Tanya Riordan, Disability Initiative Director, CommunityMinded Enterprises

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Tanya Riordan, Disability Initiative Director,
Community-Minded Enterprises Cathy Sacco, Match
Coordinator, W.I.S.E. Tari Topolski, Evaluator,
University of Washington
This project is made possible by grant number
H235S040082 from the U.S. Department of
Education, Rehabilitation Services
Administration. The contents are solely the
responsibility of the authors and do not
represent the official views of the funding
agency, nor does publication in any way
constitute an endorsement by the funding agency
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Project Description

• Project MOVE is a research based mentoring
  program for youth with disabilities, ages 16-21.
  
• Goal
• Implement and evaluate a one-on-one community
  based mentoring program.
• Purpose
• Support youth with disabilities successfully
  transition on to the workplace and/or college.

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Presentation Components

• Partnership Development
• Replication of Best Practices
• Project MOVE Mentoring Model
• Program Evaluation

We believe it is possible to build a vibrantly
healthy community.
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Project MOVE Partners
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Partnership Development

• Just Ask!
• Get Connected!
• Put your puzzle pieces together!

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When one dreams alone it is only a dream when
we dream together, it is the beginning of a
reality. -Brazilian Song
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Replication of Best Practices

• Find a proven program model
• Adapt program processes
• Integrate components specific to target
  population and desired outcomes

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Program Adaptation

• Key components adapted specifically to
• Project MOVE
• Match process mutual
• Participant screening (youth and mentors)
• Establishment of employment and education goals

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Replication Strategies
Strengthening others capacity to do their work
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Key Challenges

• Identifying Challenges
• Community Awareness
• Mentor Recruitment
• Myths about people with disabilities
• Overcoming Challenges
• Seeking on-going feedback and support
• Open communication w/ partners
• Addressing myths

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Project MOVE Mentoring Model

• Recruitment
• Intake Process
• Match Coordination
• Participant Training Program
• Goal Development and Planning
• Community Resource Information

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Recruitment

• Recruitment of Youth
• Presented at Area High Schools
• Referrals from Interested Parties
• Media Exposure
• Recruitment of mentors
• Local Businesses - Employee Volunteer Programs
• College Campuses Service Learning Expos,
  Community Service Programs College credits
• Civic Service/Senior Citizen Organizations
  Churches

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Intake Process

• Inquiry
• Application
• Orientation
• Provide More Details About the Program
• Opportunity for Questions
• Review/Submit Required Paperwork
• Informational Materials
• Follow-up Interview (s)
• Opportunity to see Youth/Mentors Home Meet
  family
• Get to Know the Individual
• Discover Strengths and Areas of Needed Support
• Hear the Wants and Needs of Youth and Mentor

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Match Coordination

• Review of Youth Files
• Review of Mentor Files
• Screening Who Might Match Well Together
• Provide Opportunity For Youth/Mentor to Meet
• and share a little about themselves
• Mutual Selection
• Match Begins

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I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the
entire community. -George Bernard Shaw
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Match Coordination Cont

• Participant Follow-up and Support
• Community Resources
• In-Stride with Project MOVE
• Project MOVE Newsletter

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In Stride with Project MOVE

• Standard Trainings
• Overview of Program
• Self Advocacy
• People First Language
• Overview of Disabilities
• Understanding Current Systems

• Specific Topic Trainings
• Social Security
• Self Employment
• Person Centered Planning
• Understanding your I.E.P
• Accommodations/Assistive Technology
• Autism

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Goal Development and Planning

• Determining the Path
• Facilitated approach
• Understanding rather than hearing goals
• Explores all possibilities
• Use of goal packet to help direct student
• Goal and Planning Consultants
• Meet with interested students and their mentor
• Assist in goal-setting and planning to reach
  those goals
• Help students create network support teams
• Provide follow-up services to help move from
  planning to action

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Community Resource Information

• Match Coordinators Role
• Facilitate meetings between matches and
  appropriate services
• Offer suggestions for activities
• Follow-up to ensure needs being met
• Monthly Newsletter
• Lists available community resources
• Spotlights area trainings and Project MOVE In
  Stride
• Suggests activities for matches
• Provides information to broad community base
• Highlights mentor recruitment needs for program
• Highlights success stories

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Why Mentoring Works!
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Program Evaluation

• Purpose
• Program Improvement
• Assessment of Program Effectiveness
• Assessment of Benefits to Participants
• Evaluation Process
• Monitor Program Goals
• Track Program Participation
• Track Outcome Measures

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Evaluation Process

• What outcomes do we assess?
• What data should we collect?
• Should I bring in an outside evaluator or do it
  with project staff?
• What should be the timeline of the evaluation?

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Monitoring Program Goals

• Process Indicators
• Recruitment
• Mentor evaluation
• Match process
• Outcome Indicators
• Pre Post Skills Assessments
• Employment College Entrance
• Quality of Life

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Tracking Program Participation

• Developed a MS Access Database system to
• Track the application process
• Monitor Matches
• Number of days to match
• Activity reports
• Participant reports
• Track Trainings and Outings

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Participant Outcome Measures

• Employment/College Skills
• Found existing validated instruments to assess
• the mentees ability to
• Describe their disability
• Understand accommodations needed
• Write a Resume
• Assess their work ethics
• To plan for College Entrance
• SAT Test
• College Entrance Exam
• Number of Participants Employed
• Number of Participants in College Technical
  School

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Participant Outcomes Continued

• Mentor Evaluation of the Program
• Mentee Evaluation of the Program
• Satisfaction with mentoring relationship
• Quality of Life

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Quality Improvements

• Match process streamlined
• Recruitment strategies specified
• Staffing structure re-organized
• Our responsibility is to do what we can, learn
  what we can, improve the solutions, and pass them
  on. Richard P. Feynman

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Demonstrating Outcomes

• Is one-on-one community based mentoring a
  successful approach to support youth with
  disabilities achieve their employment and
  postsecondary goals?
• What type of long term impact does it have?
• What program components contribute to the
  participant success?

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We can never solve our significant problems from
the same level of thinking we were at when we
created the problem. -Albert Einstein
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Contact Information
Cathy Sacco (509) 328-MOVE www.theinitiative.ws Ca
thy_at_theinitiative.ws
Tanya Riordan [phone] ext. 204
www.community-minded.org Tanyar_at_community-minded.
org
Tari Topolski [phone] www.seaqolgroup.org t
opolski_at_u.washington.edu