Mobilizing Your Community

1. Mobilizing Your Community • Laura Love Katie Barclay InterAct Arizona Clear Path Program ASU West City of Phoenix (602) 543-3258 (602) 495-5717 laura.love@asu.eduCBar877514@aol.com

2. What We Know is Working Revolutions begin when people who are defined as problems achieve the power to redefine the problem. J. McKnight, The Careless Society, 1995

3. Effective Practices in Juvenile Correctional Education: A Study of the Literature and Research 1980-1992 Authors: • Osa D. Coffey and - Maia G. Gemignani

4. Effective Practices in Transition and Support Services • Need to bridge the gap from community schools to correctional facilities and/or programs – and back again to home or independent living, school and/or work. • General agreement that lack of appropriate transition and support programming may undo a great deal of the benefits students have derived in correctional educational programs – and the successes experienced in such programs • Generally believed that effective transition and support programs may increase the rate of student enrollment in school, the high school graduation rate, and postrelease success in employment and independent living.

5. Effective Practices in Transition and Support Services 1. Effective transitional services include the following components: • Interagency coordination • Pre-placement joint planning • Transfer of records prior to student’s move from one jurisdiction to another • Continuum of services and care • Family services • Frequent client contacts

6. Effective Practices in Transition and Support Services 2.A variety of specific educational prerelease programs are provided such as - • Social skills • Survival skills • Independent living skills • Pre-employment training • Law-related education

7. Effective Practices in Transition and Support Services 3.A variety of noneducational support services are provided such as - • Work experience and placement • Alcohol and drug abuse counseling • Vocational assessment and counseling • Health education • Training for parenthood • Driver’s education

8. Steps to Mobilizing Your Community • Recruit the Community • Cultivate Working Relationships • Establish Accountability for Action

9. Recruit the Community • Identify the critical stakeholders without whom student transition into the community will not be successful. If the stakeholder is not receptive to collaboration – consider working the chain-of-command to get support. • Work with the people who do show-up for meetings, while not showing disrespect by over concern about those who aren’t present. • Remain open to working with small numbers of stakeholders.

10. Recruit the Community II • Recruit outside of typical channels to identify stakeholders • Recruit diversity in membership, striving for community representativeness. • Involve students and parents early and often in the process.

11. Interagency Transition Team Systems LevelStudent Level (County/State Representative)(Local Representatives) Student State Universities Parent State School for the Deaf and Blind Employer State Community College Board Department of Education Parental Training and Information Center Exceptional Student Services State Independent Living Council School-to-Work Community Transition Teams Adult Education Division Special Olympics Department of Economic Security Commission on Postsecondary Education Rehabilitation Services Administration Governor’s Division on School to Work Division of Developmental Disabilities Governor’s Office on Americans with Disabilities Employment and Training Administration Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities JTPA/WIA &PIC Governor’s Office on Employment and Training Job Service State Office on Apprenticeship Programs Department of Health Services State Center for Disability Law Behavioral Health Services Social Security Administration Office for Children with Special Health Care Needs Department of Juvenile Corrections Department of Corrections County Probation Staff

12. Conduct a Needs Assessment Systems LevelStudent Level • Begin the team building process. • Set up a meeting date. • Discuss the current status of transition services. • Determine where you want to be. • Determine what steps are needed to get there. • Prioritize the steps by making a multi-year developmental plan. • Reevaluate the plan annually and determine goals for the upcoming year.

13. Cultivate Working Relationships • Solidify broad-based ownership. • Voice agendas. • Recognize conflict as an impetus for change. • Promote ongoing, honest communication. • Use multiple modalities for communication.

14. Establish Accountability for Action • Identify motivators for each stakeholder. • Clarify roles, responsibilities and expectations. • Cultivate leadership. • Emphasize that when making change for young adults, you are making change for others is the community/facility as well. • Ensure success by selecting obtainable goals. • Reward accomplishments – no matter how small or large.

15. The National Transition Alliance (NTA) Transition Practices Framework Student-Focused Planning & Development Structures & Policies • Life Skills Instruction • Individual Education and Career Plan Development • Student Participation • Planning Strategies • Assessment • Support Services • Partnership Structure • Program Philosophy • Program Policy • Strategic Planning • Program Evaluation • Resource Allocation • Human Resource Development Career Pathways & Contextual Learning Business, Labor & Community Resources • Employment Skills Instruction • Career and Vocational Curricula • Community-Based Learning • Structured Work Experience • Involvement Strategies • Community Participant Roles Family Involvement • Family Involvement • Family Empowerment • Family Training