Ann DeschampsTodd Bonney – Carroll County

Jackie Gast – Wicomico CountyDonnae Bushrod – Baltimore City

Maryland Seamless Transition Collaborative

S U P P L Y

D E M A N D

Local Area Transition Council

Independent Living Center

Assistive Technology

Center

School System

Employer

Job Seeker

Community Rehabilitation

Providers

Post SecondaryEducation

Social Security

One-Stop Career Center

Mental Health

Developmental Disabilities

Vocational Rehabilitation

Additional Resources

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)

Improve post school outcomes for students with disabilities

Research and experience show that transition stakeholders working collaboratively leads to better outcomes for transitioning youth

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

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

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

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)

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)

“Interagency Transition Councils: Stakeholders at Work” – PowerPoint by Lu Nations-Miller, Ed. D., GaDOE Transition Specialist, http://www.gatransition.org/

National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (2005) Essential Tools; Interagency Transition Team Development and Facilitation. Minneapolis, MN. http://www.ncset.org/publications/essentialtools/teams/

National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (2011) Transition Team Leader Sustainability Toolkit. Kalamazoo, MI. http://www.nsttac.org/content/transition-team-leader-sustainability-toolkit