1. Supporting Students to Discover a Path to Employment October 14, 2015 NCED HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER NORMAN, OK 73071 10 th Annual Oklahoma Transition Institute (OTI) Fostering Independence in Transition-Aged Youth 1

2. Session Outcomes 1.Creative planning strategies to consider for all students with disabilities 2.Ensure robust transition services and healthy local partnerships between education, vocational rehabilitation and the DDS system 3.National perspective on current federal regulations influencing Oklahoma school- based teams 2

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4. *High school students with developmental disabilities are expected and supported to get and keep jobs; leave school with a job; and are identified as essential to Oklahoma’s workforce. 4 *Adapted from another state

5. Transition Years Ages 16-21 Achievement of specific student objectives Post-school employment plan 5

6. 6 Employment Services Options Cross-Systems Vocational or Career Profile Development, Discovery. Services: Career Planning and Prevocational Services (time-limited) Job Search/Job DevelopmentJob StartJob StabilizationJob RetentionLong Term Follow Along In the case of job in jeopardy-VR can temporarily re-open (any time) Services provided by more than one system can easily be sequenced to support a person and their family in a job search. People can start at any point and can begin in school services, DDS services or DVR services. Early exposure Goal: Employment and Fading Supports

7. What services are available? Education-based Transition Services (through public school) Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) Pre-Employment Services through Department of Human Services (OKDHS)/ Developmental Disability Services (DDS) 7

8. Discussion Students and families School staff VR staff DDS staff 8 What does “success” look like? How do you know if the supports have been effective?

9. Discussion What would you try? What new ideas did you hear? What would it take to implement something new? 9

10. These efforts lead to… Early connection of students with developmental disabilities to workforce support systems Increased job experience and training for transition-age students Use of job market and workforce trends to assist students in preparing for employment at matriculation Coordination of resources from state and local workforce entities in the objective of employment for transition students Communication of successful student achievement of jobs Publication of the results, including, at a minimum, data on jobs achieved, hours worked, and wages earned Disseminate information and provide technical assistance about best practices statewide 10 WA Jobs by 21 Fact Sheet January 2008

11. 11 For More Information Suzzanne Freeze, Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI)/School for Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD)/University of Massachusetts Boston, suzzanne.freeze@umb.edu, 617.287.4395 suzzanne.freeze@umb.edu Rie Kennedy-Lizotte, National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disability Services, rklizotte@nasddds.org, 703.683.4202rklizotte@nasddds.org Regina Chace, Programs Supervisor, Developmental Disabilities Services / Oklahoma Department of Human Services Regina.Chace@okdhs.org, 405.521.4973Regina.Chace@okdhs.org