April 2007
April 2007
WWW.TRANSITIONTIMES.INFO
WWW.TRANSITIONTIMES.INFO
Employment and Disability Institute
TheTransitionTimes
Newsletter of the NY Mid-State Regional Transition Coordination Site
Made possible by the New York State Department of Education
This issue’s theme:
Agency Involvement in Transition: Agencies Reach out to Assist Those in Need of Services
Transition Age Students and School -
Agency Involvement
One of the areas of transition planning that schools, parents and students with disabilities often find challenging is navigating the referral and service systems with appropriate agencies. This edition of the Transition Times focuses on initiatives regarding several agencies which may be of interest to those involved in transition planning.
Cornell Spearheads Transition
Articulation Agreements Between Schools & New York
State VESID District Offices
Marianne Murphy,
Mid-State Transition Coordination Site (TCS) Coordinator,
and her colleagues at
Implementing Articulation Agreements in
the
By Marian Ferguson
Southern Tier VESID,
DCMO SETRC, ONC SETRC, VESID Regional Associates and the Mid-State Transition Coordination Site representatives
have recently met with Bainbridge-Guilford, Greene, Sidney, Franklin and Morris school district’s CSE and
transition staff to work on articulation agreements. The agreement outlines the number of potential
referrals for two years, how referrals will be made, how documentation will be exchanged and how
communication/feedback will be handled. It outlines the roles and responsibilities of all parties and
includes contact information for school district and VESID administrators. The meetings to work on the
agreements allowed discussion of the current process, identification of barriers, and problem solving as a
group. Final copies of the agreement will be shared with all parties. The agreements will be reviewed on at
least an annual basis. The feedback on the process has been positive. The
The Articulation
Agreement was developed at
Reflections on the Transition Articulation
Agreement Process
By Marianne Murphy
What is the Transition
Articulation Agreement? It is an agreement between a school district and VESID that clearly states the procedure by which
the two will collaborate.
One of the simplest
ways I can illustrate the effectiveness of the Transition Articulation
Agreement between VESID and a school
district is by sharing a common response to the process. Inevitably when I approach a school district about sitting down with
VESID to complete an articulation agreement, staff tell me, “we know how to contact VESID; we don’t
have many children who qualify; what can VESID really
do for our children when they leave school?� When the two agencies actually
meet, I begin to hear a change, (I
think it is defined as the “AH HA� factor), “I didn’t know VESID could do
that�, “Did she say children who get
resource room might be eligible?�, “Students with disabilities who are not in special education can be referred?� “College bound
students?� By the end of the meeting when the team (VESID and district) is asked for feedback, they
report how much they learned about VESID services and the need for sending the right documentation in a
timely fashion so students can be made eligible before they exit school. The bottom line is that both agencies
have a plan to work together; they felt the meeting was very beneficial; and each agency learned a lot
about the other.
The Transition
Articulation Agreement approach combines process and structure. The initial
meeting between the agencies is grounded
in a mutual understanding and respect for the different systems and operations unique to each agency. This frees the
team to interact and design procedures by which referrals are made, how documentation is exchanged,
timelines are set, and how communication is facilitated between the two agencies.
The district team is a multidisciplinary team which
includes all school personnel critical to the transition
process. The district team meets with the VESID counselor assigned to their
school. The combined group reviews the
existing practices that are used to identify and refer students with disabilities to VESID and check if all students who
are potentially eligible for VESID services are being referred. After the strengths and gaps are
identified, the team agrees on a plan designed to improve two-way communications. The key issues addressed in
the agreement are contact information, referral
process, appropriate documentation, and the design of a feedback loop
concerning graduated students who were
referred to VESID. The team uses the simple articulation agreement form to
guide the process and document what
needs to happen, who does it, when, and how to provide feedback.
A noteworthy result of
bringing the partners together has been how efficient this process is as a training opportunity. By the time the
agreement is developed, staff members report they understand VESID and the procedures necessary to support the
smooth transition for students with disabilities to work, further education or training.
VESID District Offices
Located in the Mid-State Transition Coordination Site Region
Broome, Chemung,
Southern Tier
Voice 607.734.5294 Voice 607.721.8400
TTY 607.734.4676 TTY 607.721.8408
Toll-free 800.888.5020 Toll-free 800.888.5010
Utica District Office
315.793.2536
Syracuse District
Office
Onondaga, Cayuga,
Voice 315.428.4179
Fax 315.428.4280
TTY 315.428.4659
Toll-free 800.782.6164
“Understanding human needs is half the job of meeting them.�
Adlai E. Stevenson Jr., (1900-1965) as quoted in a speech on October 3, 1952
Another agency that is often found assisting some adolescents and young adults with disabilities in the
transition planning process is the NYS
Office of Mental Retardation and
Developmental Disabilities. Like VESID, OMRDD is
divided up into geographic regions. These regional centers are called Developmental Disabilities Services
Offices (DDSO’s).
