Mytransition Region IV Meeting Notes

March 9, 2016 MYTRANSITION REGION IV | MEETING NOTES Attending:

Cassie Weightman, MILP; John Pavao, State ADA Coordinator; Christian Sorenson, Youth; Dorothy Joyce, Butte High School; Les Clark, MILP; Kathy Hampton, DRM; Sandy Hamlin, Job Service; Heidi Foreman, Capital High; Cassandra Millan, Family Outreach; Jennifer Vickers, Family Outreach; Bill Harant, SILC; Mary Taylor, ASPIRE; Ellen Condon, RI, Pre-ETS; Elsie O’Connor, Case Management; Paul Kindt, PEERS; Miles Finlen, WMMHC; Cindy Smith, MILP; Jenn Kurk, Family Outreach; Cheryl Larson, VR; Michelle Letendre, Job Service; Carrie Brown, Helena High School; Heather Stenson, Circle of Parents

Announcements:

***MYLF applications are due March 25th applications can be found: http://montanaylf.org/ ***

 Parent Night | Helena | every third Thursday CR Anderson School  Team Social Time (for transitions) | 1236 Helena Ave. (14-25 years old) | Tuesday 4-5pm; social, work, and home | Contact: Cassandra or Jennifer 442-1571  Circle of Parents| Butte | Contact Heather Stenson [email protected] 723-4019  Tuesday, March 15th 5-7pm | Information meeting for parents | Anaconda High School;  March 23rd | Southwest Montana Job Fair- Butte Plaza Mall, room for additional vendors | contact: Miles 497-9006  March 24 10:30-12:00 MST | Pre-ETS Technical Assistance Center | webinar on listserv; contact: [email protected]  Disability Film Fest | 3/31 | Cinemark Theater 6-7:30pm | Contact: Paul Kindt [email protected]  April 7th | Pre-ETS Technical Assistance Center On -site training- MSU Billings | contact: [email protected]  April 13th 3:00-7:00 | Job Fair | Bozeman Fairgrounds | Contact: Michelle 582-9236  April 27th 8-5pm | Family Outreach Open House | 1236 Helena Ave. | Helena ** If you have an upcoming event, please email [email protected] and we will get them on the montanayouthtransitions.org website.

Goals Established:

Region IV Goals:

Short Term Goals (6 months-1year):

1) Resource Guides Creating a usable resource guide/handout for each area that can be given to teachers and can be accessed on montanayouthtransitions.org a. Gain feedback from parents regarding what information is usable b. Prioritize information so that is not overwhelming

1 March 9, 2016 MYTRANSITION REGION IV | MEETING NOTES c. Create a team to begin developing tool/resource guide d. Put any current usable resource guides on the website e. Start conversations about transition in elementary school with parents

2) Training/Presentation Regarding community resources and transitions opportunities a. Coordinate with teachers to schedule in-school presentation, with materials they can give to parents b. Schedule community resource/information/transition fairs and open houses and have community programs attend to provide information about their services.

3) Pre-Employment Transition Services Communication and collaboration on the best way to execute the service a. Refer all eligible students to Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) b. Establish methods that help parents follow through with VR applications c. Connect partners (schools/agencies) with the Pre-ETS Technical Assistance Center d. Help schools that do not currently have a contract with VR for Pre-ETS to obtain the service contract e. Establish a list of local businesses that are willing to offer work experiences to qualified students

4) Job Shadow Opportunities a. Have students fill out job shadow applications b. Create a list of potential job shadow sites c. Set a region goal of matching at least 2 students per month with a job shadow.

5) Separate Community Meetings to discuss local transition issues a. There will be coordinated meetings every other month (opposite of the MYTransitions call) at the MILP offices in Helena, Bozeman, and Butte to discuss local transition plans, concerns, and to develop usable information.

Long Term Goals (1-3 years): 1) Increase PR Locally and in Rural Areas a. Schools b. Students

2 March 9, 2016 MYTRANSITION REGION IV | MEETING NOTES c. Parents d. Community partners

2) Recruitment of Rural Partners Getting rural communities and schools involved so they have access to the same opportunities larger communities have. a. School Staff b. Students c. Community Partners

3) Resource Guides a. Create flow-chart style guide for several disability categories regarding transition points b. Create usable, streamlined resource guides for several disability categories c. Get publications on the mytransitions website d. Get publications in the hands of teachers and parents in the most effective way possible beginning in elementary school e. Update forms regularly

Discussion: Survey Results: In January a survey monkey was sent out for group input so that our Region IV goals could be set. Based on survey results our goal priorities are as follows:

