Orchard Village

1
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.

2
Who should participate in the coordination of
Transition Services?

• Student
• Parent(s)/Family Members/Guardians
• Case Manager
• Classroom Teachers
• Related Service Team
• Private Therapists
• Pre-vocational Coordinator
• Transition Specialist/Counselor
• Administrators
• Division of Rehabilitation Staff
• Community Agencies

3
Transition Services requires theCoordination of
Services

• Focus on the student
• Identify roles who does what?
• Flexibility to share responsibilities.
• Valuing team members unique expertise and
  backgrounds
• Remain open-minded to all ideas
• No egos
• Open and ongoing communication among team members
• Access and sharing of resources

4
Collaboration in the Transition Process

• When special education, governmental entities,
  community agencies and adult service providers
  work together, we can empower students with
  disabilities to succeed in full participation in
  work and community living.
• By networking and building relationships, we are
  better able to collaborate to address the needs
  of individual students and facilitate a more
  successful post-secondary outcomes.

5
Collaboration to Facilitate Successful Transition
Planning

• Focus on the total person
• Recognition of individual desires and interests
• Discovering new ways of thinking about the future
  of the person
• Establishing relationships among agencies
• Focusing on capacities instead of deficiencies

6
Develop Model Transition Program for Students
with Disabilities

• Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic
  Opportunity Grant Jack Lavin, Director
• Review existing transition programs in Chicago
  and suburban schools
• Develop model (pilot) transition program for
  students with disabilities
• Include both employment and post-secondary
  options
• Present program to the Chicagoland Provider
  Leadership Network (CPLN)

7
Current Research of Transition Integration Models

• California Transition Service Integration
  Expansion Project
• Maryland Transition Service Integration Project
• Baltimore Transition Connection
• Career Community Connection, Lockport, IL

8
Transition Project Findings

• California San Diego San Francisco
• 97 or 33 students were employed at graduation
• 100 of students transitioned seamlessly to the
  same adult service agency that worked with them
  prior to graduation.
• In the following year, 72 or 39 students were
  employed at graduation
• 81 or 44 students transitioned seamlessly to the
  same agency
• Maryland Baltimore
• 80 or 40 students were employed upon completion
• 95 of students transitioned smoothly to a chosen
  adult service agency.

9

• Transition Project Findings
• The Status of Transition Services for Secondary
  Students
• with Disabilities in Illinois
• Transportation
• Competitive Employment Opportunities
• Employment Supports
• Availability, Affordability Accessibility of
  Housing
• Adult Programs/Services for People with Severe
  Disabilities developing community integration
  skills
• 2004-2005 Annual Report of the Interagency
  Coordinating Council

10
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

11
Features of a Transition Integration Model

• Individualized schedules and individual choice of
  employment options
• Adult agency vocational specialists working in
  conjunction with school personnel (a staffing
  ratio of 31, students to staff)
• Cost sharing resources of the school system,
  state vocational rehabilitation services, and
• other public private resources

12
Features of a Transition Integration Model

• 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

13
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

14
So?

• What does that mean?
• How do we pull it all together?

15
Career Management Series

• Collaborative model with Schools, DRS, OV
• Career exploration
• Job seeking skills
• Course taught in community setting
• Weekly group instruction
• Follow-up with individual job development and
  placement
• 80 placement outcomes

16
Student Vocational Outcomes 2006 - 2007
17
Vocational Outcomes 2002 - 2007
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ORCHARD ACADEMYS Integrated Transition Plan
Living and Working in the Community
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Integrated Learning

• Developing independence in all life skills
• Providing classroom training with practice
  generalized to their own community
• Identifying options and making choices best
  suited to their interests and capabilities
• Learning to expand vocationally with job
  development, job placement and retention
• Social skills training embedded in all curricula

20
Student Work Hours 2007 - 2008
21
Possible Barriers to Successful Post-Secondary
Transitions

• Student/Client Relationship
• Familiarity Of Different Disabilities And
  Student/Client Needs
• Changing Populations Served
• Unrealistic Desires Of Families
• Community On Board
• Limited Employment Opportunities
• Legislation
• Funding Cuts
• Lack Of Training

22
The ASN/ Orchard Village Project

• Collaborative Partnership Agreement
• Alternative Schools Network
• Casey Family Programs
• Illinois Department of Commerce Economic
  Opportunity
• Orchard Village
• Provide pre-employment, job placement and job
  coaching services to foster youth with
  disabilities in transition

23
Throughout the transition process, it is
important to remember that

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