People at ILR

Kim Osmani
people / faculty

Kimberly Osmani

Program Director, Transition and Postsecondary Vocational Advancement
Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability

Overview

Kimberly Osmani is a Senior Extension Associate and Program Director, Transition and Postsecondary Vocational Advancement with the Yang-Tan Institute serving in multiple capacities. In her position, Kim is the Project Director for the Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth (CAPE-Youth). The federally funded center works to improve employment outcomes for youth and young adults with disabilities by helping states build capacity in their youth service delivery and workforce systems. It conducts research, develops partnerships, and shares best practices. In addition, CAPE-Youth helps states identify new opportunities to expand career pathways, work-based learning, strategic partnerships, systems coordination and professional development for practitioners. Kim is also part of a team leading an initiative with the Oregon Vocational Rehabilitation agency, Inclusive Career Advancement Program (ICAP), helping people with disabilities access postsecondary education within community colleges working through career pathways. Kim works on other projects related to training professionals in the field of disability and employment of students and youth with disabilities.

As a subject matter expert on vocational rehabilitation (VR), transition of youth and students with disabilities, and special education, she develops and implements training, resources, curriculum, and tools and provides TA in direct alignment with the needs of VR agencies, workforce systems, education professionals, and other partners. In turn, Kim uses evidence-based, research-based, and promising practices to aid in policy development and/or revision and to enhance the delivery of services to youth and young adults with disabilities.

Kim holds a doctorate in Special Education with an emphasis on secondary transition from the University of Oklahoma. Kim maintains K-12 teaching certification and Principal certification in Oklahoma. Kim has won national awards and has presented all over the United States and in Europe sharing promising practices, partnerships, and innovative programs for students and youth with disabilities. Kim also completed a juvenile justice certificate program on the Oklahoma team through Georgetown University.

During her 9 years as Oklahoma’s Transition Coordinator, Kim developed several new programs, partnerships, marketing materials, and policies. Her main focus was to provide guidance and technical assistance to the VR specialists and other staff who worked with transition aged youth. Kim served as the liaison across the state to engage with schools, other state agencies, and organizations. She was charged with developing and monitoring contracts, maintaining budgets, serving on statewide committees and councils for youth initiatives, assisting with agency programs, and was the agency contact for Project SEARCH. Since 2004, Kim served as Chair of the Oklahoma Transition Council and planned/implemented the statewide transition conference for 16 years.

Prior to her work in VR, Kim was a special education teacher for 10 years and worked at the Oklahoma State Department of Education, Special Education Services, for 4 years. While there, Kim began as a monitoring and compliance coordinator, wrote and received an almost $5 million State Personnel Development Grant, and promoted to Associate State Director, where she supervised teams over contracts, professional development, data collection and reporting, transition, and mental health. It was during her time in this position that she began working closely with national technical assistance centers, such as NSTTAC, NPSO, NDPC-SD, and IDEA Partnership. Her love for transition grew tremendously in this role, and she began to build partnerships around Oklahoma through the Oklahoma Transition Council and through a transition goal in the State Personnel Development Grant.

