Working Across States and Stakeholders to Build Interagency Bridges for Youth

1. CSAVR 2005 Spring Conference Wednesday, April 20, 2005 Working Across States and Stakeholders to Build Interagency Bridges for Youth The IDEA Partnership’s Interagency Community of Practice

2. Significant Role of Vocational Rehabilitation • Marty Kester, The IDEA Partnership • Representatives from State Teams: • Alabama -- Linda Hames • California -- Catherine Campisi • New Hampshire -- Tina Greco • Pennsylvania -- Joan Kester • Virginia -- Erica Lovelace

3. What is a Community of Practice? Marty Kester, Consultant The IDEA Partnership We are in this together

4. A Community of Practice “Group of people who share a concern, a set of problems or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their understanding and knowledge of this area by interacting on an ongoing basis.” (Etienne Wenger et.al., 2002)

5. A Community of Practice is about Outcomes • All partners are required to demonstrate outcomes of youth served. • What’s in it for Me for ALL partners in the community. • The community comes together around the shared vision of youth with disabilities becoming productive, self-sufficient citizens.

6. A way of working Involving those who do shared work Involving those that share issues Always asking “who isn’t here?” A way of learning To create new knowledge grounded in ‘doing the work’ With those who can advocate for and make change The Spirit of Community: We Are In This Together!

7. Learning how to move from ‘knowing’ to ‘doing.’ Translating learning to policy. Encouraging investments that will move the work. Recognizing the value of all contributions to a more complete and effective approach. Creating new relationships among policymakers, researchers and implementers. Encouraging Investments that Result in Outcomes

8. How Did the Interagency Transition Community of Practice Get Started? The IDEA Partnership’s Community of Practice is supported by a grant from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE)

9. A Growing Partnership • 55 National Partners, such as • CSAVR • NASDSE • OSERS • Advocacy Organizations (National Council on Independent Living, Easter Seals, American Association of People with Disabilities, Fiesta Educativa, etc.) National TA Centers • A Growing Number of States: AL, AZ, CA, DC, DE, NH, PA, and VA

10. Federal to State State to State The IDEA Partnership Community of Practice State to Federal State to Local Local to Local Local to State The Communication Structure

11. How does the Community of Practice Work within Alabama? Linda Hames, State Transition Coordinator Alabama Dept. of Rehabilitation Services We are in this together

12. Transition Works in Alabama • 35% of Total VR Population • 33% of Placements

13. Alabama: Why Does it Work? • Agency Commitment • Shared Resources • Outcome Oriented

14. One Example: The Prison Transition Initiative Local Informs State LOCAL TO STATE LOCAL TO LOCAL STATE TO LOCAL • Who Isn’t There? • State Decisions Influenced (those who can make change) • Significant Impact

15. Alabama: Future Work • Youth Engagement

16. How does the Community of Practice Work within Arizona? William McQueary, wmcqueary@peoriaud.k12.az.us Chris McLaughlin, archyfan@hotmail.com We are in this together

17. Arizona Initiatives • Continue development of the Arizona Transition Leadership Team • Established vision and mission statements (facilitated by Mountain Plains Regional Resource Center) • Continued collaboration with over 35 participants including: • Parent Information Network (PINS); Behavioral Health; the Division of Developmental Disabilities; Social Security Administration; Secure Care (Juvenile and Adult Corrections); AzPAC (Arizona Post-Secondary Access Coalition); Parent Training & Information; Parks and Recreation; RSA; AZ Department of Education – Academic Achievement, Career and Technical Education, Exceptional Student Services, and School Effectiveness; Office of Children with Special Health Care Needs; Arizona Center for Disability Law; Youth representatives (5 individuals), families, and others.

