1. Guideposts for Success & Resources for Serving Youth 2011 Training Series (April 14, 2011) Hosted/Facilitated by: Laura Gleneck Presented by: Curtis Richards and Mindy Larson National Collaborative on Workforce & Disability for Youth

2.  At a minimum, DEI Projects were required to select at least two service delivery components as a primary focus of grant implementation to serve the youth or adult population. ◦ Guideposts, as a service delivery component, was selected by three of the nine DEI projects. ◦ The DEI solicitation states that selection of a focus on adults or youth "must not preclude the provision of services to all individuals with disabilities, regardless of age, who are accessing the workforce system.”  Training and Technical Assistance to DEI Projects on understanding and implementing the Guideposts is provided under U.S. DOLETA contract with NDI Consulting, Inc. and the National Disability Institute (NDI).  Evaluation of the impact of the DEI Projects implementation and outcomes of Guideposts will be provided under U.S. DOL ODEP contract with Social Dynamics. 2

3. Upon completion of this webinar, DEI Project staff will:  Understand how the Guideposts represent a comprehensive framework for addressing the needs of youth, including youth with disabilities  Have a clear picture of strategies for serving youth, including youth with disabilities and other challenges  Know where to go for support (information, tools and resources) and expertise on serving youth with disabilities and other challenges within the workforce system Guideposts and Resources for Serving Youth Learning Objectives 3

4.  Overview of the National Collaborative on Workforce & Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth)  Addressing the Needs of Youth in Transition ◦ Introduction to the Guideposts for Success ◦ Youth with Disabilities ◦ Five Guidepost Areas  Resources for Serving Youth ◦ NCWD/Youth Resources  DRC Role: Serving Youth with Disabilities 4

5. Overview of the National Collaborative on Workforce & Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) 5

6.  In our 10th Year ◦ ODEP Funded  Assists state & local workforce development systems to integrate youth with disabilities into their service strategies.  Aims to: ◦ Improve state & local policy ◦ Strengthen workforce development service delivery ◦ Improve knowledge, skills, & abilities of youth service professionals 6

7. Center for Workforce Development  Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) PACER Center Center on Education and Work  University of Wisconsin- Madison Institute for Community Integration  University of Minnesota 7

8. Addressing the Needs of Youth in Transition Partnership Plus 8

9.  What ALL youth need to transition to adulthood successfully  What additional support, services, and opportunities youth with disabilities need 9

10.  Youth with disabilities have poor outcomes:  School dropout rates (3 times more likely)  College rates (Half as likely)  Adjudication rates (4 times as likely)  Poverty (3 times more likely)  Unemployment rate (70% and holding)  Lots of Good Activities  But no real system  Focus on Youth  Transition is an Awkward Period of Life The Stubborn Dilemma 10

11.  High Expectations  Inclusion, Integration & Full Participation  Work, Self-Sufficiency & Independent Living 11

12. Guideposts for Success: Five Areas of Need Partnership Plus 12

13.  School-Based Preparatory Experiences  Career Preparation & Work-Based Learning Experiences  Youth Development & Leadership  Connecting Activities  Family Involvement & Supports 13

14.  All Youth Need : ◦ Academic programs based on clear standards ◦ Career & technical education programs based on professional/industry standards ◦ Small & safe learning environments ◦ Support from highly qualified staff ◦ Graduation standards that include options 14

15.  In addition, youth with disabilities need: ◦ To use individual transition plans to drive personal instruction ◦ To develop knowledge of reasonable accommodations they can request & control in educational settings ◦ To access specific & individual learning accommodations while in school ◦ To be supported by highly qualified transitional support staff that may or may not be school staff 15

16. 16  All Youth Need : ◦ Career inventories to learn about their skills, interests & career options ◦ Career exploration activities including site visits, guest speakers, job shadowing; includes learning about education/ training entry requirements & earning potential/benefits ◦ Opportunities to practice through work experiences i.e. internships, community service work, part-time jobs ◦ Soft skills training to gain job-seeking & workplace basic skills Career Preparation & Work-based Learning Experiences

17. 17  In addition, youth with disabilities need: ◦ To understand benefits planning ◦ To learn to communicate their disability-related work support and accommodation needs ◦ To learn to find, formally request, & secure supports and accommodations Career Preparation & Work-based Learning Experiences

18. 18  All Youth Need : ◦ Mentoring activities designed to establish strong relationships with adults ◦ Peer-to-peer mentoring opportunities ◦ Exposure to role models in a variety of contexts ◦ Training in skills such as self-advocacy, self determination, conflict resolution ◦ Exposure to personal leadership & youth development activities, including community service ◦ Opportunities to lead & build self esteem Youth Development & Leadership Opportunities

