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Preparing Teachers, Social Workers, and Rehabilitation Counselors to Work Together to Support Youth's Self-Directed Transition. Ann Fullerton & Sue Bert: Portland State University Mike Ward: George Washington University Jim Martin: University of Oklahoma.
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Preparing Teachers, Social Workers, and Rehabilitation Counselors to Work Together to Support Youth's Self-Directed Transition Ann Fullerton & Sue Bert: Portland State University Mike Ward: George Washington University Jim Martin: University of Oklahoma
What Supports and Improves Outcomes for Youth in Transition? Two of many factors are: • A youth-directed transition process • Interagency collaboration that aligns services and supports for youth transition • Family Involvement
Youth’s Transition Experiences • Few opportunities to develop over time skills and attitudes for self-determination. • Self-directed transition planning. • Few opportunities to identify and cultivate natural supports and allies. • Weak link to post-secondary and adult services. • Multiple systems with separate, uncoordinated transition rules and timelines.
How Do We Prepare Professionals to Work With Youth Preparing to Transtion? We may provide few opportunities: • to observe youth in the process of becoming self-determined. • to learn and practice facilitating youth – directed transition planning with service providers, families.
How Do We Prepare Professionals to Work with Each Other? • Teach our own discipline’s vocabulary, practices, boundaries, views of youth, discipline-defined role. • Provide little or miss- information about the goals and practices of other professions. • Offer insufficient knowledge/practice for effective interagency collaboration (leadership, relationship-building, outcome-based, aligning services).
New Approaches to Preparing Teachers, Social Workers, Counselors In Transition Common goals: • Cross discipline preparation (pre-service or in-service) • Focus on youth-directed transition Different preparation approaches….
Discussion Questions • What disciplines need to be involved in cooperative transition education training? • Whatexamples existof successful cross-discipline transition activities? • What made these cross-discipline transition education activities possible?
Discussion Questions - cont. • What hinders cross-discipline transition education activities? • How can you use your role to promote self-determined, self-directed transition activities?
Contacts: • Ann Fullerton fullertona@pdx.edu • Sue Bert berts@pdx.edu • Jim Martin jemartin@ou.edu • Mike Ward drmikeward@verizon.net