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Transition Tidbits
Transition News and ResourcesJune 2013
In This Issue
Training: MT, Online
Training: Other States
MT News
Announcements
Employment
Health
National News
Post-Secondary
Social Security
Technology
Transition
Web Sites

Learning Opportunities: Montana and Online

 

The LEAD Center archived webinars Promoting Employment - Introduction to Customized Employment and Customized Self Employment and Promoting Economic Advancement - Using Work Incentives to Build Financial Stability are now available for viewing.

 

In 2012, SEDL's Center on Knowledge Translation for Employment Research (KTER) hosted an interactive workshop on Barriers and Supports for Research Use. The workshop looked at strategies for overcoming obstacles as well as ways to promote the use of high quality research information to support employment of people with disabilities. Archived audiofiles and transcripts are now available as on online workshop; the training has been approved for 6 CRC-CEUs through 12-31-13. You must register to access the materials.

 

View the archived webcast Knowledge Translation: From Research to Vocational Rehabilitation Service Delivery. A rehabilitation researcher, a VR educator, and a VR practitioner discuss practice guidelines: what they are, how they are developed in other disciplines, and if they could be helpful to VR counselors and consumers.

 

More Than One Path to the Top of the Mountain: Self-employment as an Individualized Process for Individuals with Disabilities
June 11, 2013

12:00-1:00 PM MT

This webcast will focus on various models and strategies in the self-employment process -- emphasizing the importance of an individualized process that is both person-centered and attuned to the economic environment of local communities.

 

This Place Helps You Figure Out Who You Want to Be: A Photovoice Experience with Urban Native Youth

June 12, 2013

11:00 AM-12:00 PM MT

Photovoice is a research methodology that allows participants to take pictures that tell their stories in order to enhance their communities. This webinar will present the process and findings of a Photovoice project with a small group of Urban Native youth receiving culturally-embedded services at a community-based agency.

 

Quality of Life & Health Promotion for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities

June 12, 2013

12:00-1:00 PM MT

This webinar will feature a team from APHA's Disability Section Executive Council. Each speaker's presentation will focus on a different topic relating to improving the quality of life for individuals living with an intellectual disability.

 

Ticket to Work: Support Services for People Who Have a � Disability and Are Ready to Work

June 12, 2013

1:00-2:30 PM MT

This session is ideal for people age 18 through 64 who receive disability benefits who are interested in employment. Presenters will provide an overview of the Ticket to Work program and describe the most commonly used Work Incentives.

 

The Inclusion of Employment in Post Secondary Education for Youth with Intellectual Disabilities

June 20, 2013

12:00-1:00 PM MT

Cost: $50 TASH Members/$70 Non-members

This session will outline and discuss the rationale and the strategies for developing meaningful and targeted work and community participation experiences during postsecondary education enrollment that will ultimately lead to long term jobs and active community lives.

 

People with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities and Dementia

June 25, 2013

11:30 AM-1:00 PM MT

Alzheimer's disease occurs three to five times more often among people with Down syndrome than the general population. People with intellectual or developmental disabilities and dementia may face unique challenges, as well as experiences similar to others with dementia. This webinar will cover overview of the scale and scope of issues; research directions and opportunities, including recruitment; and specialized resources available.

 

Part I: A Global Approach to Interventions Appropriate to a Person with an FASD

July 18, 2013

11:00 AM-12:30 PM MT

Dr. Susan Doctor will discuss strategies that she calls "global" intervention strategies appropriate to people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. She will spell out the rationale for and value of each global strategy as applied to the provision of appropriate supports for the individual with an FASD. 

Learning Opportunities: Other States

Employment First: Race to Success- Employment Comes in First

June 24-27, 2013

Indianapolis, Indiana

This year's conference will feature strands including State-of-the-Art Practices in Integrated Employment; Transition from School to Adult Life; Public Policy and Funding; Leadership and Personal Development; and Consumer, Family and Self-Advocacy.

 

The 2013 Arc National Convention: Achieving Momentum

August 3-5, 2013

Bellevue, Washington

Register now to attend the premiere event for the intellectual and developmental disability movement and join hundreds of other individuals, families, advocates, experts and professionals in the field for three days of informative sessions, unique events and opportunities to connect.

 

 Lights, Camera, Access: Spotlight on Disability Inclusive Diversity
September 30 - October 3, 2013

Los Angeles, California

Plan to attend the U.S. Business Leadership Network's 16th Annual Conference, where you will gain actionable knowledge to build a business case for your disability inclusion initiatives and develop robust strategies that align with your organization's goals to create culturally competent workplaces.

