ORCHARD ACADEMY

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• ORCHARD ACADEMY
• Best Practices in Person-Centered
• Transition Planning and Programming
• that Deliver Positive Outcomes
• Presented by
• Tim Bobrowski, Director
• Cindy Ciluffo, School Social Worker

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Orchard Village

• Orchard Village is a non profit organization that
  was founded in 1972.
• Founded by parents whose children were graduating
  from high school and transitioning into their
  adult life.
• They wanted a safe and productive community where
  they could foster new skills and realize their
  dreams.
• Orchard Academy is a new transition program of
  Orchard Village.

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Orchard Academy Features

• ISBE approved non-public Special Education
  Transition School
• An outcome of paid work with post-school support
  in place before school exit (a seamless
  transition into adult services upon graduation)
• An intensive curriculum of Life Skills,
  Vocational services and Job Placement over an
  extended school year to maximize outcomes of
  independent living and working in the community

The last day of school looks like the first day
of adult life Transition as a process
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Transition Project Findings

• Report of the Mayoral Task Force on Employment of
  People with Disabilities
• (July 20022005) Best Practices
• Student self-determination
• Family involvement in transition
• Interagency collaboration
• Secondary and Post-Secondary Education
• Pre-graduation work experience
• Career Exploration
• Work-based learning experiences in the community
• Knowledge of adult services and issues
• Centers of Independent Living
• Support Systems

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Planning for Post-secondary Success is Embedded
in IDEA 2004

• The purpose of IDEA is to ensure that all
  children with disabilities have available to them
  a free appropriate public education (FAPE) that
  emphasizes special education and related services
  designed to meet their unique needs and prepare
  them for further education, employment, and
  independent living.

Individuals with Disabilities Education
Improvement Act of 2004 601(d)(1)(A)
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Transition Requirements

• At age 14-1/2 (in Illinois), and updated annually
  thereafter, the IEP must include
• Appropriate measurable post secondary goals based
  on age-appropriate transition assessments for
  education and/or training, employment, as needed,
  independent living.
• For each post-secondary goal, there is an annual
  goal and short term objective
• The transition services (including courses of
  study) needed to assist the child in reaching
  those goals.
• When appropriate, for transition services that
  include outside agencies, evidence that those
  agencies were invited to participate in the IEP.
• Beginning not later than 1 year before the child
  reaches the age of majority under state law, a
  statement that the child has been informed of the
  childs rights under this title, if any, that
  will transfer to the child on reaching the age of
  majority.

Sec. 300.320
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Benefits of a Community-Based Transition
Integration Model

• Increase vocational outcomes by 25 30 over
  current levels
• 35 - 50 over national employment rates of
  people with disabilities
• Increase independent skill attainment over
  current levels
• Collaborative interagency resource pooling to
  target more funding for students, minimize each
  partners costs and maximize student outcomes

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Orchard Academy

• Curriculum

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Career Vocational Skills

• Resume writing
• Job application writing
• Interviewing skills
• Personal qualities
• Identifying strengths and interests
• Career development
• Work skills and work experiences
• Learning appropriate behaviors for on the job
• Job research and location
• Job development and placement

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Life Skills

• Banking
• Cooking
• Cleaning
• Self-advocacy
• Shopping
• Locating information
• Newspaper skills
• Recreation/leisure
• Community resources
• Personal care
• Nutrition

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Social Skills

• Self-determination
• Working through stress
• Solving conflicts
• Decision making
• Working with others
• Identifying characteristics
• Identifying and developing interests
• Expressing appropriate emotions
• Establishing relationships

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Tying it all together

• Developing the skills in all the areas allows
  students to gain independence.
• Students are able to identify their options and
  choose the options that best suit them.
• Learning the skills in the different areas
  provides students with the capability to succeed
  in life and work.
• Students are not only practicing the skills they
  learn in the classroom, but they have community
  involvement to generalize their skills in order
  to achieve the greatest success.
• Through this program students are given the
  opportunity to expand vocationally with job
  seeking skills, job development, placement, and
  retention.

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ORCHARD ACADEMYS Integrated Transition Plan
Living and Working in the Community
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Possible Barriers to Successful Transition

• Unrealistic Expectations
• Community Acceptance
• Limited Employment Opportunities
• Lack of Community, Social and Vocational
  Experiences
• Inadequate Funding
• Lack Of Emotional Preparedness
• Scarce Community Resources

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What are the Programmatic Success Factors?
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Individualization

• The students STRENGTHS, interests,
  preferences, and individual capabilities remain
  the primary focus

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Therapeutic Supports

• Team Collaboration
• Transition Planning Meetings
• 3-4 times a year meet with team (outside of the
  IEP)
• To review progress
• Set goals
• Set schedule
• Share resources
• Celebrate accomplishments
• Weekly Staff Meetings
• Ongoing Collaboration

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Therapeutic Supports

• Regular assessments with students and families
• In vocation, life skills and education to
  determine continued areas of need and progress
• Social skills training
• Safety in the community
• Problem solving on the job
• Self-advocacy

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Therapeutic Supports

• Social Work services
• Individual counseling
• Group counseling
• Behavior plan update and modification for the
  community
• Community linkages
• Social and recreational opportunities
• Health services
• Residential services

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Therapeutic Supports

• Family Supports
• Parent session
• Intensive communication
• Family Forum topics
• Graduate parent and student panel
• SSI/SSDI/Medicaid
• Financial planning
• Disability Services panel

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Collaborative Partnerships

• Local School Districts
• Parent and Network Meetings
• Community Agencies
• State Agencies
• Facility Advisory Committee
• BEST Committee (Transition Planning Committee)
• Employers
• Social and Recreational Organizations

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Seamless Transition into Adult Living

• Knowledge of the adult world because
• Foundation and history of transition through
  Orchard Village as an Adult Service Agency
• Service Contracts already established
• Slots can be targeted for students
• Established success at assisting adults to move
  into work and independent living situations
• Variety of supports available on campus

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A focused curriculum of integrated Life Skills
and Vocational Skills
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Student Work Hours
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Life Skills Assessment
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Life Skills Improvement
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How does this work?

• Collaboration
• Success throughout the state due to Transition
  Planning Committees
• Where are the niches in your community?
• Individualizing for your students and community

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ORCHARD VILLAGE/ACADEMY

• A well integrated person centered organization
  that has built strong working relationships with
  the individuals with special needs, their
  families, and community.
• Experienced staff in vocational and life skills
  support of students and adults with a strong
  track record of successful outcomes for
  community living and working.
• Visit us _at_ orchardacademy.org