Past Transition-Aged Youth Events
2008 Community Quarterly Conference Calls
A Collaborative Approach to Developing Supported Housing for Youth in Transition
This call focused on how, through a coordinated effort, New Jersey was able to develop a variety of supported housing options for youth aging out of the child welfare system as well as for youth who were homeless. Housing experts at the state level discussed their experience of partnering with the child welfare agency to develop housing programs that provide a variety of life skills and case management, and assist youth in achieving self-sufficiency. A youth presenter from New Jersey also shared her experiences with the supported housing services in the State.
Presenters:
- Pamela McCrory, LSW, MPH, Director, Supported Housing and Special Needs, New Jersey Housing Mortgage Finance Agency
- Nancy Caplan, Statewide Independent Living Coordinator, Adolescent Practice and Permanency Unit, Division of Youth and Family Services, Director's Office, New Jersey Department of Children and Families
- Jessica Wiggan, Youth
Related Materials:
- Presentation slides (PDF)
- "Existing Transitional Living/Supported Housing Beds"
- "The Highlights and Benefits of Transitional Living, from a Youth’s Perspective"
Youth in Transition: Strategies for Promoting Successful Youth Empowerment and Self Advocacy
The conference call focused on strategies for promoting youth voice and helping young people to gain confidence in advocating for themselves. Through involvement in building statewide systems of care; participating on youth advisory boards; and contributing to care planning through the wrap-around process, supported employment, life skills training, group therapy, and peer support services, young people learn their voice matters. Presenters discussed the importance of self-advocacy as youth make the transition into the community.
Presenters:
- Clay Finck, Senior Program Supervisor, National Resource Center for Youth Development, Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Heidi Hoogstraal, Program Coordinator, Greg Bullard, Former Director, Brenda Johnson, Peer Support Specialist, Andrew, Youth, and Danielle, Youth, Gateways to Success, Greenwood, South Carolina
Facilitator:
- Brittany Couch, State Youth and Social Marketing Coordinator, Oklahoma System of Care, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Related Materials:
- Presentation Slides
- Community Mapping with Youth (PDF)
- Youth Venture (Project) Action Planning (PDF)
- Youth Involvement, Support and Development: A Structural Perspective – Overview (PDF)
- Youth Involvement, Support and Development: A Structural Perspective – Contacts and Resources (PDF)
Two Things Your Parents Told You: Get a Job and Stay in School
Two states shared their expertise in developing and implementing supported employment and supported education for youth in transition, and discussed the impact of these efforts on employment outcomes and school performance.
Presenters:
- Richard Balser, Chief, Outpatient Services, Department of Psychiatry and Director, Department of Vocational Services, and Christine McKenzie, Program Manager, Department of Vocational Services, Maine Medical Center
- Melodie Pazolt, Clark County Department of Community Services
Related Materials:
- Presentation: Two Things Our Parents Said: Get a Job and Stay in School
- Presentation: The Role of Employment in Recovery
- Additional Resources (PDF)
Partnership for Youth Transition (PYT) Overview and Lessons Learned
This conference call highlighted the development, implementation, and preliminary evaluation of the transition systems that were developed by the five PYT sites (ME, MN, PA, UT, and WA). Specifically, the call provided: an overview of the PYT initiative and delineation of the age-appropriate interventions and support services that were common across the majority of the sites; brief descriptions of the community transition systems implemented at the five PYT sites, with attention to the involvement of youth, family, and local and state partners; preliminary evaluation findings; and lessons learned and promising practices related to planning, implementing, and sustaining community transition systems for youth and young adults with seriously emotional disturbance/serious mental illness and their families.
Presenters:
- Hewitt B. "Rusty" Clark, Ph.D., and Nicole Deschênes, M.Ed., National Center on Youth Transition (NCYT), Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida
Facilitator:
- Gwen White, Allegheny County System of Care