18. Arizona Initiatives • Development of 4 Strategic Priorities • “Promoting” evidence-based practice (more than promoting in that it must also include encouraging the use – need to work further on the specific wording) • Initiating System Change • Disseminating information -> building public awareness • Creating a system for continuous improvement

19. Arizona Initiatives • Youth empowerment initiative to foster skills of self-efficacy, self-advocacy and self-determination • Interagency Agreement: Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD), Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), Exceptional Student Services (ESS), Arizona Department of Education • (New) YAP-RSA Integration Project • Foster Care and RSA • Agency partnership between Education and Corrections to improve the reintegration of youth and young adults with disabilities • Merging 2 Worlds Curriculum • Secure Care Education Committee

20. Arizona Focus on Disability Mentoring Day in Washington D.C. Presented by Chris McLaughlin

23. Arizona Resource Parent Information Network Specialists (PINS) • Contractors with Arizona Department of Education (ADE) • All PINS have children with special needs. • PINS works with educators, agencies and parents to provide information to help children, youth and families advocate for themselves, remaining neutral at all times • Website: www.ade.az.gov/ess/pinpals

24. Arizona Giving Voice to the Future 2005 Transition Conference in Arizona September 20-22, 2005 www.ade.az.gov/ess/transitionservices • Sponsored by the • Arizona Department of Education, Exceptional Student Services • Arizona Department of Education, Parent Information Network Specialists • Arizona Department of Health Services, Office of Children with Special Health Care Needs • Arizona Postsecondary Access Coalition • Division of Developmental Disabilities • Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities • Rehabilitation Services Administration, Vocational Rehabilitation • Secure Care Education Committee

25. How does the Community of Practice Work within California? Catherine Campisi, PhD Director, CA Department of Rehabilitation We are in this together

26. California • Transition in CA could become a shared responsibility across all agencies that are parties to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. • This could be done through development of an Interagency/interdepartmental MOU.

27. California • The project partners include all stakeholders (policymakers, administrators, service providers, families, youth and the business community).

28. California • The members of the emerging leadership team for the California Community of Practice are: • Department of Education • Department of Rehabilitation • State Independent Living Council • Department of Developmental Services • Department of Mental Health • Employment Development Department • Department of Social Services • Special Education Stakeholders Advisory Committee and others

29. California • California Transition Summit - June 23, 2005. • Assistance and participation from the IDEA Partnership, NASDSE, and the Interagency Transition Community of Practice.

30. California • Current partner initiatives: • Improving Transition Outcomes Project (ITOP) grant. • Youth Leadership Forum. • SSA “Bridges to Youth Self Sufficiency” Grant.

31. How does the Community of Practice Work within New Hampshire? Tina Greco, Transition Coordinator New Hampshire Vocational Rehabilitation We are in this together

32. How did our CoP get started in NH? • Transition has been a top priority for our state’s VR Director as well as previous SPED Director. • Conversations began between Special Ed and NASDSE during the 2003 National Transition Summit. • A NH team was developed (VR, DOE, SPED, MH, Parent and IHE) and attended our first state to state CoP meeting in PA in July 2004.

33. Stages of the NH CoP • Introduction to the CoP initiative at the 2003 Transition Summit. • Formulation of state team and participation in the PA CoP meeting in July 2004. • Participation in National DMD, sponsoring 2 youth. • Participating in/presenting at various national & state conferences. • Follow up meetings to identify purpose, goals and activities to be conducted at the state level.

34. NH Guiding Principles • Support and maintain the secondary education and transition initiatives throughout the state. • Identify effective and evidence-based practices at all levels. • Leverage our resources. • Build local community capacity. • Establish cross partnership connections. • Interagency partnerships: DOE including Special Ed and VR, and DHHS (Bureau of Children’s Mental Health).

35. What are the benefits from participating in the Community of Practice (CoP) in NH? • Provide unique opportunities for a small state like NH i.e., National Disability Mentoring Day. • We expand our “learning loop” to include state to state initiatives and state to other agency initiatives. • The monthly CoP conference calls give us the chance to share our progress with other states, as well as learn from one another so that we might replicate practices and activities that are successful in other states.

36. NH Barriers for our CoP • Ability for all members to participate consistently. • Transitions occurring within participating member agencies. • Identifying “buy in” for new and existing participants. • What’s the expectationfrom both sides ~ whole group v. each member? • No one agency has been given the charge to develop a statewide plan. • There is no coordination of transition initiatives in the state. Each agency or bureau has its own plan.