– 63.16% 15.79% 5.26% 5.26% 10.53% Communication and collaboration 12 3 1 1 2 19 on the best way to execute Pre Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) – 30.00% 40.00% 20.00% 5.00% 10.00% Job Shadow opportunities for 6 8 4 1 2 20 students and the creation of a list potential job shadow sites – 43.48% 26.09% 13.04% 17.39% 0.00% Creating a usable resource guide 10 6 3 4 0 23 for each community/area which can be given to teachers and put on the montanayouthtransitions.org website – 28.57% 21.43% 21.43% 14.29% 14.29% Updating the 4 3 3 2 2 14 montanayouthtransitions.org website for Region 4 with usable information. – 28.57% 21.43% 35.71% 14.29% 0.00% Real Life Fairs at schools (vendor 4 3 5 2 0 14 style fair for parents, students, and community members) – 21.43% 28.57% 42.86% 7.14% 0.00% Attendance of community 3 4 6 1 0 14 resources at freshman orientations and school open

3 March 9, 2016 MYTRANSITION REGION IV | MEETING NOTES houses. – 36.84% 36.84% 5.26% 0.00% 21.05% Making sure that rural 7 7 1 0 4 19 communities have access to the same information and opportunities the larger communities have. – 22.22% 38.89% 27.78% 0.00% 11.11% Finding an effective way to 4 7 5 0 2 18 market usable transition resources and opportunities. ie publications, posters, etc – 40.00% 25.00% 25.00% 10.00% 0.00% Getting the information about 8 5 5 2 0 20 transition to the students and parents starting in elementary school. – 52.38% 23.81% 9.52% 14.29% 0.00% Training for teachers about 11 5 2 3 0 21 community resources and transitions opportunities.

Comments:

This has become a VERY big need in our state to inform parents before they reach Senior year in High School and are panicking. I believe that it takes an effort on all organizations that work with children with disabilities to impart any and all information that will help parents to navigate their child's transition from school to work. Knowledge is power and if we are not willing to share what we know then that is when the system fails. I wholeheartedly agree that there needs to be a more concise way of distributing this information to parents, teachers, VR counselors etc. 3/8/2016 10:30 AM View respondent's answers real work experiences in the community!! 3/8/2016 10:18 AM View respondent's answers All of these.... 1/20/2016 12:17 PM View respondent's answers While all of theses issues are important, VR's counselors need to be trained on transition services and make sure their clients are getting those services. We can't keep saying it is the school's job or it is VR's job to help with transitions services. VR is tasked with that under WIOA. Most transition services have to start being talked about when the child is young, through the schools then followed by VR. Communication is the key! 1/20/2016 12:09 PM View respondent's answers I did not see that any of these had a method or manner for gathering the list of community resources or potential job shadow sites. 1/20/2016 11:34 AM View respondent's answers Please continue the face to face community meetings! I believe this is an important brainstorming and communication opportunity. 1/20/2016 9:56 AM View respondent's answers Q2

Resource Guide Heather Stenson, Circle of Parents in Butte, stated that she is partnering with Terry Faulkner, Butte Schools, to develop a simple, effective resource guide which is broken into categories based on disability. She believes this guide will be usable by school across our region and can be adapted.

Job Shadowing  June Hermanson, MYTransitions, is creating an Information sheet for potential job shadow sites detailing how a job shadow works. Once this is completed, it will be sent to the group to begin recruitment.  There is an application for students to fill out. The document can be adjusted to whatever agency would like to help facilitate the match.  Job Service is possible starting point to help identify matches as well as local Chambers of Commerce, Family Outreach, and Voc. Rehab along with the whole Region IV team.  Transportation was discussed as a potential roadblock. Ellen Condon brought up that schools that have the Pre-ETS contract with Voc Rehab- can cover the costs  There is a release used in Helena- will be sent out.

4 March 9, 2016 MYTRANSITION REGION IV | MEETING NOTES

Pre-Employment Transition Services: As part of our MYTransitions commitment we need to be making referral to Vocational Rehabilitation. As part of our emails, I will send out a survey monkey requesting how many people you referred to VR and how many job shadows you helped coordinate. One of the biggest issues with getting students tied in with Pre-ETS is parent follow through. Heather Stenson will bring this us with her Circle of Parents group to find out the best and most effective ways to reach parents. Next Region IV Meeting:

Wednesday, May 11th 2:00-3:00pm

US Toll free: +1-855-797-9485 US Toll: +1-415-655-0002 Access code: 666 696 308 OR at any MILP office

Helena MILP Office

825 Great Northern Blvd, Suite 105

*parking on the street or in the parking garage

Butte MILP Office (near Silver Bow Pizza and the Job Service)

3475 Monroe, Suite 100

Bozeman MILP Office (near the Ridge Athletic Center)

3825 Valley Commons Drive, Suite 2

****If there are any agenda items you wish to discuss, please email me prior to the meeting.***