1. Ch 10: Vulnerable populations and the transition to adulthood Talking points IDEA Partnership book discussion

2. Vulnerable Youth described as vulnerable when they fit into the following categories or services providers: – Mental health – Foster care – Juvenile justice – Criminal justice – Special education – Physical disability or chronic illness – Runaway and/or homeless

3. Commonalities during the Transition to Adulthood As these seven vulnerable groups struggle during the transition to adulthood to get work and to start families of their own, the particular profile of outcomes varies across these groups, – Over-Represented Groups – Diversity of the Populations – Overlap among the Vulnerable Populations – Poor Outcomes in Many Domains Although varied; they also share much in common. 7 – males, the poor, and youth of color are over-represented in every group. – youth in every group vary widely as to the seriousness and type of problem or need. – population overlap—that is, that members of one group often belong to another group as well. – members of every group have poor outcomes in many domains. – every group the factors that contribute to success are the same.

4. Youth services end abruptly Services provided to children and youth end abruptly Ending is determined by an arbitrary number (age) – In all systems, state assumes less responsibility for youth once they’ve reached the cutoff age Services continue to be needed

5. Problem areas in the transition to adulthood for vulnerable youth Eligibility criteria change Inadequate funding for transition services Lack of coordination across service systems Professionals lack adequate training on young- adult developmental issues (as well as supports and services)

6. Counting? Difficult to count the number of individuals served – Many youth move within multiple service systems (comorbidity) – The issue of maintaining confidentiality vs. the desire to see what is happening across systems in order to identify gaps and overlaps in these supports and services systems.

7. Outcomes Outcomes are poor for youth from these vulnerable populations – Education – Employment – Family formation

8. Implications Funding streams should consider transition for all youth Re-vamp pre-service education in human service professions (education, social work, counseling, psychology, etc.)

9. Research is needed Need a more accurate count: identify common ways to follow youth from one system to and through other systems Research on the successes—there are some success stories out there for models to replicate

10. Models Fostering Connections Act of 2008 Shared Youth Vision Initiative