Youth Employment Services

1. Youth Employment Services South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department April 2013

2. Youth Employment Services • October 2007 : selected for 5 year RSA model demonstration grant • Purpose: increase the total number of students with disabilities that… • Successfully complete high school • Enter post-secondary or apprenticeship training • Enter suitable competitive employment

3. Youth Employment Services • Population to be served: • Students with physical, mental, or emotional impairments that are on academic tracks leading to: • High school diploma • Occupational or district diploma • Certificate of completion

4. Youth Employment ServicesQualitative Measures • Improve infrastructure of transition services in SC • Improve collaborative efforts and knowledge of available services among stakeholders • Improve knowledge of school personnel, family, employers, and other support organizations • Develop integration of transition planning tools (IEP, IPE, IGP) that lead to improved post-school outcomes • Improve supports to students that enter employment

5. Youth Employment Services Quantitative Measures • Increase the number of students receiving planned transition services • Decrease the local drop-out rate for students with disabilities • Increase graduation rates for students with disabilities • Improve meaningful employment outcomes for program participants • Increase enrollment and participation in post-secondary education and training programs • Input from participants and families on effectiveness of program

6. Youth Employment ServicesPartners • Lancaster County School District • Lancaster High School • Edgefield County School District • Strom Thurmond High School • Beaufort County School District • Battery Creek High School • Spartanburg School District 7 • Spartanburg High School

7. Youth Employment ServicesProgram Design • Place a Transition Assessment Specialist (TAS) on site in each location to provide services including: • Career assessment • Career exploration • Job shadowing, mentoring, try-outs, on-the-job training, internships, site visits • Instruction on job seeking, employer expectations, etc. • Job placement assistance

8. Transition Service Matrix • NCWD/Y “Guideposts for Success” based: • Preparatory experiences • Work Experiences • Personal Development and Leadership • Connecting Services • Family Involvement

9. Youth Employment ServicesProgram Design • TAS completes a YES participant profile with each student • Used to guide career exploration and vocational assessment • Has been incorporated into SCVRD’s vocational assessment process for all transition students

10. Youth Employment ServicesTotal Students Served 3/1/2008 – 12/31/12

11. Youth Employment ServicesWork Experiences

12. Youth Employment ServicesTotal Service Expenditures

13. Youth Employment ServicesOutcomes • Prior to the YES program, in SC 48% of students with disabilities dropped out prior to graduation • For the entire grant period, 11.8% of YES program participants dropped out prior to graduation • Prior to the YES program, in SC only 24% of students with disabilities exited high school with a diploma • For the entire grant period, 39% of YES participants exited high school with a regular diploma

14. Youth Employment ServicesOutcomes • Over the course of the grant, 84 students have achieved a successful employment outcome. • Students successfully employed have average hourly earnings of $8.72 and are working an average of 35 hours per week. • Quarterly meetings of a statewide advisory team (SC TEST) and semi-annual meetings of local Transition Advisory Teams • Student and parent surveys: high rate of participation in program activities; would recommend the program to others.

15. Youth Employment ServicesSurvey Responses • When parents were asked about how their child benefited from work experiences: • Has learned to work for what he earned • Has learned how to work with people; how to follow directions; how to save money • It has helped with attitude

16. Youth Employment ServicesSuccess Stories • Student with significant behavior problems in school requiring disciplinary actions. Through YES program, completed school with a high school diploma and later became employed with military contractor making $25 an hour • Student with similar behavior issues, difficulty dealing with teachers and refusing to follow rules. Through working with YES program, graduated with a diploma and completed Nashville Auto Diesel College • Student – two years behind his class in school and limited interest in finishing. Began participating in YES program, attendance improved, graduated with high school diploma and now attending local technical college

17. YES Lessons Learned • VR and school partners have compatible missions, but distinct roles • Our school partners have a multi-faceted mission to achieve • Many of our clients are confronted with obstacles that go beyond living with a disability • Without coordinated, planned transition services, students may not have a sound vocational goal and a plan for its achievement • Parents and families have a powerful influence on vocational rehabilitation success

18. YES Lessons Learned • Late referral too often results in unsuccessful case closure • While staff are mindful of internal process and procedures, partners and stakeholders focus first on the needs of students • Work works! • Cases can transfer; relationships do not • Everyone will remember what you don’t do

19. Beyond YES • Transition Assessments – using YES profile questions • Inclusion of work experiences as key part of transition service model • Specialized agreements with LEAs • Expectations for referrals, activities, work experiences, employment outcomes • HS/HT: focus on STEM careers and post-secondary education goals • Increased VR presence in schools

20. Questions

21. Margaret Alewine, SCVRD Director of Planningmalewine@scvrd.state.sc.usKerry Mandeville, SCVRD Program Managerkmandeville@scvrd.state.sc.us

22. Maryland Seamless TransitionCollaborative (MSTC) RSA Webinar April 30, 2013

23. Seamless Transition is….. • A sequential delivery of specific transition service features beginning in early high school • Braiding of resources of transition partners • Resulting in uninterrupted, collaborative transition from public secondary education to employment and/or postsecondary education

24. Based on the premise: # 1 Factor predicting post school career success: Paid Work experience in secondary school

25. How was MSTC implemented? • Replicated model in 11 out of 24 school districts in Maryland. • Sites selected through RFP process, with original plan of roll out to 8 school districts • 2 additional sites funded through Division of Special Education in 3rd year, 1 additional site funded through DORS in 4th year • Each site given two years, with first year for planning and second year for implementation – most needed an additional year for implementation

