Wyoming assessment of rehabilitation needs

While all eight challenges are important, numbers 4 through 8 have special relevance to the Wyoming Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. Challenge #4 encourages early testing to assess ability and to establish realistic expectations. Testing and goal setting are important because course work and support services are based on the employment goal. If this is not done in high school, DVR will have a more demanding task when the student enrolls with DVR. Challenge #5 strives to ensure students access to post-secondary education and/or employment. Because high school responsibilities typically end upon graduation, it is essential that DVR be involved before graduation to allow a smooth transition to DVR services. Challenge #6 encourages more parental involvement. While legally the student is an adult at age 18, he/she often continues to need the support and advice of parents. Given confidentiality requirements, it will be a continuing challenge for DVR to keep parents involved even after age 18, when appropriate. Challenge #7 encourages collaboration with other organizations. Because personal independence requires various support services that go beyond traditional employment training, DVR will continue to be challenged to coordinate with a wide variety of in-home and community-based service providers. This will require detailed knowledge of other programs and more interagency cooperative agreements. Challenge #8 encourages the development a qualified workforce. Mail survey respondents indicated that inconsistency and turnover among DVR counselors has been, and may continue to be, a considerable challenge for DVR.

Ideas from Other States:
As a part of 2006 Wyoming Assessment of Resource Needs, officials in three nearby states were contacted. The purpose of the contacts was to identify innovative ideas currently implemented or being considered in these states. The contacted states included Colorado, Nebraska and South Dakota. In addition to the phone interviews, considerable Internet research was conducted regarding these and other states.
Colorado
Colorado has implemented a couple of interesting practices relating to students in transition (Howard Sallik, Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation). Perhaps the most comprehensive is SWAP (School to Work Alliance Program). SWAP is a collaborative initiative between the Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) and local school districts, which is supported by the Colorado Department of Education. The SWAP program provides case management and direct services to youth who: 1) Have mild to moderate needs in employment; 2) Are eligible to receive DVR services; and 3) Need short-term support to become competitively employed and to achieve successful community outcomes. The Colorado Department of Education, through a contract with DVR, provides joint training and technical assistance, product development and dissemination, conflict resolution assistance, and program monitoring to 44 local SWAP sites. The purpose of SWAP is to provide successful employment outcomes, increased community linkages, and new patterns of service for youth within all categories of disabilities. The program's goals include: 1) Building on current transition planning efforts through existing transition teams; 2) Filling the case management gap; and 3) Supporting collaboration between DVR, the Colorado Department of Education and local school districts. The Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation contracts with local school districts to develop and staff SWAP sites. Non-federal school district funds are utilized as match for federal dollars.
In addition, officials in Colorado have developed a fairly extensive transition web site (http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/transresources.asp). A “transition toolkit” is available online at http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/TK.asp.
Nebraska
Nebraska has a full-time transition coordinator located in the Nebraska Department of Education (Lindy Foley). There are also a number of regional “Transition Specialists” employed by the Department of Education. In addition to these individuals, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation employs a full-time transition coordinator (Jack Shepard).
The Transition Specialists are trained through Project NETS (Nebraska Educational Transition Specialists), offered through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. NETS is designed to prepare secondary educators to earn the special services endorsement of Transition Specialist. The project is open to individuals with a Bachelors degree in vocational or special education who are serving as a secondary teacher or vocational counselor. Project NETS offers up to 18 hours of graduate tuition and a stipend for two summers.
In an ongoing effort to enhance transition services for students with disabilities, the Nebraska Department of Education has provided support and funding to assist in the establishment of local transition teams across the state. The purpose of these teams is two-fold. One is to bring individuals and agencies together to identify local needs in the area of transition. The other is to create an entity and process on a local level to address the identified transition needs of all stakeholders.
Officials in Nebraska have also developed written guidance relating to “Re-evaluation Issues for Transition Students”. The guidance outlines testing and re-testing procedures. It also contains guidelines for helping a student meet entrance requirements of post-secondary schools. The written guidance helps to enhance uniformity among school districts and enhances coordination between DVR and school district testing policies.
Nebraska is also conducting (or has conducted) several short-term grant projects. These include a grant to develop a central transition library, a grant to develop a youth leadership network, a grant to fund a follow-up survey of transition students, and a grant to analyze transition data. An Internet slide show has been developed to help smooth transition for secondary students with special needs to the postsecondary setting. The title is "Building Bridges from High School to College”.
South Dakota

