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?