 

31st Annual Closing The Gap Conference
 
October 9-11, 2013

Minneapolis, Minnesota

This year's conference builds on a tradition of providing a comprehensive examination of the most current uses of technology by persons with disabilities and the professionals who work with them. Topics will cover a broad spectrum of technology as it is being applied to all disabilities and age groups in education, rehabilitation, vocation, and independent living.

 

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Greetings!

Welcome to the latest edition of Transition Tidbits. We hope you find the news and resources in this issue useful as you support young Montanans with disabilities in their transition to adult lives.

Montana News

The Rural Institute seeks feedback on its website. Please visit the site and answer the one-question survey. Thank you!


Save the Date! The 2013 Montana Youth Transitions Conference will be held November 6-8 at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center. Speakers are invited to submit proposals for conference workshops pertinent to professionals, parents/families, and/or youth with disabilities.

 
The Rural Institute Consumer Advisory Council (partially funded through a contract with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Children's Special Health Services) is recruiting representatives from the Montana Developmental Disabilities Program and the foster care system (especially youth/young adults who are or have been in foster care). We also seek Native Americans/American Indians with a disability and children and youth with special health care needs to serve on the council. For more information or an application, contact Kim Brown at [email protected] or by calling 406-243-4852.

Announcements

Because We Are EQUAL to the Task is the theme chosen by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy for National Disability Employment Awareness Month in October.

 

ASAN (Autistic Self Advocacy Network) is looking for autistic writers to volunteer for their communications team. Writers will commit to 3-5 hours a week, including weekly communications team check-in and planning meetings. The team produces a wide range of material for the ASAN newsletter, website, and other communications platforms and campaigns. Interested volunteers should send two writing samples to [email protected].

Employment

The Employer Assistance and Resource Network (EARN) has new resources to help employers create inclusive work environments.

EARN has launched a new business and disability blog, the EARN|Exchange, which will offer commentary on news and current events in business and disability employment. The May blog post focused on supporting veterans' return to the workforce.

 

The Ask JAN Blog has been revamped and re-launched. The blog provides an opportunity to share workplace accommodation solutions.

 

The Americans with Disabilities Act Questions and Answers includes answers to frequently asked questions about the ADA and employment, state and local government, public accommodations, and more.

 

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission released the revised Questions & Answers about Persons with Intellectual Disabilities in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), explaining how the ADA applies to job applicants and employees with intellectual disabilities.

 

Workforce Development System: Common Goals Through Collaboration, an Employment First blog post by Michael Morris of the National LEAD Center, addresses several myths and misconceptions about the public workforce development system. Readers are invited to discuss how states can integrate resources and service delivery with the Medicaid, Mental Health, Intellectual/Developmental Disability Adult Services, Education, Vocational Rehabilitation and workforce development systems.

 

Youth in Action! - Participating in Internships and Work-Based Experiences is a tip sheet you may wish to share with the transition-age youth you serve.

 

Health

The myfamily app allows users to access customized prevention information and tips for each member of their family, create personal health alerts, and keep track of medical check-ups and vaccinations. This might be a tool to help transition-age students begin to take responsibility for their own health care.

 

Outgrowing Pediatrics outlines steps to help young adults (and their parents and medical providers) smoothly transition to adult health care.  
National News

UCP (United Cerebral Palsy) has released the organization's annual report, The Case for Inclusion, which ranks all 50 states and the District of Columbia on outcomes for Americans with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

 

The NIDRR-funded ADA National Network recently released The ADA National Network Disability Law Handbook, an overview of rights and obligations under federal disability law.

 

Kathleen Martinez, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy, published Integrated employment, EmploymentFirst, and U.S. federal policy [PDF] in the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation.  
Post-Secondary Education 
National Institute for Urban School Improvement (NIUSI) LeadCast Blog guest post by Meg Grigal and Debra Hart that addresses the often asked question, "What's the point?" of post-secondary education for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

 

The Better Futures Project is researching effective ways to help young people in foster care who experience a serious mental health condition to prepare, plan and enroll in college or vocational training. Ten participants recently completed the Better Futures intervention, which includes individualized coaching, peer support, and connection to foster care alumni and community resources.

 

A Dual Enrollment Postsecondary Education Program for Students with Intellectual Disabilities: Winthrop Transition to College [PDF]  is a Think College Insight Brief describing a dual enrollment program for high school students with intellectual disabilities.  According to the brief, "using person-centered planning, students choose one or two regular Winthrop courses each semester, an employment setting, and recreational activities on campus. All placements are based on the students' strengths and interests and involve full participation with traditional Winthrop students."

Social Security

The U.S. Department of Education is inviting applications for Promoting Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income (PROMISE), a new competitive grant program intended to improve the education and career outcomes of low income children with disabilities receiving Supplemental Security Income. Applications are due August 19, 2013.