South Dakota has a full-time state level transition coordinator and three full-time Regional Transition Liaisons (Contact person: Beverly Peterson). All four individuals are employed by Black Hills Special Services Cooperative which is jointly funded by the Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS), Services to the Blind and Visually Impaired (SBVI), and the State special education agency (SEP). The managing agency grantee is the division of rehabilitation services which contracts with the Black Hills Special Services Cooperative for project management (http://www.tslp.org). The regional liaisons help: provide training to students, families, schools, and adult service agencies on transition and development of transition plans; identify and obtain instructional materials and assistance with implementation of self determination curriculum; assist with identification of local resources; develop interagency councils to address regional transition service needs; and provide individual support/assistance.

South Dakota has also developed a program known as Project Skills. Project Skills is a paid work experience program for high school students with disabilities (age 16 until graduation). The program is a cooperative arrangement between the state vocational rehabilitation agencies and the local school districts. Project Skills provides students the opportunity to learn different skills in a variety of job placements, with the assistance of a job coach. Project Skills helps to build the student’s work history, references, and helps them move into different and better jobs as they mature and are ready to take on new challenges. The Division of Vocation Rehabilitation pays the students salary and related costs such as unemployment insurance. The school districts administer the program including finding jobs, hiring and supervising job coaches, etc. To be eligible, a student must enroll with DVR. This requirement helps assure that DVR gets involved with the IEP process at an earlier age than they might otherwise get involved. Project officials noted that as a result of this program, which is about eight years old, many school districts are now offering an “employability class” to prepare students for employment.
South Dakota disseminated a Transition Tacklebox across the state in 2001. It is also available on-line (http://doe.sd.gov/oess/specialed/forms/tacklebox/index.asp). The included information is intended to serve as a resource to educators, students and their families, agencies, service providers and potential employers, giving them the information they need to provide successful secondary transition planning and services. The Tacklebox  includes the following: Educators In Industry, Promising Practices by Meade County, LIFE Manual (Transition Manual), Self Advocacy Guide, Community Based Instruction, Project Skills information, Catch The Wave, Parent Manual, Tips for Rehab Counselors, and the Assistive Technology Guide. 
South Dakota has also developed a 175 page document entitled “Quick Book of Transition Assessments”. It is available on-line at http://www.tslp.org/docs/QuickbookIEPChecklistFinal.pdf. This comprehensive document provides detailed information about transition requirements, student assessment, parental involvement, career development, etc. It concludes with a detailed transition checklist.
In addition, South Dakota has developed Youth Leadership Forums. These educational and motivational forums are conducted with an intense schedule. Small "working groups" explore personal leadership and career plans. Social, artistic, athletic, and recreational activities abound, as these are part of leading a well-rounded life. Guest speakers address such topics as disability rights laws and innovations in technology. The key to the forums is leadership by example. Many other volunteers from various backgrounds assist to make the program a success.



Other States
Recently, the Center for Workers with Disabilities conducted a national survey of state transition activities. Survey results for 25 of the 50 states responding to the survey were published in a July 2006 report (http://www.aphsa.org/disabilities/center_initiatives/youth_in_transition.htm).
The report indicates that many states are expanding their transition infrastructure. Often, infrastructure expansion goes beyond vocational education services. The expansion includes all areas necessary to an independent lifestyle. The report states, “Educating transitioning youth on health care options, transportation services, job training, living skills, and more, provides them with a wide range of tools and knowledge about available resources for whatever supports may be necessary. This knowledge, combined with steady and continuous employment, can lead to a decreased dependence on public support and welfare programs.”
It should be noted that the report emphasizes that employment is only one piece of the pursuit for independence. Independent living, access to transportation, rehabilitative services, and health care are also essential. In most states, including Wyoming, these services are provided through a wide range programs including in-home and community-based programs (Figure 1). The 2006 report states “In disability policy, and also in health care policy, there has been a shift toward consumer-directedness, independent and integrated lifestyles through home- and community-based care and services, and through comprehensive support networks.”
The 2006 report, having emphasized that independence is more than employment, goes on to identify innovative transition activities. Some of these “promising practices” (and states utilizing them) are:

• 
  Transition Camp, (Alaska and North Dakota): The camps teach youth basic transition skills during a one to two week camp. Fun activities are also included.
  
