14
14
8
May, 04
June, 04
Irvine
17
Saddleback
Capistrano
Whittier
Total
Total Participants by Projects
122
94
39
49
33
25
11
15
17
6
0
30
22
11
3
March, 04
Riverside
31
May, 04
Vallejo
Whittier
Irvine-Newport/Mesa
14
8
June, 04
Saddleback-Capistrano
Total
Bridges Program Managers
Capistrano USD – Gerry Strickland
Irvine USD – Linda O’Neal
Newport Mesa USD – Gail Hunt
Riverside COE – Lynn Smith
Saddleback Valley USD – Bobby Menn
Vallejo City USD – Joyce Montgomery
Whittier UHSD – Richard Rosenberg
Transition Challenges
Challenges to self-sufficiency
Systems barriers
Community barriers
Family issues
Youth issues
Bridges potential to impact these challenges
How can SSA assist in ensuring self-sufficiency
outcomes for transition age youth
Systems Barriers

Current Challenges
Lack of SSA interagency
collaboration
Limited SSA involvement
in transition
Limited understanding of
SSA by education system
No direct link with SSA
and education

Bridges Potential Impact
Direct link to SSA
Benefits coordinator trained by
SSA experts
Understanding and
communication with local SSA
offices
Local advisory committee linking
SSA, CDOR, EDD, HUD, MediCal, and Regional Centers
Breaks down the SSA myths
Community Barriers

Current Challenges
Lack of access to services and
resources
Business linkages
Lack of affordable, accessible
transportation and housing
Lack of affordable and
accessible mental health,
dental and medical support
Links with post secondary
education/training support

Bridges Potential Impact
Role of Service Coordinator and
community linkages
Coordinators understanding SSA
– sharing and disseminating
information
Assist with navigating the
various systems available to
participants
Identify and link youth and their
families to medical, housing,
transportation, and available
resources
Family Issues

Current Challenges
Expectations are limited
Cultural influences
Fear of losing benefits
Difficulty navigating the
SSA system
Lack of knowledge of the
SSA system

Bridges Potential Impact
Parent training and workshops
for community – school, DOR,
Regional Center
Material dissemination in various
languages
Benefit planning
Role models and peer support
Trouble shooting
Youth Issues
 Current Challenges 
Lack of knowledge of the
SSA system and work
incentives
Youth prepared and capable
of working – not working
or underemployed
Lack of self esteem and self
advocacy skills – ADA
Lack of career ladder
planning
Bridges Potential Impact
Linkages with job placement
Career curriculum training
Work Experience and work
training
Benefits knowledge
Self advocacy training
Linkage to adult agencies
Career planning
Ensuring Self-Sufficiency for Youth
Institutionalize the local SSA linkage with the
Education system
SSA provide training in an understandable,
culturally sensitive, manner to families and
students on benefits and incentives
Examine impact of services and outcomes and
replicability of Bridges, to lead to selfsufficiency
Bridges Panel
Parent/Guardians
Cindy Johnson
Joanna Forth
Lulu Wright
Denise Moon
Jim Henshall
Participants
Laneisha Mayo
Patricia Moutez
Patricia Holmes
Jona Henshall
Jestin Samson
Tarek Sinnukrot
California
Bridges to Youth
Self-Sufficiency Project
Thank you for your time and
excellent questions.
Communication and Collaboration
is the key.
Thank you!