Workshop Description

The transition into adulthood represents a particularly challenging period for youth and young adults with emotional and behavioral difficulties. These individuals, like their peers without disabilities, attempt to establish themselves in work or school, with friends and intimate relationships, and in their evolving role as related to their families. The difficulty of this transition period is complicated further for many of these individuals and their families, due to the absence of services or lack of coordination among children's mental health, child welfare, education, adult mental health, juvenile justice, and rehabilitation sectors.

The purpose of this workshop is to describe the Transition to Independence Process model that prepares and supports youth and young adults with emotional and behavioral difficulties in their movement into employment, educational opportunities, living situation, personal effectiveness and wellbeing, and community-life functioning. The seven guidelines, which evolved from family and young adult guided research, provide communities with a framework for the development and sustainability of the Transition to Independence Process system. The Transition to Independence Process model is an evidence-supported practice and the participants are provided with evidence regarding research findings that demonstrate improvements in real-life outcomes with youth and young adults.

Behavioral rehearsal of practice strategies will be used to enhance the competencies of participants and examples from community sites will be used to illustrate how various sites operate the Transition to Independence Process system. Participants will be given handout materials and will be involved through questions and discussion and the design of their own community transition system.

 Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the developmental processes involved in transition into adulthood and systemic barriers that exist for individuals with emotional and behavioral difficulties and incorporate that knowledge and training into delivery of on-site services to foster youth.

2. Define four best practice methods for preparing and supporting youth in their transition to independence and illustrate the application of these methods into on-site services to foster youth.

3. Outline the importance of four transition domains and incorporate each domain into delivery of on-site services to foster youth.

4. Describe seven guidelines for developing, expanding, and maintaining the Transition to Independence Process system and incorporate that knowledge into sustaining services for transition-age youth in out-of-home placement.

About the Presenters

Hewitt B. “Rusty” Clark, Ph.D., BCBA is professor and director of the National Network on Youth Transition for Behavioral Health at the Florida Mental Health Institute at the University of South Florida.

Elijah McCauley is a senior trainer for Stars Behavioral Health Group in Long Beach, California. He serves as consultant for the Transition to Independence Process (TIP) model.