• 
  Transition Partnership Programs, (California): The Transition Partnership Programs offer opportunities for local education agencies to partner with the Department of Rehabilitation to better coordinate services for youth in transition with disabilities. Through the local school systems, vocational rehabilitation services are provided to students for up to one year after they finish high school by vocational rehabilitation counselors. Students participating in the program receive services to help them find and maintain employment opportunities through community-based instruction, on-the-job training, job placement services, and individual follow-up services. Eighty-five Transition Partnership Programs are currently operating throughout the state.
  
• 
  Early Start to Supported Employment for Youth in Transition, (Delaware): The project aims to ensure that students have jobs immediately after graduating high school so there is no gap period of unemployment. Students must be in good academic standing and are tracked by the Department of Education. The Department of Education, with the Division of Developmental and Disability Services and with funding through Vocational Rehabilitation, submits paperwork and puts up the costs of job assessments, placements, skills training, career development, and follow-up for the participating students. Following the first 90 days of steady employment, the initial case is closed and the individual enters into a long-term, follow-up period during which he or she can receive on-the-job coaching and problem solving assistance.
  
• 
  Transition Outreach Training for Adult Living (TOTAL), Illinois: A grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services has provided funding to the Illinois State Board of Education for a project designed to provide training and technical assistance to students, families, educators and community providers regarding transition requirements, person centered planning, promotion of self determination, and writing transition-driven Individual Education Plans. TOTAL was originally funded for three years, and was extended for an additional year. The grant funding is used for training, materials, travel, etc., and the state provides funding for staff salaries. Four core practices are the focus of the TOTAL project: 1) Understanding and Meeting State and Federal Transition Mandates; 2) Person-Centered Transition Planning; 3) Promoting Student Self-Determination; and 4) Transition as the Centerpiece of the Individualized Education Plan.
  
• 
  Independence (Indiana): Indiana provides the local school systems with an updated and revised collection of transition-related articles twice a year to ensure they have access to current information. The collection is entitled Independence, and is sent to special education offices all over the state to include in their own newsletter and distribution lists. The content of these articles covers a range of topics, such as information on how to access vocational rehabilitation services, graduation requirements, how to get a driver’s license, and other issues of adulthood and independence.
  
• 
  Special Education and Training Centers, (New York): New York has seven regional Transition Coordination Sites that help communities implement transition planning and services to aid students in a successful transition to post-secondary educational opportunities, community living, adult services and employment. The state also runs Special Education Resource and Training Centers, which provide districts with information on coaching and technical assistance tailored to that district’s individual needs. There are 42 Special Education Resource and Training Centers offices located throughout the state.
  
• 
  Youth Transition Program, (Oregon): The program is offered through local school districts with the aid of transition specialists funded through the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services and matching dollars from the local school district. Through the program, high-school students with disabilities are offered services such as individualized planning, job training, career instruction, and counseling. The program develops a coordinated post-secondary plan based on the student’s interests, skills, and goals. The services continue for up to one year after high-school graduation to increase the likelihood that individuals will remain employed, continue with post-secondary education, or with a training program setting. To date, over 15,000 youth have participated in the program. Evaluations have shown that participants in the Youth Transition Program have the highest rates of finding and maintaining employment among participants in all Vocational Rehabilitation programs.
  
• 
  Circles of Support, (Texas): This Texas program is based on the family group decision making process, for older youth in transition to adulthood. In this program, youth who choose to participate identify the key people in their lives who serve as their support system, called Permanent Planning Team (PPT). A meeting (or series of meetings) is arranged between the PPT and the youth to develop a transition plan, with a goal to eliminate any gaps in the plan. The Department of Family and Protective Services pays for the PPT and regional funding is used for staff positions. The Circles of Support program is also used for foster youth in transition, as it helps the youth identify adults who can serve as a support system, even in the absence of family members.
  