19. 19  In addition, youth with disabilities need: ◦ Mentors & role models including people with & without disabilities ◦ An understanding of disability history, culture, & disability public policy issues as well as their rights & responsibilities Youth Development & Leadership Opportunities

20. 20  All Youth Need : ◦ Mental & physical health services ◦ Transportation & housing ◦ Tutoring ◦ Financial planning & management ◦ Post-program supports through structures arrangements with postsecondary institutions & adult service agencies ◦ Connection to other services & opportunities (recreation, sports, faith-based organizations) Connecting Activities

21. 21  In addition, youth with disabilities need: ◦ Acquisition of appropriate assistive technologies ◦ Community orientation & mobility/ travel training ◦ Exposure to post-program supports such as independent living centers & other consumer drive community-based support service agencies ◦ Personal assistance services, including attendants, readers, interpreters, and others ◦ Benefits-planning counseling Connecting Activities

22. 22  All youth need families & caring adults who have: ◦ High expectations that build upon the young person’s strengths & interests ◦ Been involved in their lives & are assisting them toward adulthood ◦ Access to information about employment, further education, & community resources ◦ Taken an active role in transition planning with schools & community partners ◦ Access to medical, professional, & peer support networks Family Involvement & Supports

23. 23  In addition, youth with disabilities need families & caring adults who have: ◦ An understanding of their youth’s disability and how it affects his or her education, employment, and daily living ◦ Knowledge of rights and responsibilities under various disability-related legislation ◦ Knowledge of and access to programs, services, supports, and accommodations available ◦ An understanding of how individualized planning tools can assist youth in achieving transition goals Family Involvement & Supports

24. 24  In work with youth with disabilities and service practitioners use the Guideposts in developing any individualized plans such as: ◦ Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), ◦ Individualized Plans for Employment (IPE), and ◦ Service strategies as required by the Workforce Investment Act. Using the Guideposts

25. 25 Partnership Plus

26. 26 Guideposts for Success http://www.ncwd-youth.info/guideposts Guideposts for Success for Serving Specific Populations  Youth in Foster Care http://www.ncwd-youth.info/guideposts/foster-care  GUIDE - Negotiating the Curves Toward Employment: A Guide About Youth Involved in the Foster Care System http://www.ncwd-youth.info/negotiating-the -curves-toward-employment Resources for Serving Youth

27. Guideposts for Success for Serving Specific Populations  Youth Involved in the Juvenile Corrections System http://www.ncwd-youth.info/guideposts/juvenile-justice  GUIDE – Making the Right Turn: A Guide About Improving Transition Outcomes for Youth Involved in the Juvenile Corrections System http://www.ncwd-youth.info/juvenile-justice-guide  INFO BRIEF - Improving Transition Outcomes for Youth Involved in the Juvenile Justice System: Practical Considerations http://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-brief-25 27

28. Guideposts for Success for Serving Specific Populations  Youth with Mental Health Needs http://www.ncwd-youth.info/guideposts/mental-health  GUIDE - Tunnels and Cliffs: A Guide for Workforce Development Professionals and Policymakers serving Youth with Mental Health Needs http://www.ncwd-youth.info/tunnels-and-cliffs  INFO BRIEF- Helping Youth with Mental Health Needs Avoid Transition Cliffs: Lessons from Pioneering Transition Programs http://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-brief-24 28

29. 29 Guideposts for Success for Serving Specific Populations  Youth with Mental Health Needs, cont. http://www.ncwd-youth.info/guideposts/mental-health  INFO BRIEF- Successful Transition Models for Youth with Mental Health Needs: A Guide for Workforce Professionals http://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-brief-23  CASE STUDIES - Transitioning Youth with Mental Health Needs to Meaningful Employment and Independent Living http://www.ncwd-youth.info/white-paper/transitioning-youth-with- mental-health-needs  Pioneering Transition Programs: The Establishment of Programs that Span the Ages Served by Child and Adult Mental Health http://www.ncwd- youth.info/assets/reports/pioneering_transition_programs_3.pdf Resources for Serving Youth

30. Guideposts for Success for Serving Specific Populations  Youth with Learning Disabilities http://www.ncwd-youth.info/guideposts/learning-disabilities  GUIDE - Charting the Course: Supporting the Career Development of Youth with Learning Disabilities http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ld-guide 30