37. NH Barriers (cont’d) • There is no vehicle to help us tap into the expertise area of each agency. • There is no central clearinghouse transition initiatives around the state. • Each agency does not speak the same language. • Entities’ knowledge is limited to their own area of expertise. • Promotion of collaboration among the 33 transition initiatives in the state.

38. Successes of the NH CoP… so far! • Fostering new and existing relationships between agencies ~ building new bridges, strengthening others. • Establishing regular monthly meetings. • Youth empowerment.

39. What has been happening in NH as a result of our participation in the CoP & where are we headed? • New Hampshire and Pennsylvania Collaboration. • A representative from our Parent Information Center has joined the team. • We are in the process of developing materials as a means to introduce our initiative and to help to garner buy in for new members. • Connecting with NH DMD participate in/support their activities. • Discussing innovative ways in which to connect our youth members’ high school/college education to their participation in the CoP.

40. How does the Community of Practice Work within Pennsylvania? Joan Kester, Statewide Transition Specialist PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation We are in this together

41. Getting Started • Mandatory Requirement in Legislation • IDEA Memorandum of Understanding signed in December 1999 • MOU Training Team Grows into the State Transition Leadership Team • Core Group of Committed Policy-level Staff, across Systems • Multiple System Leadership • Commitment toward Efficiency through Shared Responsibility • Latitude

42. Barriers Expressed Across PA • Communication breakdowns • Turf issues • Money issues • Staff turnover • Differing priorities and language • Lack of relationships and mutual respect • Lack of opportunity to network

43. Moving from the Old Way of Doing Business: Separate Pages in Separate Books to being on the Same Page • Professional Development • Policy & Regulation Development • Strategic Planning • Service Delivery Systems • Program Initiatives & Allocation of Resources • Data Collection Dept. of Education Dept. of Labor & Industry Dept. of Public Welfare Dept. of Health

44. Benefits of PA Community on Transition • Integrated Professional Development Model • Annual PA Community on Transition Conferences • Biannual Regional Sessions • Outreach • Policy & Regulation Development • Proactive Strategies to Policy & Regulation (IDEIA, Rehabilitation Act, WIA, Foster Care Youth, etc.) • Striving for a Seamless Service Delivery System • Agency Driven Cross-Systems Initiatives

45. Future Work of PA Community on Transition • Data Collection • Cross-Systems Follow-up Study • Data Sharing to Drive Practice • Building PA Outcome Practice Groups • Employment • Post-secondary education, training & lifelong learning • Community participation • Healthy lifestyles

46. A Shared Vision: Foundation for our Future Work The vision of the Pennsylvania Community on Transition is that all Pennsylvania youth and young adults with disabilities will successfully transition to the role of productive, participating adult citizens. Youth will be empowered to recognize their talents, strengths and voice and will have equal access to resources that will promote full participation in the communities of their choice.

47. Future Work • Strategic Planning • Helping to build and support work of 63 Local Transition Coordinating Councils, with the foundation of youth outcome data. • Strengthen Communication Network of Community. • Continue to learn and benefit from the IDEA Partnership Interagency Transition Community of Practice. • Develop and sustain a unified youth empowerment strategy.

48. How does the Community of Practice Work within Virginia? Erica Lovelace, Education Services Manager VA Dept. of Rehabilitative Services We are in this together

49. Virginia • 20th Annual Virginia Transition Forum • Continuing efforts to expand Transition Outcomes Project to ALL 135 divisions and State Operated Programs (joint effort DOE, with DRS) • Higher Education Initiative • Documentation • Retention • Transition • On-campus Post-Secondary Experiences (e.g. College Board, College Quest)

50. Virginia • Formalized VR Transition Process (Toolkit) • VA Intercommunity Transition Council • All state agency partners • Expanding formalized Memorandum of Understanding • VA Transition Leadership Council • DRS, DOE, DBVI • VA Transition Practitioners’ Council • Inclusive stakeholder involvement