Services for Youth in Transition to Adulthood in Systems of Care

Clark, H. B., Deschénes, N., Sieler, D., Green, M.E., White, G., & Sondheimer, D.L. (2008). Services for Youth in Transition to Adulthood in Systems of Care. In B.A. Stroul & G. Blau (Eds). The System of Care Handbook: Transforming Mental Health Services for Children, Youth, and Families. (pp: 517-543).  Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

This book chapter provides a summary of the Partnerships for Youth Transition (PYT) initiative. This initiative was created to allow competitively selected communities/counties to develop, implement, stabilize, and document models of comprehensive transition systems to improve outcomes for youth and young adults ages 14 through 25 with SED/SMI as they enter the period of emerging adulthood. To achieve the goal of developing transition systems for youth and youth adults, each of the PYT sites in Pennsylvania, Washington, Utah, Minnesota, and Maine undertook efforts to provide community-based transition services and supports to this population of youth and their families in a manner consistent with the community culture, accepted models, and state and local policy.

This chapter highlights the development, implementation, and preliminary evaluation of the transition systems developed by the PYT sites. Specifically, this chapter provides: a) 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; b) an overview of the Transition to Independence Process (TIP) model framework, including an outline of the transition domains of education, employment, living situations, personal effectiveness/wellbeing, and community-life functioning; c) 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; d) preliminary evaluation findings; and e) lessons learned. Thus, this chapter is designed to provide the reader with promising practices and lessons learned related to planning, implementing, and sustaining community transition systems for youth and young adults with SED/SMI and their families. This chapter is reprinted and posted by permission of the publisher: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Transition from School to Community: Navigating Rough Waters

Clark, H.B., Belkin, M.T., Obradovich, L.D., Casey, R.E., Gagnon, R., Caproni P., & Deschenes, N. (2002). Transition from School to Community: Navigating Rough Waters. In K. Lane, F. Gresham & T. O'Shaughnessy (Eds.). Interventions for children with or at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, pp. 299-317.

This book chapter focuses on the application of TIP guidelines in three middle to high school education programs in the state of Florida, which have been tailored to the aspects of the TIP system. This chapter describes how the three transition programs attempt to help navigate the youngsters through rough waters toward the outcome of a productive and satisfying life.