Publications

Journal Articles

Professional Activities

  • Best Practices, Challenges and Strategies in Transition Related Professional Development. San Antonio, TX. 2023.
  • Best Practices, Challenges and Strategies in Transition Related Professional Development. Presented to CAPE Youth. Chicago, IL. 2023.
  • Best Practices, Challenges and Strategies in Transition Related Professional Development. Columbus, OH. 2023.
  • Best Practices, Challenges and Strategies in Transition Related Professional Development. New Orleans, LA. 2023.
  • Trauma-Informed and Culturally Responsive Transition Practices to Address Intersectional Needs of Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities. Presented to Texas A&M University Centoer on Disability and Development. Denton, TX. 2023.
  • Mental Health Series Module 3: Working with I-CAP Participants with Mental Health Conditions. Presented to Oregon Health and Human Services-Vocational Rehabilitation. virtual. 2023.
  • Mental Health Series Module 1: Strategies for Fostering Safety in the Midst of Challenging Work. Presented to Oregon Health and Human Services-Vocational Rehabilitation. virtual. 2023.
  • Trauma-Informed Care and Cultural Responsiveness in Workforce Systems. Presented to The Consortia of Adminstrators for Native American Rehabilitation. Tulsa, OK. 2022.
  • Reimagining Worksforce Systems for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities Through Trauma-Informed Care and Cultural Responsiveness. Presented to DCDT. Little Rock, AS. 2022.
  • Reimagining Worksforce Systems for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities Through Trauma-Informed Care and Cultural Responsiveness. Presented to Alaska Statewide Independent Living Council & Alaska Workforce Investment Board. Anchorage, AK. 2022.
  • Reimagining Workforce Systems for Youth & Young Adults with Disabilities through Trauma-Informed Care & Cultural Responsiveness . Presented to National Association of People Supporting Employment First. Denver, Colorado. 2022.
  • Reimagining Workforce Systems for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities through Trauma-Informed Care and Cultural Responsiveness. Presented to Division on Career Development and Transition. Myrtle Beach, Florida. 2022.
  • Reimagining Workforce Systems for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities through Trauma-Informed Care and Cultural Responsiveness. Presented to Oregon Department of Education, Oregon Association of Vocational Support Needs Personnel, Oregon Vocational Rehabilitation, and Oregon Youth Transition Program. virtual. 2022.
  • Student and Youth Transition Services in NYS Parts 1, 2, and 3. 2021.
  • Developing and Delivering Youth Transition Services Parts 1, 2, and 3. 2020.
  • Creating a Framework for Services for Students and Youth Parts 1, 2, and 3. 2020.
  • Student and Youth Transition Services in NYS Parts 1, 2, and 3. 2020.
  • Building the Ship Before It Sails: Collaboration for Program Development. 2020.
  • Developing and Delivering Pre-Employment Transition Services Parts 1, 2, and 3. 2020.
  • Ensuring Equitable Access to VR Services: Innovative Strategies for Engaging Underserved Youth. 2020.
  • Increasing VR capacity to improve student & youth outcomes: Contributions & impact of the Vocational Rehabilitation Youth Technical Assistance Center (Y-TAC). 2020.
  • The ethical intersection of culture, disability, and youth services. 2020.
  • Supporting Youth who are Experiencing Homelessness: Achieving Employment through Vocational Rehabilitation and Other Partners. Presented to VR Y-TAC. Virtual. 2020.
  • Cultural Considerations to Foster Post-School Success . Presented to Center for Disability Studies at the University of Hawaii, College of Education. Honolulu, HI. 2020.
  • Increasing Engagement Through Relational Teaching . Presented to Center for Disability Studies at the University of Hawaii, College of Education. Honolulu, HI. 2020.
  • Cultural considerations to foster post-school success. 2020.
  • Increasing engagement through relational teaching. 2020.
  • Supporting youth who are experiencing homelessness: Achieving employment through vocational rehabilitation and other partners. 2020.
  • Ethical Intersections of Culture and Disability and Supporting Youth in the Vocational Rehabilitation Process-Part 2. Presented to VR Y-TAC. Virtual. 2020.
  • The Ethical Intersection of Culture and Disability—Part 2. 2020.
  • Ethical Intersections of Culture and Disability and Supporting Youth in the Vocational Rehabilitation Process-Part. Presented to VR Y-TAC. Virtual. 2019.
  • Changing the Trajectory: Engaging Youth in Foster Care through Partnerships. Presented to CT Department of Education and Other Partners. Norman, OK. 2019.
  • Culturally Responsive Transition Practices. Presented to Oklahoma Transition Council. Norman, Oklahoma. 2019.
  • Changing the Trajectory: Engaging Youth in Foster Care through Partnerships. Presented to Division on Career Development and Transition. Seattle, WA. 2019.
  • Effective Cross-Agency Strategies to Ensure the Successful Implementation of Pre-ETS and IDEA Secondary Transition. Presented to Division on Career Development and Transition. Seattle, WA. 2019.
  • Engaging Youth in the Juvenile Justice System: Understanding Their Needs and Supporting their Transition to Employment. Presented to Division on Career Development and Transition. Seattle, WA. 2019.
  • Community Engagement and Self-Care. Presented to National Technical Assistance Center on Transition. Seattle, WA. 2019.
  • Cross-system overview - students with complex support needs. Presented to National Technical Assistance Center on Transition. Seattle, WA. 2019.
  • The History of the Road To Independence. Presented to Oklahoma Department of Human Services, Child Welfare Division. Oklahoma City, OK. 2019.
