Vocational Rehabilitation and Transition A National and State Perspective

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Vocational Rehabilitation and TransitionA
National and State Perspective

• Barb Hoelzer
• Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation
• barb.hoelzer_at_vr.dese.mo.gov
• 314-877-1910

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IDEA The Benchmark

• What Is Transition?
• Beginning in 1990, the Individuals with
  Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) required
  transition services for all children with
  disabilities.
• It focused on graduation rates and making them
  more equitable with non-disabled students
• It also launched an era in which students with
  disabilities were given opportunities which were
  long over due.

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An Early Perspective

• How should VR assist with increasing rates of
  graduation?
• Missouri VR has been involved with School
  Districts since the early 1970s
• The Coop Program a program that gives students
  school credit(s) for participating in off-campus,
  paid work experiences.
• Focus
• To help youth stay in
• school and graduate
• To gain work experience

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Reauthorization Amendments

• Secondary education transition defined in the
  2004 reauthorization of IDEA as
• an outcome oriented process,
• that promotes movement from school to post-school
  activities,
• Including
• postsecondary education
• vocational education
• integrated employment (including supported
  employment)
• continuing and adult education
• adult services
• independent living or community participation
  (P.L. 108-446, 300.29).

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IDEA 2004 Focus changed

• A total of 20 Performance Indicators - Four of
  which involve Transition
• Indicator 1 Graduation rates
• Indicator 2 Drop-out rates
• Indicator 4 Post-School Outcomes
• Indicator 13 The quality of the IEP
• Vocational Rehabilitations role expanded to
  become a part of the Team of individuals
  committed to the students long term success.

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Were all in this Together

• The diverse and complex needs of todays youth
  cannot be met by any one family, school district,
  government program, or private organization
  acting alone.  The successful transition of all
  youth to adulthood and a productive, independent,
  self-sufficient life demands coordination and
  collaboration across systems and across agencies,
  along with an integrated services approach to
  serving youth at the federal, state, and local
  levels.,  National Collaborative on Workforce
  and Disability

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A Team Approach

• Students
• School Districts, Educators, Counselors
• Families
• Service Providers
• Social Security Administration
• State Agencies
• DMH
• Family Services Division
• Vocational Rehabilitation
• Business and Community Partners

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A National Perspective

• In October of 2008 the National Council on
  Disability published an extensive report titled,
  The Rehabilitation Act Outcomes for Transition
  Age Youth
• The focus of this study was to evaluate our
  efforts at meeting the needs of transition age
  youth in transitioning from high school to work
  and/or postsecondary education.

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Guideposts for SuccessNational Collaborative on
Workforce and Disability

• School Based Preparatory Experiences
• Career Preparation Work-Based Learning
  Experiences
• Youth Development Leadership
• Connecting Activities
• Family Involvement Supports

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Missouri in Relation to NCWD Guideposts for
Success

• Guidepost 1 School-Based Preparatory
  Experience
• Cooperative Agreement outlines joint transition
  planning/services for youth with disabilities
• Consultation and Technical Assistance
• Participation in IEP meetings

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Missouri-NCWD Guideposts

• Guidepost 2 Career Preparation and Work Based
  Learning
• CRP/SESP Transition Assessment Addendum
• Includes work based career exploration
• Short and long term post-schools goals and
  strategies for accommodation
• Cooperative Work Experience Program
• Off campus work experience
• Entry level jobs
• Learn and practice work skills
• Receive at least Minimum Wage
• Receive High School Credit

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Missouri-NCWD Guideposts

• Guidepost 3 Youth Development and Leadership
• VR helps recruit students and actively supports
  The Missouri Youth Leadership Forum (MYLF),
  hosted by the Governors council on Disabilities
• Open to High School Juniors and Seniors
• Students participate in a Career
  Leadership-Training Program at the University of
  Missouri Columbia
• Promotes leadership, citizenship and social skill
  development

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Missouri-NCWD Guideposts

• Guidepost 4 Connecting Activities
• VR Counselors are encouraged to connect students
  with
• Centers for Independent Living (CIL
• Workforce Development Partners
• Missouri Association for Higher Education
  (MOAHEAD) Coordinated regional training
  entitled, Transition to Higher Ed.

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Missouri-NCWD Guideposts

• Guidepost 5 Family Involvement and Supports
• Missouri VR is participating in the STELLAR
  (Supporting Transition to Engaged Lives by
  Linking Agency Resources) project which focuses
  on family involvement during transition planning
  and across school and community programs
• Joint presentations to special education
  personnel regarding family involvement
• VR personnel have participated in training to
  become Transition Mentors who will facilitate
  dialogue, share information and offer additional
  support between parents, educators, students, VR,
  and other agencies.

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Council of State Administrators inVocational
Rehabilitation (CSAVR)

• Executive committee has identified transition
  services as a key national priority in public VR
  services (leadership)
• CSAVR has established as a standing committee
• School to Career Transition Services committee
  chair serves as a member of the CSAVR executive
  committee

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CSAVR Elements of Success in Transition Services

• Leadership
• Rehabilitation professionals providing vital
  leadership and the use of evidence-base
  transition practices achieve desired results
  (Oertle and Trach, 2007)
• Alignment
• Youth who wait until after high school
  completion to connect with rehabilitation
  professionals face greater transition obstacles
  (Agran et al., 2002)

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CSAVR Elements of Success in Transition Services

• Collaboration
• When special educators and rehabilitation
  professionals have strong collaborative
  relationships, the transition process is more
  successful achieving better outcomes
• (Morningstar et al., 1999)
• Conclusion Executive committee has identified
  transition services as a key national priority in
  public VR services

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Current Initiatives to Improve the Quality of
Missouri Transition Services

• Transition Team Recommendations
• Training
• Transition to Higher Education
• 3rd Annual DESE Summer Transition Institute
• MPACT Transition Mentoring Training
• Ask the Expert February 2009
• Revision of COOP Agreement

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Current Initiatives - continued

• Transition Specific VR data reports
• Improve consistency and accurate data collection
  to more accurately track Transition Related VR
  outcomes
• Develop opportunity for data sharing with
  Transition Outcome Project School (TOPS) and a
  local VR district office for data sharing
• Improve Transition Outcomes for Students from
  Underserved Populations
• Development of an improved VR Transition Website

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Transition Assessment Subteam Recommendations

• VRC
• Disability Awareness and Self Determination
  Assessment
• Career Interest Inventory/Aptitude Exploration
• CRP/SESP
• Student interview and prescreening
• Career Exploration
• Career Identification
• Workplace Competency/Soft Skills Assessment

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Transition Assessment Recommendations

• CRP/SESP (continued)
• Student interview Post-Assessment Screening
• Student-Led Career Exploration Staffing
• Other Recommendations
• Collect more information from the schools. Most
  students have some type of Transition Portfolio.
• Local Educators should be interviewed to ensure
  we benefit from their long term experience with
  the student.

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Our Challenge

• Todays youth represent our greatest National
  Resource. Our challenge will be to continue to
  refine our practices to help them realize their
  incredible potential.
• Barb Hoelzer
• Missouri Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
• barb.hoelzer_at_vr.dese.mo.gov
• 314-877-1910