26. Maryland MSTC Sites

27. How Does MSTC Work? • Flow of Student Services – provides a model for all school systems to follow • Project Management Team – infuses interagency collaboration into the process to facilitate seamless transition for each student • Facilitates sustainability by creating the structure for local transition councils

28. Flow of Student Services • Selection Criteria: Receiving special education or 504 services, eligible for DORS services, needs support to seamlessly transition, and willing to participate • 10th grade or 3 years prior to exit- Discovery process, family participation, involvement in student’s IEP, career planning • 11th grade or 2 years prior to exit- Work based experiences, opening DORS case, participating in their IEPs; applications made for post-school education or supports

29. Flow of Student Services (cont’d) • 12th grade (last year before exit)- Participate in at least 1 competitive, inclusive, employment experience prior to exiting, ensure that linkages are made for post-school supports; benefits counseling, health and social linkages • Follow up - For the purpose of the demonstration project, we are following up for 2 years following exit from school (Are they working/Are they going to school? Or both)

30. Partnership/Collaboration Employer Job Seeker D E M A N D Local Project Management Team S U P P L Y Community Rehabilitation Providers Local School System Additional Resources Independent Living Center Social Security Assistive Technology Center Mental Health Developmental Disabilities Post Sec Education One-Stop Career Center Vocational Rehabilitation

31. Five components of the model: • Infusion of Self-Advocacy/Self-Determination Instruction • Work-Based Experiences • Paid Inclusive Employment • Collaboration and Family Supports • Braiding of Resources with Collaborating Partners

32. The Ideal Outcome: Seamless Transition: Youth exits school to post-school settings of choice --with a job, enrolled in postsecondary education, and/or a clear path to adult employment– with supports in place!

33. Selected Preliminary Outcomes

34. Selected Preliminary Outcomes

35. Lessons Learned • MSTC is a service delivery model not a project • Think about sustainability from day one • Early intervention makes a huge difference • Administrative buy-in is critical • Using the language of the system you are talking about • Target key people in the right place at the right time

36. Lessons Learned • Parents/supportive adults are an essential partner with essential information • Importance of sharing resources- getting rid of territories • Building effective partnerships means more students are served • Students learn from multiple job experiences • Career exploration is more than career assessment

37. Sustainability • How do we continue services after grant funding is gone? • From school system perspective: School systems are embracing the Discovery process, providing for self-determination and self-advocacy instruction, plus work experiences • Challenge is how to deliver to diploma bound students • Looking at several different approaches to allow for flexibility in provision

38. Sustainability • From VR perspective: Piloting the delivery of a coordinated transition service package • Started with Summer Employment package, to provide for job development and job coaching • Piloting year-round services package in 3 MSTC sites

39. Where Are We Now? • Piloted Summer Employment Bundle in 2 counties • Developed Transition Fee for Services Package for piloting and ultimate replication Pilot in 3 MSTC sites: • Baltimore City • Carroll County • Charles County

40. What will Transition Services look like? • Variety of Transition Services for students while they are still in high school, with the goal of a minimum of one paid work experience prior to school exit. • Services are intended to supplement but not replace what the school system is already providing. • For example, if the school is providing a job coach, DORS would consider other related services but would not duplicate provision of job coaching. • Not every student will require services from all four levels.

41. Who will be eligible to participate in this pilot? • Eligible for services from DORS; based on order of selection • In last two years of high school • Requires assistance in achieving employment and/or supports to maintain employment • For purposes of the pilot, numbers of students will be limited

42. Transition Services Package • Allows for year-round Transition services for students while still in high school • Goal of a minimum of one paid work experience prior to school exit • Outcome-based approach – milestone payments • 4 levels of service

43. Level 1: Pre-Employment Experiences Can occur only during the next to last year of high school; includes preliminary, work readiness types of activities, such as: • Informal career assessment • Career exploration activities • Travel training • Non-paid work-based experiences, such as job shadowing, volunteering, informational interviewing, job site tours, etc.

44. Level 2: Paid Work Experiences (optional) • Temporary employment/employer paid internship experience during the next to last year of high school • Services to include: • Job Development • Job Placement • On-the-job supports as needed

45. Level 3:Summer Youth Employment • Occurs during the summer before the last year of high school, for students not currently employed. • Services to include: • Job Development • Job Placement • Travel training • On-the-job supports as needed • Evaluation at the conclusion of the work experience

46. Level 4:Final Resume’ Development • Occurs during the final year of school; student transitions to DORS • Transition to DORS Fee for Service for job development and supports as needed

47. Roles & Responsibilities • DORS • Coordinate Transition Pilot delivery • Provide guidance for Transition Pilot • Support CRPs and Schools in implementing Transition Pilot • Ensure CRPs are paid in a timely manner • Community Rehabilitation Providers • Provide transition services to youth • Communicate with DORS and school system staff • Complete required forms and billing for each level of service in a timely manner

48. Roles & Responsibilities • School System • Communicate with CRPs with student information • In collaboration with DORS Transition Counselors, identify students • TransCen, Inc. • Provide TA and training to CRPs • Serve as liaison between partners • Troubleshoot service delivery issues with DORS and CRPs

49. Fee Structure • Level 1: Initial payment at referral, outcome payments at identification of career cluster and completion of career exploration plan (to include work-based experiences) • Level 2: Outcome payments at completion of job development, job placement, on-the-job supports, and completion of evaluations

50. Fee Structure • Level 3: Outcome payments at completion of job development, job placement, on-the-job supports and completion of evaluations • Level 4: Outcome payment upon submission of final resume