1. Keeping Transition on Track Using Local Transition Councils
Ann Deschamps
Todd Bonney – Carroll County
Jackie Gast – Wicomico County
Donnae Bushrod – Baltimore City
Maryland Seamless Transition Collaborative

2. Who are Transition Councils?
Job Seeker
Employer
D E M A N D
S U P P L Y
Local Area Transition
Council
Community Rehabilitation Providers
Additional Resources
School System
Social Security
Independent Living Center
Assistive Technology Center
Mental Health AC
Key is the Interagency braiding of resources and funds at the local level to address each student’s post-school plan. This model promotes and supports early teaming of key partners to work toward this end.
Developmental Disabilities
Post Secondary
Education
One-Stop Career Center
Vocational Rehabilitation

3. What is a Transition Council?
The goal of the council is to develop linkages and services within the community needed for student post school success in any of the following:
employment
post-secondary education
adult education and training
adult services
independent living
community participation and
integrated community living (“Interagency Transition Councils: Stakeholders at Work” – PowerPoint by Lu Nations-Miller, Ed. D., GaDOE Transition Specialist)

4. Why Transition Councils?
Improve post school outcomes for students with disabilities
Research and experience show that transition stakeholders working collaboratively leads to better outcomes for transitioning youth

5. Transition Councils Developed to meet specific needs of local area
Evolve and change membership over time, depending on the needs of the transitioning youth and community
Can address activities including: independent employment, post-secondary education, career and technical education, adult services, independent living needs, community activities

6. Types of Interagency Transition Councils
Informational: designed to collect and disseminate information related to transition services, including
how to access resources for students who are transitioning
how to develop solutions to specific transition issues that exist in the system and in the community.
Student Specific: designed to allow school system personnel, vocational rehabilitation personnel and a group of representatives from community agencies to address the transition needs of specific students and develop strategies to address these needs.
Combination Informational and Student Specific

7. Mission of a Transition Council
Examples include:
To facilitate a collaborative transition process for students with disabilities that will lead to the students’ desired post-school outcomes
To provide a clearinghouse to disseminate updated transition information regarding available services in the area
To advocate together to provide resources for parents and teachers to support transitioning students in moving forward to achieve their highest level of independence

8. Four Elements of Building Interagency Teams
Gather stakeholders of interest in the transition process
Generate a common vision and common outcome across different agencies participating on the team (ensure team members have valued roles, and that the roles are formalized in the team)
Decide on process of activity – conduct of meetings, agenda, task completion, and what happens between meetings
Define how you are making progress, team effectiveness – how will this be measured (i.e. # of students experiencing a seamless transition?)
(National Center on Secondary Education and Transition, 2005)

9. Managing a Transition Council
Meet regularly; at least once a month
Expect and allow for all four phases of team building (forming, storming, norming, performing)
Be respectful
Be open to new ideas
Make sure all transition team members understand their roles and responsibilities
Make sure transition team members are accountable for a part of the plan
Have brief monthly progress reports
Help team members to see and recognize their role in results and outcome. (NSTTAC, 2011)

10. Resources
“Interagency Transition Councils: Stakeholders at Work” – PowerPoint by Lu Nations-Miller, Ed. D., GaDOE Transition Specialist,
National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (2005) Essential Tools; Interagency Transition Team Development and Facilitation. Minneapolis, MN.
National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (2011) Transition Team Leader Sustainability Toolkit. Kalamazoo, MI. sustainability-toolkit