The Fairfield County Board of DD Transition
Project
Presented to the APSE/OAAS Conference
“Employment First: Transitions”
September, 2012
How It Began


Enhancing Transition Services to DD Eligible
Youth was a priority in the FCBDD Strategic Plan.
A transition planning group identified several
needed activities:




Hiring a Transition Coordinator
Facilitating an Interagency Task Force on Transition
Developing a written Interagency Agreement
Obtaining signatures (22 of them!)
Transition Coordinator Position





Works closely with ISCs to identify DD eligible
students in each school district.
Serves as liaison to school districts
Provides information, technical assistance and t
raining to school districts on transition
Facilitates the Transition Task Force Meetings
every other month
Assisted with Bridges Application/Implementation
The Fairfield County Transition Initiative: Local
Interagency Agreement









Statement of Need
Mission
Authority and Scope of Services
Description of Mandated Transition Services
Transition Quality Indicators
Overview of Transition Services
Two-Year Goals
Two-Year Special Projects
Participating Agency Commitments
The Fairfield County Transition Initiative: Local
Interagency Agreement




Terms of Agreement
Resolution of Conflicts
Signatures
New Special Projects:


Disseminate all materials reviewed during the
Transition Task Force Meetings electronically
Training and technical assistance on Identifying and
conducting age-appropriate transition
assessments
VRP3: Life Works




Provides internship opportunities to students in
their last year of high school.
Alleviates parental fear and disbelief of their child’s
ability to work in the community.
Assists with Adult Option program placement upon
graduation.
CES is a vendor of services (one of two)
Annual Transition Conference:
Discover the Possibilities



Invitation open to all DD eligible students as early
as sophomore year.
Highlights various success stories told by
individuals and parents who have recently
transitioned to employment.
Allows students to voice their opinions about the
type of job they want, where they want to live.
Parents compare their wishes to their children’s.
Annual Transition Conference:
Discover the Possibilities






Tom Fish: The Role of the Family in Transition
Mom and Dad support groups.
Description of Adult Options available in Fairfield
county.
Description of Rehab. Services
Time to develop a Futures Statement
Time to develop an Action Plan
Project SEARCH




Partnership with Fairfield Medical Center, the
Career Technical School, RSC, and FCBDD.
8-10 students chosen via an interview process
Students engage in am class, rotate through a
variety of internship sites, and end the day with
reflections.
Students gain self esteem, employment skills, and
responsibility.
Discovery/Customized Employment



FCBDD embraces best practice suggestions and
takes advantage of all funding opportunities.
Developed a Customized Employment Process
including Discovery prior to RSC’s Griffin-Hammis
Project
Involve students in the Discovery Process
throughout their high school career (Bridges)
Discovery/Customized Employment



See Discovery Road Map handout
CES has infused the following Discovery Stages
into the way they typically do business: Home
Visit, Neighborhood Observation, Vocational
Observations, Vocational Profile contains
interests, themes, contributions, conditions, and
accommodation and support needs.
Proposal to RSC: Implementing the Discovery
Process for Youth in Transition
Bridges to Transition





Shares vocational coordinator with Hocking
County.
Benefits from the services of a Parent Mentor.
Works with ISCs to determine which students
should be referred to Bridges.
Pays for assessments, summer work, participation
in Discover the Possibilities, job
development/coaching, etc.
Designated Transition RSC Counselor
CAT Team




Community Action Team includes business
owners who
actively engage in referring to employers for
possible placement
assist with self employment (feasibility study,
business plan development, marketing plan
development, etc),
Relationship Building
Discovery Facilitator Position


Will facilitate the Discovery process for students
while in school and for new adults who have been
determined eligible for FCBDD.
CES capacity limits their ability to conduct all
Discovery activities….county board has made
arrangements to contract with other vendors who
have gone through the RSC ACRE training by
providing them with additional training on the
Fairfield Method of conducting the Discovery
Process.
Discovery Facilitator Position


Will facilitate the Discovery process for students
while in school and for new adults who have been
determined eligible for FCBDD.
Discovery will provide an opportunity for students
to engage in various job experiences/observations
as a way to recommend appropriate program
placement prior to choosing a provider.
Futures Planning


ISC staff have been trained to facilitate Futures
Planning.
FCBDD will work with school districts to assist
families in developing the Futures Planning
Statement on the IEP which identifies post
secondary plans for education and training,
employment, and independent living.
Ohio University Lancaster Branch

Two year Partnership involves FCBDD and OUL
staff by




Understanding each other’s system
Identifying students with DD who want to go to OUL
Providing students with a team approach to get the
needed supports
Provide funding (waiver/budget) for educational
coaches, job coaches, etc.
Director of Business Development



New position
Will develop, lead and coordinate entrepreneurial
and new business projects.
Will develop collaborative relationships with other
community partners, local government, business
associations and other economic and community
development partners and participate in regular
meetings and other forums leading to job creation
for individuals served by Fairfield DD.
Presenter Information
Katina A. Karoulis
Independent Consultant
676 Dominic Drive
Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223
(614) 306-1252