Transcript Document
Transition Systems Change in Florida:
From State Policy to Grassroots
Nila Benito [email protected]
Kathy Burton [email protected]
Susan Redmon [email protected]
Donni Sorrell [email protected]
Guenevere Crum [email protected]
2002 Florida Outcomes
55% of students with significant disabilities exited school
with no diploma or certificate of completion for school year
2002-2003, according to the Florida Department of
Education Data Warehouse.
Only 12% of all students with significant disabilities were
enrolled in post secondary programs according to 2002
Florida Education and Training Placement Information
Program (FETPIP) surveys.
Only 17.5% of students with significant disabilities were
employed after exiting secondary schools with average
quarterly earnings of approximately $3,700 according to
2002 FETPIP surveys.
Systems Change Elements
for Success
(10 year process)
1. Governance - what are the laws and policies in place? what are those that need
to be changed/amended or new ones created?
2. Infrastructure Reforms - current agency or systems that is in place to support
change or is the system/bureaucracy so disjointed and unsupported that the
might need to change the infrastructure to support implementation?
3. Accountability - who is actual responsible held accountable? and who has the
authority to make change happen?
4. Financing - what funding support is out there? (i.e. are segregated settings
better funded at school - on the waiver - in VR?). what is the economic impact?
(legislators want to know this!) what data is collection to support budget
decisions?
5. Capacity Building – what programs are in place to give people, practitioners,
families, and self advocates the skills and support they need regarding the
implementation of evidence based inclusion practices with fidelity.
Collaborative Partners
Partners In Transition began 7 years ago with the goal of
creating system change around the post school outcomes of
youth with disabilities. Today Partners In Transition has
developed the Florida Strategic Plan on Transition, which
defines how state agencies, families, youth, state and local
government programs and society can reach more young
Floridians with disabilities with a message of hope and the
promise of independence in their education, at work and in life.
Initial
Collaborative Partners
Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, Inc.
Florida Department of Children and Families
Department of Children’s Mental Health
Agency for Person with Disabilities
Florida Department of Health: Children’s Medical Services
Florida Inclusion Network
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
Agency for Workforce Innovation
Florida Protection & Advocacy Center
The Able Trust
ADA Working Group
Family Network on Disabilities
Values and Principles
•Highest expectations for all youth, including youth with
disabilities,
•Full participation through self-determination, informed choice,
and participation in decision making,
•Independent living including long-term supports &services,
•Transition planning is individualized and person-driven and
•Economic self sufficiency, including through competitive
employment, with any support that is needed, is everyone’s
life goal.
Purpose and Mission
The creation of a statewide transition services
strategic plan, based on national evidenced based
research and best practices, of what all youth need
and additional supports youth with disabilities may
need to guide policymakers and practitioners in
systematically addressing the major challenges and
critical issues regarding transition services in the
State of Florida.
National Transition Guideposts for Success
1. SCHOOL-BASED PREPARATORY EXPERIENCES: All
youth need to participate in educational programs
grounded in standards, clear performance expectations
and graduation exit options based upon meaningful,
accurate, and relevant indicators of student learning and
skills. i.e. Quality academic & vocational programs.
2. CAREER PREPARATION &
WORK BASED LEARNING: All to make informed choices
about careers. These experiences can be provided during
the school day, through after-school programs and will
require collaborations with other organizations.
National Transition Guideposts for Success
3. YOUTH DEVELOPMENT & LEADERSHIP:
Supports youth need in order to control and direct their
own lives based on informed decisions. i.e. Exposure to
mentors, role models, and the Youth Leadership Forum.
4. CONNECTING ACTIVITIES: All youth need connections
and linkages for effective transition. i.e. health services;
transportation; tutoring, personal assistance services,
including attendants, readers, interpreters, transportation,
physical and mental health, benefits planning, and
economic futures planning.
5. FAMILY INVOLVEMENT:
Access to training and information about transition and
evidence based practices.
Plan Development
5 Strategic Plan Work Groups
Cross representative
Identify and Address Gaps
Goals
Strategies
Benchmarks
Evaluate the Need for Additional Expertise in the
Planning Process
Sample Statewide Plan
Goals
Career Preparatory Experiences
Youth are provided with career awareness, exploration,
and preparatory activities in school-based and
community-based settings.
Youth Development and Youth Leadership
Youth demonstrate the ability to make informed
decisions for themselves.
Schooling
Youth have equitable access to a full range of academic
and non-academic courses and programs of study.