Like their sister state agency, VESID, OMRDD
is also reaching out to local school districts to assist with transition planning.
Broome DDSO Increases
Planning with Schools, Creates “Local Opportunities Committee�
The new Local
Opportunities Committee fills the role of what used to be the CSEP (Community
Services Expansion Plan) Committee. It
meets monthly in each county and is chaired by the Developmental Disability Program Specialist attached to
that county. It is comprised of agency staff, parent representatives, Family Supports and Services
Council representatives, and a representative from the DDSO fiscal office. The DDSO has recently
started to contact school districts to encourage their participation on this committee.
The committee’s
function is to review and approve requests for services such as residential /
day habilitation, environmental
modifications, adaptive technology, etc. The DDSO also uses this committee to update information on people who are
living with their families and will need residential placements in the future through OMRDD’s NYS-CARES program. It is anticipated that by involving school districts in this process the DDSO
will be able to collect and update information on people who will be aging out of school and work
with agencies to meet their needs at the time of graduation.
School districts can
get involved by contacting the Developmental Disability Program Specialist who chairs the committee. Their names and
phone numbers are included in the contact information. The specifics of meeting time and location vary
with each county. The school will get that information when they contact the chairperson.
Garry Naylor, OMRDDD
Broome Developmental
Disabilities Service Office
Voice: 607.770.0255
Email: garry.naylor@omr.state.ny.us
Garry Naylor is a Developmental Disabilities Program
Specialist II in the Executive Office at Broome Developmental
Services in
Coordinated Children’s Services
Initiative (CCSI): Increasing Interagency Collaboration Efforts
Since the early 1990’s,
a determined network of agencies and individuals has been put into place to
help further strengthen and streamline
community systems of care, including interagency transition efforts, among NYS providers, agencies, and families.
The Coordinated
Children’s Services Initiative (CCSI) is a partnership of service systems, families,
and youth working to support
localities in creating systems of care so children with cross-systems needs remain with their families, in their schools, and
in their communities. Children with cross-systems needs have or are at risk for having complex needs that
necessitate collaboration between multiple service delivery systems, families, and youth to create a
comprehensive, coordinated system of care.
The CCSI promotes a set
of core principles at all levels of government, across a broad range of service
agencies, and throughout the service
planning and delivery process. These principles guide a process of integrated planning that develops and delivers
individualized services to children and their families. The process utilizes strength-based, culturally
competent approaches to identify and meet a child and family’s needs, consistent and meaningful family
and youth involvement, individualized planning, and encourages creative, flexible decision making and
funding strategies.
The CCSI is not a
service “program� in the traditional sense of the word; rather, the CCSI
provides a structure and flexibility
to promote locally designed interagency processes that lead to successful programs for the most vulnerable of children and their
families. While the CCSI builds upon the unique strengths
of each local service system, there are common features that can be found in
participating counties across the
state.
The CCSI incorporates a
three-tiered approach:
•
Tier I is a local service planning team that accepts referrals and develops
individualized, strength-based plans
of action for children and their families. Team composition varies according to
the needs of each child and family,
but includes the child and family, a family support representative, and (as needed) representatives from mental hygiene,
education, juvenile justice, probation, health, and other county child and family services systems.
•
Tier II includes county government and service agency leaders, school
officials, and family representatives to
address local and state-level solutions to cross-systems issues.
• Tier III is a statewide board made up of family and youth representatives and officials from nine state agencies. Tier III meets regularly to review and implement systems change at the state level.
Central New York Regional Interagency Technical Assistance
Team (RITAT)
The Central Region Team
strives to ensure optimal regional coordination of various
Support for localities is also offered through Regional
Technical Assistance Teams that consist of field staff
representatives from participating CCSI agencies, family
organizations/advocates, and county-level
staff (the Central NY RTAT mission statement appears on the previous page.)
CCSI Home Page: www.ccf.state.ny.us/resources/ccspCCSI.htm
CCSI Statewide Contact:
Tyler Spangenberg
CCSI Statewide Director
West Building Room 256
Voice: 518.473.3652
Fax: 518.473.2570
Email: tyler.spangenberg@ocfs.state.ny.us
Legislation that
established the CCSI structure, roles, and responsibilities was enacted in 2002
under the Council on Children and
Families. The council is administratively part of the Office of Children and Family Services.
The following information is reprinted directly from the Council Homepage:
What is the Council?
