Youth Transition
Toolkit:
A guide for young
people with disabilities
transitioning to
adulthood
Rachel Stewart,
Youth Program Manager
Overview
 Personal
and Project Background
 Youth
Transition Toolkit website design and features
 Contents
 Topics covered
 Lesson
Plans and Activities
 Demonstration
of website
My Personal Background
 Born
with spinal muscular atrophy, used a
wheelchair since the age of 5
 Use personal care assistance
 Transitioned to living independently for college
 Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medi-Cal,
and In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)
 Ready to transition into the workforce -- SSI as
an employment support vs. poverty trap
 Work
incentive programs
 Resources
are out there to help, but they’re
hard to find if you don’t know where to look…
 Funded
by a Medicaid Infrastructure Grant (MIG) from the
federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) –
administered by San Diego State University’s Interwork
Institute.
 Overall
goal: increase employment of youth and adults with
disabilities
 Numerous
projects geared towards youth with disabilities
 Goal of empowering youth, developing self-advocacy skills,
and providing access to information and resources
 Partner with a variety of state departments and non-profit
organizations
Things are About to Change
Video
 Youth
with disabilities telling their transition
stories, and giving tips on avoiding pitfalls
 Helping
 Sneak
you to realize what’s possible!
preview…
Youth Transition Toolkit Website
www.TKNLyouth.info
 Website
Development and Refinement
 Subject matter experts:



Communities of Practice, CA Dept. of Ed, School District
Personnel, Transition Alliance
Dept. of Rehabilitation
CA Foundation for Independent Living Centers and State
Independent Living Council
 Youth
 Content
with disabilities: Nothing about us, without us!
is designed to EMPOWER YOUTH
 Target audience is YOUTH! – ages 12-28+
 Tips for Parents
 Information relevant to teachers, transition specialists,
and service providers
Youth Transition Toolkit Website
 Chapters
include:
 Education
 Independent Living
 Employment
 Finances
 Healthcare
 Social/Recreation
 HTML
website pages and downloadable PDFs of
each “chapter” and worksheet
Education Chapter
Empowering
youth while in high school
 Person-centered
transition planning, leading your
own IEP/ITP, etc.
Information
to assist in the transition to Postsecondary education: community college, 4year university, or vocational school
 Understanding
the differences between high school
and college
 Information on financial aid and scholarships
Independent Living Chapter
Background
on disability history,
independent living movement
Information
on housing, transportation,
and personal assistance services
Worksheets
to help you set goals for your
future and checklists to ensure
preparation for independence
Employment Chapter
 Career
planning - Choosing a career and job
search resources
 The
impact of employment on benefits
 Disability benefits 101 website
 Job
accommodations and disability disclosure
 Tips
on resume writing and successful
interviewing techniques
 Building
work experience, including volunteerism
and internship programs
 Personal
assistant services at work
Finances Chapter
 Tips
on money management, including:
 basic budgeting
 balancing a checkbook
 paying bills
 tracking your spending
 opening up a bank account
 Credit
cards and how to avoid getting into debt
 Worksheets
on financial planning and budgeting
Healthcare Chapter
 Keeping
track of medications, making doctors
appointments and communicating with your
doctor
 Insurance
information, including Medi-Cal,
healthcare through employment and continuance
of coverage under the family’s plan
 Worksheets
on handling your own healthcare
needs
 Tips
for your parents on how they can empower
you to start handling your own health-related
needs
Social/Recreation Chapter
 Clubs/activities
specifically designed for youth
with disabilities
 Youth
Organizing (YO!) Disabled and Proud Program
 Youth Leadership Forum (YLF)
 People First
 Adaptive
sports programs
 Ways
to become more involved in your
community
 Tips
on traveling with a mobility impairment
Pilot Sites
 25
Pilot Sites!
 High Schools/districts

Includes Workability I, Transition Partnership Programs, and special
education/adult transition programs
 College
2 Career Program
 Independent Living Center
 Family Empowerment Center
 Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
 Other Community-Based Organizations providing
transition services
Lesson Plans
 Lesson
Plan materials are geared towards teachers,
transition specialists, independent living center staff, etc.
to help them lead transition-related activities
 Main
goal of Lesson Plans is to lead activities designed to:
 Empower youth
 Build self advocacy and self determination skills
 Encourage youth to start thinking about and planning for
their future
 Lead youth to www.tknlyouth.info to find additional
resources which can help successfully transition into
adult life
Lesson Plans
 All
materials located in the secure section of the
Youth Transition Toolkit website – currently will
only be available to pilot sites
 Will be available to anyone by the middle of
2012
 Complete
flexibility in how facilitators/teachers
choose to use lesson plans:
 Lead only certain activities or lesson plan
chapters
 Modify activities
Lesson Plans
 “Lesson
Plan Overview”
 Comprehensive summary and instructions on the
lesson plans and tips for how to enhance activities
(i.e. inviting guest speakers, showing video)
 “Workshop
Planning Tips”
 Guide for community-based organizations on how to
organize workshops – information on:
 Participant recruitment strategies
 Tips for success: finding a youth co-facilitator,
providing food, assisting with transportation,
accessible venues, etc.
Education Lesson Plan Activities
 The
Future’s Wide Open...
 Filling out worksheets to prepare youth for leading their own
IEP/transition planning meeting
 Planning
For College
 Learning about university and community college supports,
preparing for the transition to college and requesting
accommodations
 Expanding
My (Training) Horizons
 Researching vocational training options other than a
traditional college setting, including ROP, trade schools,
internships, and volunteerism
Independent Living Lesson Plan
Activities
 The
Untold History
 Presentation on disability history (including the independent
living and disability rights movements) and discussion of
additional advocacy efforts
 Models
of Disability
 Understanding the difference between the medical and social
models of disability and how these impact how we perceive
disability
 Thinking
About Disability
 Thinking about how disability has impacted their life (both
positively and negatively) and learning about disability as a
shared experience
Independent Living Lesson Plan
Activities, Cont.
 Setting
Goals
 Learning about different programs and services to assist with
gaining independence (regional center ILS, IHSS, Independent
Living Centers, etc.), and setting goals/next steps to transition
into living independently
Employment Lesson Plan
Activities
 Connecting
the Dots…
 Brainstorming
personal barriers to employment, and learning
about services which can help break down some of these
barriers (i.e. Department of Rehabilitation, Regional Centers,
One-Stop Career Centers)
 Employment
Rights!
 Presentation on employment and anti-discrimination laws;
personal planning related to disability disclosure and requesting
accommodations
 Resume
Writing
 Workshop to begin the process of writing a resume and learning
about different resume styles
Finances Lesson Plan Activities
 “Money
Smart for Young Adults” Curriculum
 Flexible FREE curriculum designed by the FDIC to help youth
learn the basics around money management
 Disability
Benefits 101: Planning your Future
 Learning how to navigate the Disability Benefits 101 website
 Work
Incentive Programs: Working it!
 Understanding basic information about Social Security cash
benefit programs and how these programs interact with paid
employment
Website and Lesson Plans
Demonstration
www.tknlyouth.info
Contact information
For
questions or to request information on
lesson plan activities/materials contact:
Rachel Stewart, Youth Program Manager
 916-319-8519
 rstewart@interwork.sdsu.edu