Sample
Statewide Plan Goals
Family Involvement
A comprehensive statewide system for disseminating
information, training, and resources about effective
transition practices is in place.
Connecting Activities
All youth and young adults have quality, affordable health
insurance.
More Collaborative Partners
School District Representation
Bay
Hernando
Orange
Brevard County
Hillsborough
Osceola
Broward County
Holmes
Palm Beach
Citrus
Lee
Pasco
Collier
Leon
Pinellas
DeSoto
Levy
Polk
Duval
Manatee
Taylor
Flagler
Marion County
Sarasota
Gadsden
Miami/Dade
Volusia
Glades
Monroe
Wakulla
Hendry
Nassau
Walton
More Collaborative
Partners
Florida School Health Association
Florida Commission for Transportation Disadvantaged
Florida Public Transit Association
Florida Parks & Recreation Association
United Way
Gulf Coast Down Syndrome Association
Families
Self-Advocates
Implementation of Statewide Plan
Annual Summit
33 Cross-Stakeholder Teams
Needs Assessment
Ongoing Training, Technical Assistance,
Coaching and Support
Priority Needs for County Teams
Meeting Facilitation
Completion of County Plan & Consolidation of Activities
Assessment & Career Planning
Individualized Vocational Exploration Options
Representational Portfolios
Self-Determination
Transportation
www.partnersintransition.org
The Governor defined the BRTF charge as aligning
resources and eliminating all barriers in the way of:
Expanding and improving inclusive community living
options for individuals with developmental disabilities;
Coordinating the provision of effective transition
services statewide for students with developmental
disabilities; and
Expanding and improving competitive, integrated
employment opportunities for individuals with
developmental disabilities.
High level agency representation, families,
and self-advocates.
Met monthly for 6 months.
Each of the monthly 2 day meetings focus on
a specific topic.
12 Public Forums around the state, AugustNovember 2004.
86 Recommendations
Most
important recommendation was to
create the Blue Ribbon Implementation
Working Group to implement the 86
report recommendations.
Develop
an A + Transition Plan
Legislation Passed (ISC)
SB1278: Creates the Interagency
Services Committee for Youth and
Young Adults with Disabilities within
the Agency for Persons with
Disabilities.
National Governor’s Association
Policy Academy
The work of Partners In Transition and the Blue Ribbon
Implementation Working Group received support at a the
federal level in FALL 2005 from the National Governor’s
Association. Florida was 1 of 6 states accepted to
participate in a policy academy focused on developing
public policy that improving outcomes for young adults with
disabilities and encompasses the crucial areas of
customized employment, access to healthcare, housing,
schooling, lifelong learning, transportation, community
participation, and inclusion.
COMMON LINK
These ongoing initiatives are linked by agency and
individual members and the common:
VISION OF:
All individuals, with and without disabilities, live, learn, work, and
participate together in all life experiences.
and the
PRIORITY GOALS OF:
Goal 1: Florida youth and young adults with disabilities participate in
work experiences and opportunities that ultimately lead to a living
wage, work related skills development, income and benefits potential,
and asset accumulation.
Goal 2: Florida youth and young adults with disabilities participate and
demonstrate success in post-secondary educational opportunities
and/or other employment related opportunities.
Outcomes for Students
Discovering Personal Genius (Marc Gold & Associates)
School Districts: (Brevard, Dade, Escambia, Hillsborough,
Palm Beach, Pasco and Polk Counties)
Implementation
Capacity Building
FL Department of Education/Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation:
Established as a Service
Eligibility Determination
State Level Efforts – Reaching the Person
Customized Employment: SCIETT
Supported, Competitive, Integrated Employment Training
Team:
Community Teams of Employment Stakeholders (6)
Job Seekers
Families
School Districts
Community Rehabilitation Providers
State Agencies
Intensive training sessions with follow-up technical assistance
• Implementation
• Capacity Building
State Level Efforts – Reaching the Person
Customized Employment: METTA
Micro-Enterprise Training & Technical Assistance and
the new Center for Self-Employment
Entrepreneurs
Business Design Teams
Business Concept Development
Market Analysis
Benefits Analysis
Business Plan Development
Capacity Building
State Level Efforts – Reaching the Person
Roddie’s Vending Service
Roddie & his VR Counselor
Roddie with his newly
purchased vending
machines
Future Directions
New Governor
Partners In Transition
– 2007 Summit
– Ongoing Training & Technical Assistance
? Q & A?