31. Guideposts for Success for Engaging Employers  Guideposts for Employer Success http://www.ncwd-youth.info/guideposts/employers  What system designers (state and local) need to do.  What individual programs need to do, including education & training institutions, community rehabilitation centers, secondary & post secondary institutions, apprenticeship programs, & One-Stop Career Centers INFO BRIEF-Facilitating Employer Engagement Among WIB Partners: A Role For Intermediaries http://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-brief-17 http://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-brief-17 31

32. Youth Assessment  Career Planning Begins with Assessment: A Guide for Professionals Serving Youth with Educational and Career Development Challenges http://www.ncwd-youth.info/career-planning-begins-with- assessment  INFO BRIEF- Vocational Assessment and Its Role in Career Planning http://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-brief-20 32

33. 33 Resources for Serving Youth Disability Disclosure  INFO BRIEF - Disability Inquires in the Workforce Development System http://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-brief-09  The 411 on Disability Disclosure: A Workbook for Youth with Disabilities http://www.ncwd-youth.info/411-on-disability-disclosure  Cyber Disclosure Workbook for Youth with Disabilities http://www.ncwd-youth.info/cyber-disclosure

34. 34 Resources for Serving Youth Disability Disclosure  The 411 on Disability Disclosure: A Workbook for Families, Educators, Youth Service Professionals, & Adult Allies Who Care About Youth with Disabilities http://www.ncwd-youth.info/411-on-disability-disclosure-for-adults  INFO BRIEF- Youth & Disability Disclosure: The Role of Families & Advocates http://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-brief-21

35. 35 Resources for Serving Youth Cross-System Collaboration  Making the Connection: Growing & Supporting New Organizations – Intermediaries http://www.ncwd-youth.info/white-paper/making-the-connections ◦ This paper describes how a new organizational strategy - intermediaries - can link the supply and demand sides of workforce development. ◦ By aligning and brokering multiple services across institutional and funding sources, intermediary organizations can play an important role in improving employment outcomes for youth with disabilities.

36. 36 Resources for Serving Youth Cross-System Collaboration  INFO BRIEF- Blending and Braiding Funds and Resources: The Intermediary as Facilitator http://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-brief-18  How intermediary organizations can facilitate the blending & braiding of funds & resources to encourage cross-systems collaboration to improve educational & employment outcomes for all youth, including YwD.  Strategies states can use to support local communities in the “blending” and “braiding” of resources.  Outlines how cross-systems collaboration & alternative funding strategies can be facilitated by intermediary organizations.

37. 37 Resources for Serving Youth Professional Development  INFO BRIEF-The Workforce Development System & the Professional Development of Youth Service Professionals: Why Professional Development? http://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-brief-19  Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSA) of Youth Service Professionals Background paper http://www.ncwd-youth.info/professional-development/white-paper  KSA Study Guide: http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ksa/study-guidehttp://www.ncwd-youth.info/ksa/study-guide  KSA Assessment for Practitioners http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ksa/assessment-for-practitioners  KSA Professional Development Assessment for Organizations and Systems http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ksa/professional-development-for-organizations

38. 38 Resources for Serving Youth Innovative Strategies for Serving Youth with Disabilities Innovative Strategies Searchable Database http://www.ncwd-youth.info/innovative-strategies  Over 50 program profiles organized by the Guideposts for Success, state, funding source

39. 39 Partnership Plus

40.  Work with your DEI Project lead and NDI technical assistance liaison to determine your strategic approach to addressing the needs of the youth, including: ◦ the extent to which the focus is on transitioning into the workforce, ◦ the age range of youth to be served, ◦ outreach to out-of-school and at-risk youth, and ◦ how Guideposts for Success will be incorporated. 40

41.  DEI Technical Assistance:  Access and utilize the following information and resources:  Disability Resource Coordinators Serving Youth http://www.dei-ideas.org/chapter2-2/page2a_youth.cfm  Guideposts for Success Service Delivery Component http://www.dei-ideas.org/chapter2-1/page6a_gfs.cfm  National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth http://www.ncwd-youth.info/  Youth DEI Projects  On May 10th, the NDI team and NCWD/Youth will offer training specifically targeted to the DEI youth projects with a primary focus on applying the Guideposts to various youth populations and assessing needs for ongoing support.  More information will be included in the training opportunities announcement for May. 41

42. Questions? Questions? A: Submit it to the host in writing via the Chat or Q&A Box to the right, or… B: Click on the “raise hand” icon to have your line un-muted and ask your question/make your comment. 42

43. Key NCWD/Youth Contacts: Curtis Richards 202-822-8405 Ext. 163 Richardsc@iel.org Mindy Larson 202-822-8405 Ext. 169 Larsonm@iel.org Key Websites: http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ http://www.dol.gov/odep/ 43 Contact Information