Working%20Across%20States%20and%20Stakeholders%20to%20Build%20Interagency%20Bridges%20for%20Youth

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Working Across States and Stakeholders to Build
Interagency Bridges for Youth
The IDEA Partnerships Interagency Community of
Practice

• CSAVR 2005 Spring Conference
• Wednesday, April 20, 2005

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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

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

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A Community of Practice is about Outcomes

• All partners are required to demonstrate outcomes
  of youth served.
• Whats 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.

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The Spirit of Community We Are In This Together!

• A way of working
• Involving those who do shared work
• Involving those that share issues
• Always asking who isnt here?
• A way of learning
• To create new knowledge grounded in doing the
  work
• With those who can advocate for and make change

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Encouraging Investments that Result in Outcomes

• 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.

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How Did the Interagency Transition Community of
Practice Get Started?
The IDEA Partnerships 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)
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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

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

• 35 of Total VR Population
• 33 of Placements

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Alabama Why Does it Work?

• Agency Commitment
• Shared Resources
• Outcome Oriented

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One Example The Prison Transition Initiative
Local Informs State

LOCAL TO STATE
LOCAL TO LOCAL
STATE TO LOCAL

• Who Isnt There?
• State Decisions Influenced (those who can make
  change)
• Significant Impact

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Alabama Future Work

• Youth Engagement

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How does the Community of Practice Work within
Arizona?

• William McQueary, wmcqueary_at_peoriaud.k12.az.us
• Chris McLaughlin, archyfan_at_hotmail.com

We are in this together
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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.

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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 -gt building public
  awareness
• Creating a system for continuous improvement

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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

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Arizona

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

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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

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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
• Governors Council on Developmental Disabilities
• Rehabilitation Services Administration,
  Vocational Rehabilitation
• Secure Care Education Committee

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

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California

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

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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

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California

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

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California

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

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How does the Community of Practice Work within
New Hampshire?
Tina Greco, Transition Coordinator New Hampshire
Vocational Rehabilitation
We are in this together
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How did our CoP get started in NH?

• Transition has been a top priority for our
  states 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.

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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.

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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 Childrens Mental
  Health).

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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.

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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.
• Whats the expectation from 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.

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NH Barriers (contd)

• 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.

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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.

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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.

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

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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

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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
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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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

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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

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Virginia

• Disability Mentoring Day
• Career Awareness Exploration Mentoring
  Opportunities
• Assistive Technology Transfer (joint resources)
• Joint Professional Development (VR-Special
  Education)
• Statewide Training of Superintendents Regions on
  Order of Selection (to improve referral
  information for DRS services)
• Capacity Building Transition Partnership
• Fund regional cross-systems transition
  initiatives, based upon local needs assessment
  (e.g. job coaching, assessment)

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Virginia Future Goals

• Joint Professional Development
• Aligning the IEP with the IPE
• 21st Annual VA Transition Forum
• Expand Career Awareness Exploration Mentoring
  Opportunities
• Expand Intercommunity Transition Council
  Memorandum of Understanding

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Virginia Future Goals

• Participation in IDEA Partnership Transition
  Community of Practice Efforts to Expand Resources
  for Transition
• NCSET Transition Leadership Summit
• Higher Education Leadership Partners Group
• Respond to changes in IDEiA and increase
  resources to provide students with current
  documentation
• State Improvement Grant (Goal 5)
• Middle to High School Transition

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Bringing Together Federal, State, and Local
Partners, through our Collaborative Work
We are in this together
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Together we can

• Improve Youth Outcomes
• Work smarter
• Make efficient use of limited resources and staff
  resources
• Decrease duplication of efforts, through
  collaboration
• Expand knowledge across agencies
• Share the vision of youth with disabilities as
  productive, self-sufficient citizens living in
  their community.

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• Coming together is a beginning, staying together
  is progress, and working together is success.
• Henry Ford

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How can Your State Become Involved?
We are in this together!
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States can participate in

• Monthly calls
• Face-face meetings
• Representative participation in State meetings
• Practice Groups
• Youth Engagement
• Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare
• Transportation

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The IDEA Partnerships Interagency Community of
Practice

• Discussion

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Contact Information

• Marty Kester, The IDEA Partnership
• 717-492-9116, mgkester_at_comcast.net
• Linda Hames, Alabama
• 334-281-8780, lhames_at_rehab.state.al.us
• Catherine Campisi, California
• 916-263-8997, ccampisi_at_dor.ca.gov
• Tina Greco, New Hampshire
• 603-271-3993, tgreco_at_ed.state.nh.us
• Joan Kester, Pennsylvania
• 717-787-6695, joakester_at_state.pa.us
• Erica Lovelace, Virginia
• 804-662-7081, erica.lovelace_at_drs.virginia.gov

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The IDEA Partnership

• More information on the Interagency Transition
  Community and other Cross-State/Cross Role
  Communities is now available at
• www.ideainfo.org
• or call us toll free at
• 1-877- IDEAINFo