The Council on Children
and Families was established in Executive Law in 1977 to improve and strengthen services to children and families
provided at the state and local levels by public and private organizations. This is accomplished through
better coordination between and among service providers
and supervisory agencies; more meaningful accountability; improved selection,
implementation, supervision, and
evaluation of services; better management and research capabilities; and useful mechanisms to resolve interagency
conflicts regarding the provision of services.
In 2003, the Council on
Children and Families was administratively merged with the Office of Children and Family Services. The Council’s role
and structure remain unique within state government and its purpose remains steadfast. The purpose of
the Council is to coordinate the efforts of state agencies providing services to children and
families and to develop more streamlined policies concerning these services. Because the Council does
not have direct responsibility for the operation of programs or for the provision of services, it can
maintain a broad and neutral perspective across the policies, programs and issues of its member
agencies.
The Council continues to provide a neutral forum for the identification and resolution of issues that require policy planning and analysis, program development, and operations within an interagency framework. The Council is able to carry out its mission with the support of the State’s twelve health, education and human services agencies that comprise its membership.
Although state agencies are working hard to provide an
umbrella of services for individuals with disabilities,
each individual and each community setting may present unique needs that need
to be met in alternative ways. In the
following article Shammi Carr, Technical Assistant
with the Disability and Business Technical
Assistance Center - Region II, Northeast Americans with Disabilities Act Center
at Cornell University and a systems
advocate familiar with both social and public policy issues as they relate to the independence of people with disabilities,
discusses alternative local sources of assistance for transitioning students and families.
www.dbtacnortheast.com
The Center is expert in
dealing with several disability related laws including the newly reauthorized IDEIA. Parents, transition
specialists, school personnel and students are welcome to contact us with questions on transition including rights
and responsibilities with employment, college, community
living and participation.
201 ILR Extension
Building
Voice/TTY/Spanish:
1-800-949-4232
Fax: 607-255-2763
Email:
dbtacnortheast@cornell.edu
(
Strategies for Finding Local Agencies
and Resources
By Shammi
Carr
Informed consumers
become familiar with the big state funded agencies, like VESID, OMRDD, Independent Living Centers (ILCs), and the Department of Mental Health (OMH). But, what
do you do when your child or your
family needs or desires services beyond the typical county service provider (DDSO, DOMH, ILC, etc.)? Here are three simple
steps to advance the transition plan of a youth who may be looking for non-traditional services:
1. The first step
is to assess the student’s needs. What level of supports does the student need
for their adult life? If it’s
independent living or supportive employment, there’s a good chance there might be service providers in your community who will do
an equally good job as the county or larger organizations.
Many people are reluctant to access the larger providers because of the fear of
not getting customized services. Think
beyond just the typical large provider. Many of the smaller non-profits have specialization which might be a better match for
the student.
2. The second step is
to identify and list existing community programs and services. One place you can always start is the
services in their county specific to disability. This type of
directory is a model for other counties and can
be found at http://www.contactefr.org/EFR_ResManual0608.pdf. Other agencies to
think about are Boys and Girls Clubs,
Urban Leagues, local community centers and churches and Catholic Charities.
3. Finally, once the
student has identified her/his needs, it’s time for the design of a plan. Students can explore which agencies they would like to
work with and put them into their Transition IEP/goals.
They can invite the agency to a meeting to discuss overall the services they
can provide as the student transitions
to the adult world. Many smaller agencies are overlooked because they are not always on referring lists, so that is why
it’s important to work with agencies like
There has been a surge
of faith-based organizations due to recent funding that has become available to them through the federal government.
Perhaps the student has a strong religious background
and would like to get services from a Jewish, Muslim or Catholic provider.
Perhaps the student comes from a
different cultural background and working with a Spanish organization or
Yellow Pages for Kids
with Disabilities
www.yellowpagesforkids.com
“All the information
you need, in one place.� Maintained online by the popular Wrightslaw
special education law site, the Yellow
Pages for Kids with Disabilities is a comprehensive resource that offers listings to anyone, so the consumer
should thoroughly check out all advertisers. This web-based directory features the following
resources:
• Separate listings for
each state and territory
• Disability information
groups
• Evaluators
• Tutors
• Support groups
• Advocacy groups
• State agencies
“The reasonable man
adapts himself to the world; the
unreasonable one persists in trying to
adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man�.
George Bernard Shaw, (1856-1950)
Contact Us
Nancy Hinkley
201
ILR Ext Building
t:
607-255-1109
tty: 607-255-2891
f:
607-255-2763
nah36@cornell.edu
www.edi.cornell.edu
April 2007
DVANCING THE WORLD OF WORK