Technology

The Edudemic education forum features the article 5 Critical Mistakes Schools Make With iPads (And How To Correct Them).

 

In the newest AT in Action video, you will meet Jared, a young man with cerebral palsy who runs a business creating dynamic graphics and websites. He controls his computer (for work and recreation) using a sip and puff switch.

Transition 

Financial Literacy for Individuals with FASD [Video], presented by the government of Alberta, Canada, examines the financial literacy training needed by individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. The video is approximately 82 minutes long and provides money management information that is applicable to people with a variety of intellectual and developmental disabilities.

 

The Bazelon Center website features a number of policy documents related to transition-age youth, including Promise for the Future: How Federal Programs Can Improve Career Outcomes for Youth & Young Adults with Serious Mental Health Conditions (2013); Promise for the Future (Program Factsheets): A Compendium of Fact Sheets on Federal Programs for Transition-Age Youth with Serious Mental Health Conditions (2012); and Moving On, a collection of 56 fact sheets on federal programs for youth in transition.

 

Lessons for Programs Serving Transition-Age Youth: A Comparative Analysis of the U.S. and 10 Other Countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) [PDF] summarizes transition policies and programs of 10 countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development.

 

The Research and Training Center for Pathways to Positive Futures at Portland State University published a special issue of Focal Point that focuses on best practices for helping youth and young adults with mental health challenges reach their educational and employment goals. Some of the articles include: Employment, Careers, and Recovery for Young Adults; OPT4College: Learning Together to Improve Transition for Youth with Disabilities and Special Health Care Needs; Supported Education as a Vital Route to Competitive Employment; and Serving Youth with Psychiatric Disabilities in Public Vocational Rehabilitation.

 

The U.S. Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services and the Social Security Administration hosted a free online dialogue around the effects of existing federal regulations and legislation on the transition from school to work for youth with disabilities. Thousands of votes were cast and hundreds of ideas submitted. The online conversation closed May 27, 2013 but submissions may still be read by visiting the website.

 

Project SEARCH for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Increasing Competitive Employment on Transition from High School [PDF] (Paul Wehman, Carol Schall, Jennifer McDonough, Alissa Molinelli, Erin Riehle, Whitney Ham, and Weston R. Thiss, Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, vol. 15, no. 3, 2013, pp. 144-155), describes how Project SEARCH was used to help youth with ASD gain competitive employment. Project SEARCH is a model transition program that includes the following components: employment goal, successive community internships, and collaboration between school and adult services staff. Students with ASD also receive instruction in social, communication, and job skills; visual supports; and work routine and structure.

 

A Collaborative Interagency, Interdisciplinary Approach to Transition from Adolescence to Adulthood "promotes four core concepts that are essential to the development and implementation of effective transition plans and process:

  1. Self-determination should be the foundation for transition planning
  2. Transition should be viewed through a cultural lens
  3. Interagency collaboration is essential to effective transition
  4. Transition planning should include all the perspectives, disciplines, and organizations that will impact the transitioning student."

Note: Dr. Martin Blair, the new Director of the Rural Institute, is one of the paper's co-authors!

 

The Center on Transition to Employment has archived two recent webinars and made them available for viewing on their website: The Personnel Factor focuses on new research into the characteristics of employment specialists and their implications for successful transition to paid jobs for transition-age youth. Promising Practices in Transition for Predominantly Minority Youth: Results of Multi-Year, Multi-Sites Studies examines the essential elements of successful transition programs and interventions derived from this study. Researchers discuss strategies for replication and innovation of promising practices and interventions.
Web Sites

The ADA website (information and technical assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act) has been redesigned and re-launched by the U.S. Department of Justice.

 

The IDEA Partnership Collections offer resources on a number of topics, including Autism Spectrum Disorders, Cradle to College and Career, and Secondary Transition.

 

Think Beyond the Label aims to "counter attitudes and myths about people with disabilities-as well as demonstrate to businesses how to 'think beyond the label.'" The website houses tools, job listings, success stories and more.

 

The Catalyst Center website houses a number of publications readers might find helpful. Examples of subject areas include Health Care Reform, Medicaid and Children with Special Health Care Needs, Medical Debt and Family Financial Hardship, Youth Transition, and Children in Foster Care.

 

Mentalhealth.gov is a new government website providing resources for people with mental illness. 
 

 

 

 

Please note: the Transition and Employment Projects at the University of Montana Rural Institute shares information and resources our listserv members may find of interest. We do not endorse the web sites or workshop contents or their providers, and we assume no responsibility for the validity of information provided on sites or in sessions not hosted by our agency.

 

This project is funded in whole or in part under a Contract with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. The statements herein do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Department.