Prime
Project Prime(Partners in Rehabilitation and Independence in Maine)funded by the US Department of Education focuses on providing information and training to parents and youth and young adults with disabilities and others so they can access and fully utilize vocational rehabilitation, Independent living and other transition services and supports.
Transportation in many states, including Maine, are limited by geography, population and funding. When planning with youth and families for transition from high school to employment, post secondary education, independent living and community involvement, transportation needs become in a vital piece of the puzzle. For students with IEPs, transition services play a critical part in preparing students for a transition to successful community based experiences, attainment of independence, community involvement. This preparation can be integrated into transition planning. Access to reliable transportation can help students successfully reach transition to adulthood.
The Alliance for Full Participation Summit conference was held in Washington, DC during the fall of 2011. Maine Parent Federation was a participant at this national conference. Summit 2.0 Real Jobs—It’s Everyone’s Business was a large consortium of national leaders in the field of intellectual and developmental (IDD) communities. The conference was highly interactive and addressed challenges and barriers focusing on integrated employment for people with IDD.
A significant workshop presented was Transportation Challenges: Getting People to Jobs. Participants in this workshop were given the Transportation Resource Disk with copies of the PowerPoint presentation, national resource listings, checklists and informative fact sheets adapted for different agencies or individual use. Many of the resources, while not in Maine, provide an array of potential opportunity to enhance present and future transportation options across the state of Maine. The following resources are being shared to assist youth in transition to adulthood, their families, educators and providers learn about some of the transportation resources that exist.
Need information on financial literacy for your transitioning teen? Read more…..
PARENTS, TEENS, AND MONEY: A CLEAR AND SIMPLE GUIDE TO DISCUSSING FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Chase Card Services has collaborated with College Parents of America to publish an online guide to help parents discuss important financial topics with their teens. http://www.chaseclearandsimple.com/Students_Guide/
New Resources Centering on Youth, Families, and Employment Tips. Click here.
REFERENCE POINTS: Mental Health Resources, click here.
Check out new updates, 10/15/11.
National Disability Employment Awareness Month, click here for more information.
IMPROVING OUTCOMES FOR YOUTH IN TRANSITION, FMI click here.
Tips for getting a job, click here.
These new resources are for youth and others who are transitioning to work and adult life after high school. The sites are easy to use and interactive. Click here.
Groundbreaking Transition Legislation for Youth with Disabilities Introduced in House, for more information, click here.
TAPPING INTO THE POWER OF FAMILIES
Families and other caring adults play a vital, yet unrecognized role in helping young people with disabilities explore careers, build work skills, and be successful in employment. Reasons why families are unrecognized in the career development process vary. This InfoBrief, "Tapping into the Power of Families: How Families of Youth with Disabilities Can Assist in Job Search and Retention", explores the important role families and other caring adults play in the career planning, job search, and job retention of youth with disabilities. For more information go to http://www.ncwd-youth.info/infobrief/tapping-into-the-power-of-families
We have received word that the guardianship tutorial is LIVE!!!!
Take a look! Click "Guardianship Tutorial" on the left-hand navigation bar: http://www.maine.gov/guardianship/
This is a project that the Muskie has undertaken. The Council has been involved, as well as many of our partners on the Council, including SUFU, DRC and DHHS-Offices of Adults with Cognitive and Physical Disabilities & Elder Services.
Please let me know if you have any feedback. Thanks!
For Health and Transition information, click here.
Guide for High Schools on Creating Job Shadowing Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities, click here.
Transition Supports
While youth with and without disabilities travel through their transition years there are many road blocks and challenges that arise. The following information is available to assist you in determining the appropriate supports available to youth with disabilities and how you can assist them in traveling through the system. For the full document, click here.
ODEP Releases Making the Move to Managing Your Own Personal Assistance Services (PAS): A Toolkit for Youth Transitioning to Adulthood
The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), U.S. Department of Labor, through its Youth Technical Assistance Center, recently announced the release of Making the Move to Managing Your Own Personal Assistance Services (PAS): A Toolkit for Youth Transitioning to Adulthood, a guide designed to help transition-age youth with significant disabilities as well as their family and friends navigate the complex world of PAS.
Transitioning into adulthood can be awkward for nearly every young person. For transition-age youth with disabilities, issues surrounding managing PAS can be intensified by normal developmental concerns such as striking out on your own and navigating the road into adulthood. Accessing and maintaining long-term supports, such as PAS, has often been a significant barrier to employment youth and adults with disabilities. This new guide assists youth in strengthening some of the most fundamental skills essential for successfully managing their own PAS: effective communication, time-management, working with others, and establishing professional relationships. Such skills are key to not only enhancing independence, but also thriving in the workplace and growing professionally. Topics covered include
• Understanding the differences between job-related and personal PAS;
• Evaluating individual readiness to live independently and manage PAS;
• Establishing goals in transitioning to greater independence;
• Identifying individual PAS needs;
• Considering a service dog;
• Advertizing for, interviewing, and hiring personal assistants;
• Covering the costs of PAS;
• Managing and training assistants;
• Handling awkward moments with personal assistants;
• Recognizing abusive situations; and
• Firing personal assistants.
Whether moving from school or a home setting to work, college, or living on their own, transition-age youth and their families or friends would benefit from the information and guidance offered by the toolkit. Sample worksheets, questions, and charts provide readers clear, helpful examples of things to consider along the path to greater independence. And stories from real youth and their families give practical insight and guidance for youth with disabilities who want to manage their own PAS.
For more information or to download a Word or PDF version of the toolkit, please visit the ODEP's Youth Technical Assistance Center, the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability-Youth at http://www.ncwd-youth.info/PAS-Toolkit.
PACER Center provides information for young people with disabilities focusing on Social Security Benefits and Employment:
GOING TO WORK: A GUIDE TO SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS AND EMPLOYMENT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES (2009 EDITION)
This booklet from ICI provides basic information about Social Security disability and health benefit programs, discusses what happens to Social Security disability and health benefits when a young person goes to work, and explains how to maximize a young person's options when he or she goes to work. For more information go to
http://www.communityinclusion.org/article.php?article_id=211
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability (NCWD/Youth) is your source for information about employment and youth with disabilities (NCWD, 2009). NCWD/Youth works to ensure that transition age youth are provided full access to high quality services in integrated settings to gain education, employment and independent living.
Visit the NCWD/Youth at http://www.ncwd-youth.info/
Governor Ceremonially Signs Bill to Increase Guardianship Standards. Click here to read letter.
Ticket to Work: Updated Fact Sheets
Two key documents relating to the Social Security Administration’s Ticket to Work (Ticket) program have recently been revised. The Overview document highlights the NEW Ticket program, outlining important changes as well as the 2009 payment system. The EN Resources document provides great contact information for both potential and approved Employment Networks, instructing them on where to go for help.
Check out the attached PDF and Large Print Word files to stay informed!
EN Resources SSA 63-026 LP.doc
JMG’s Opportunity Passport™ Program Assists Maine Youth In Meeting Financial Goals
Jobs for Maine’s Graduates (JMG) offers the opportunity for young people in Maine between the ages of 14 - 23 to participate in Opportunity Passport™. Opportunity Passport™ is a program for youth who currently are in foster care or have been in foster care at some point since the age of 14.
Opportunity Passport™ program offers lessons in financial literacy and then provides an incentive for youth to save their money and purchase assets. These young people will have access to dollar for dollar matched savings up to $1,000 per year to be used for the purchase of approved assets such as a car, continued education, or housing.
For more information:
Opportunity Passport™ Youth Friendly Flier
For more information about Job’s for Maine’s Graduates, visit www.jmg.org