• 
  Jump on Board for Success (JOBS), (Vermont): Spearheaded by the Vermont Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, in partnership with the Department of Developmental and Mental Health Services, the Department of Social and Rehabilitative Services, and the Department of Corrections, the JOBS program provides supported employment and intensive case management services to youth with serious emotional and behavioral disabilities who are estranged from their communities and considered at risk.
  

THE SCHOOL TO WORK OPPORTUNITIES ACT
Because any modifications or improvements to Wyoming’s transition infrastructure must comply with the spirit of the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994, it is important to outline the basic requirements of the Act. The following sections of the Act describe the school-based learning component, the work-based learning component, and the connecting activities component:
SECTION 102. SCHOOL-BASED LEARNING COMPONENT
The school-based learning component of a School-to-Work Opportunities program shall include:

1. 
   Career awareness and career exploration and counseling (beginning at the earliest possible age, but not later than the 7th grade) in order to help students who may be interested to identify, and select or reconsider, their interests, goals, and career majors, including those options that may not be traditional for their gender, race, or ethnicity.
   
2. 
   Initial selection by interested students of a career major not later than the beginning of the 11th grade.
   
3. 
   A program of study designed to meet the same academic content standards the State has established for all students, including, where applicable, standards established under the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, and to meet the requirements necessary to prepare a student for postsecondary education and the requirements necessary for a student to earn a skill certificate.
   
4. 
   A program of instruction and curriculum that integrates academic and vocational learning (including applied methodologies and team-teaching strategies), and incorporates instruction, to the extent practicable, in all aspects of an industry, appropriately tied to the career major of a participant.
   
5. 
   Regularly scheduled evaluations involving ongoing consultation and problem solving with students and school dropouts to identify their academic strengths and weaknesses, academic progress, workplace knowledge, goals, and the need for additional learning opportunities to master core academic and vocational skills.
   
6. 
   Procedures to facilitate the entry of students participating in a School-to-Work Opportunities program into additional training or postsecondary education programs, as well as to facilitate the transfer of the students between education and training programs.
   

SECTION 103: WORK-BASED LEARNING COMPONENT
(a) Mandatory Activities: The work-based learning component of a School-to-Work Opportunities program shall include:

1. 
   Work experience
   
2. 
   A planned program of job training and work experiences (including training related to pre-employment and employment skills to be mastered at progressively higher levels) that are coordinated with learning in the school-based learning component described in section 102 and are relevant to the career majors of students and lead to the award of skill certificates.
   
3. 
   Workplace mentoring
   
4. 
   Instruction in general workplace competencies, including instruction and activities related to developing positive work attitudes, and employability and participative skills.
   
5. 
   Broad instruction, to the extent practicable, in all aspects of the industry.
   

(b) Permissible Activities: Such component may include such activities as paid work experience, job shadowing, school-sponsored enterprises, or on-the-job training.
SECTION 104: CONNECTING ACTIVITIES COMPONENT
The connecting component of a School-to-Work Opportunities program shall include:

1. 
   Matching students with the work-based learning opportunities of employers.
   
2. 
   Providing, with respect to each student, a school site mentor to act as a liaison among the student and the employer, school, teacher, school administrator, and parent of the student, and, if appropriate, other community partners.
   
3. 
   Providing technical assistance and services to employers, including small- and medium-sized businesses, and other parties in:
   

(a) Designing school-based learning components described in section 102, work-based learning components described in section 103, and counseling and case management services.

(b) Training teachers, workplace mentors, school site mentors and counselors.

4. 
   Providing assistance to schools and employers to integrate school-based and work-based learning and integrate academic and occupational learning into the program.
   
5. 
   Encouraging the active participation of employers, in cooperation with local education officials, in the implementation of local activities described in section 102, section 103, or this section.
   
6. 
   (a) Providing assistance to participants who have completed the program in finding an appropriate job, continuing their education, or entering into an additional training program.
   

(b) Linking the participants with other community services that may be necessary to assure a successful transition from school to work.

7. 
   Collecting and analyzing information regarding post-program outcomes of participants in the School-to-Work Opportunities program, to the extent practicable, on the basis of socioeconomic status, race, gender, ethnicity, culture, and disability, and on the basis of whether the participants are students with limited-English proficiency, school dropouts, disadvantaged students, or academically talented students.
   
8. 
   Linking youth development activities under this Act with employer and industry strategies for upgrading the skills of their workers."