  • Making It Matter: Intentional Engagement of Youth in Foster Care. Presented to Virginia Rehabilitation Association and other partners. Norfolk, VA. 2019.
  • Changing the Trajectory: Engaging Youth in Foster Care through Partnerships. Presented to CT Department of Education and Other Partners. New Britain, CT. 2019.
  • Arizona Interagency Collaboration: Developing Transition Skills of Youth with Disabilities. Presented to Arizona Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services, and Other Partners. Phoenix, Arizona. 2019.
  • Transition 101. Presented to Oklahoma Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation Council. Durant, Oklahoma. 2019.
  • Making meaningful connections: strategies for building relationships. Presented to Avedis Foundation. Shawnee, Oklahoma. 2019.
  • The Ethical Intersection of Culture and Disability. Presented to APSE. St. Louis, Missouri. 2019.
  • Increasing Today’s Diverse Workforce: The Customized Employment Model for Disadvantaged Populations. Presented to APSE. St. Louis, Missouri. 2019.
  • Interagency Collaboration. Presented to Southern Nazarene University. Bethany, Oklahoma. 2019.
  • Supporting Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies in their Work with Youth with Disabilities. Presented to National Technical Assistance Center on Transition. Virtual. 2019.
  • Establishing Interagency Partnerships: Framework & Examples. Presented to VR Y-TAC. Virtual. 2019.
  • What is Vocational Rehabilitation?. Presented to National Network for Youth. Washington, DC. 2019.
  • Serving Out-of-School Youth for VR Professionals: Outreach, Engagement, and Support . Presented to VR Y-TAC. Virtual. 2019.
  • WIOA Title I for VR Professionals: Shared Goals and Potentials for Partnership. Presented to VR Y-TAC. Virtual. 2019.
  • Advocacy and lobbying:commonalities and differences. Presented to Oklahoma Division on Career Development and Transition. Oklahoma City, OK. 2019.
  • Barriers v. Obstacles: Supporting Students with Complex Needs. Presented to Texas A and M University and other Partners. San Antonio, Texas. 2019.
  • Supporting Students with Complex Needs. Presented to Texas A and M University and other Partners. San Antonio, Texas. 2019.
  • Advocating for Change: Disseminating a State Special Education Legislative Summit Toolkit. Presented to Council for Exceptional Children. Indianapolis, IN. 2019.
  • VR Y-TAC—Supporting Youth on their Journey to Employment. Presented to NCWD. 2018.
  • Making the Most Out of Your Doctoral Program. Presented to University of Oklahoma College of Education. Norman, Oklahoma. 2018.
  • Engaging and Supporting Out of School Youth: A Customized Employment Approach. Presented to Division on Career Development and Transition. Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 2018.
  • Advocating for change: The dissemination of a State Special Education Legislative Summit Toolkit. Presented to Division on Career Development and Transition. Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 2018.
  • Customized Employment: A Cross Systems Approach. Presented to Division on Career Development and Transition. Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 2018.
  • Policy and Advocacy in Transition. Presented to Division on Career Development and Transition. Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 2018.
  • Barriers v. Obstacles: Supporting Students with Complex Needs. Presented to Oklahoma Transition Council. Norman, Oklahoma. 2018.
  • Connecting Disengaged Youth Populations for Successful Outcomes. Presented to Oklahoma Transition Council. Norman, Oklahoma. 2018.
  • Focused Fidgeting: Sustaining Attention for Students with ADHD. Presented to Battelle for Kids. Denver, CO. 2018.
  • No Businesses, No Problem: Building Transition Partnerships for Employment. Presented to Battelle for Kids. Denver, CO. 2018.
  • Supporting and Serving Youth with Significant Disabilities. Presented to Vocational Rehabilitation Youth Technical Assistance Center. 2018.
  • Making the Most Out of Qualitative Research. Presented to University of Oklahoma College of Education. Norman, Oklahoma. 2018.
  • Building Self-Confidence in Young Minds! Do Teachers Have Any Role to Play?. Presented to Global Biz Research. Zurich, Switzerland. 2018.
  • Building Transition Partnerships in Rural Areas for Employment. Presented to Global Biz Research. Zurich, Switzerland. 2018.
  • Focused Fidgeting: Teachers’ Perceptions of Using Fidgets to Focus Attention of Students with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Presented to Global Biz Research. Zurich, Switzerland. 2018.
  • Say What? MMW, HTH, TTYL. Presented to the National Resource Center for Youth Services (NRCYS). Norman, OK. 2018.
  • Workforce Investment Act to WIOA. Presented to Cornell University's Yang-Tan Institute. Albany, NY. 2018.
  • Supporting the Transition Outcomes of Students with Complex Needs; Are We All Having the Same Conversation?. Presented to National Technical Assistance Center on Transition. Denver, CO. 2018.
  • Maximizing Connections for Youth in Employment. Presented to NYS APSE. Lake George, NY. 2018.

Honors and Awards

  • Thomas P. Golden Employee Recognition Award, Cornell University, ILR School, Yang-Tan Institute. 2023
  • Champion for Change for Youth in Foster Care Award, Oklahoma Department of Human Services, Child Welfare Division. 2019
  • Marcie Stickney Practices in Transition Award, Oklahoma Division on Career Development and Transition. 2018
  • Donn Brolin award for State and Provincial Leadership in Transition, CEC's Division on Career Development and Transition. 2014
  • Leadership Award, Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services. 2011