This month's tips come to us from Kirk G. Hall, VR Transition Administrator with the Florida Department of Education, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR). Thank you to Kirk for graciously sharing information about several Florida initiatives with his regional colleagues!

Florida DVR activities to support transition include: encouraging students to obtain paid part-time and summer employment; supporting community-based work experiences, internships, apprenticeships, on-the-job training, job shadowing, and volunteerism; and making business connections for employer and professional mentoring. These activities are enhanced through exciting initiatives such as the Community of Excellence; the Vocational Rehabilitation and Volunteer Florida (VF) Cross-training Initiative; and On-the-Job Training (OJT) and Job Coaching for Summer Work Experiences.

The Community of Excellence is a TACE-supported collaboration between DVR, Division of Blind Services, and Seminole & Orange County school districts. Using the process of Discovery, Customized Employment opportunities will be developed for students with the most significant disabilities. In addition, partners are exploring ways to efficiently and effectively share information, support (rather than duplicate) one another's activities, and stay "on the same page" vocationally for students receiving services.

The VR and VF Cross-Training Initiative seeks to provide transition students with exposure to volunteerism and community service in conjunction with paid employment. This offers employers exposure to student abilities, cultivates work and social skills, enhances résumés and references, increases community awareness, offers the opportunity to identify needed accommodations and rehabilitation technology, and nurtures self-esteem.

VR OJT and Job Coaching Services are available to students transitioning from school to work - summer OJT is for students with a specific vocational goal and plans to work during school year, and job coaching is available to support summer work experiences when school is not in session.

DVR adopted an early referral process in 2008. If community work experience is identified as a need, the student is referred at age 16. If community work experience is not identified as a need, the student is referred two years prior to exit. This gives counselors the opportunity to work within the school system and make use of available supports. Early referral does not expand the group being served...it just allows VR to start serving young people earlier and to work with them longer. It also offers the student a chance to build rapport with his or her counselor and develop additional community connections - this reduces the likelihood the student will drop out of VR services after graduation.

There are a variety of other ways schools and VR can partner to better serve students and be responsible custodians of public resources. For examples, schools and VR can share evaluation and assessment results to eliminate duplication; counselors can educate themselves and then students, families and teachers about where the jobs are and what education and training young people will need to have to secure those jobs; and counselors can work with students, families, and teachers to make sure students are on the right track early to achieve their vocational dreams.

Watch the TACE Transition Services web site  for more information about these exciting Florida initiatives!