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TRANSCRIPT
11:30AM – 12:45PM Homewood room
Tuesday, September 26th 2017
Introduction: Kim Meinert, Senior Policy Analyst, Economic Opportunity Division, NGA Center for Best Practices, National
Governors Association
#WeTheStates
Engaging Young Adults: Pathways to Success
• Matt Stagner, Senior Fellow and Director, Human Services, Mathematica Policy Research (facilitator)
• Carol Beatty, Secretary, Maryland Department of Disabilities
• Dave Aguzzi, Assistant Director, Office of Independent Living, Tennessee Department of Children’s Services
• Sabine Chery, Assistant Commissioner, Child Welfare Programs, Division of Family Permanency Services, Office of Older Youth Services, New York City Administration for Children’s Services
• Airika Buford, Communications & Outreach Coordinator, Transition to Independence Program, Wayne State School of Social Work, Wayne State University
Engaging Young Adults: Pathways to Success
#WeTheStates
Carol BeattySecretary
Maryland Department of Disabilities
#WeTheStates
Maryland Department Of DisabilitiesOpportunity Access Choice
National Governor’s Association
Engaging Young Adults: Pathways to Success
History/Mission▪ Created in 2004
▪ Only cabinet level department in the United States representing all disabilities
▪ Charged with coordinating and improving the delivery of services to individuals with disabilities in Maryland
▪ The Department is informed by the Maryland Commission on Disabilities
▪ Changing Maryland for the better by promoting equality of opportunity, access, and choice for Marylanders with disabilities.
Maryland PROMISE
A federal research grant awarded to 6 sites to provides enhancedservices to youth age 14-16 receiving Supplemental Security Income
(SSI)to improve post secondary outcomes for youth and employment outcomes from youth and families. Core interventions include:
▪ Supports to improve educational attainment ▪ Paid and unpaid work experiences▪ Assertive Coordinated Case Management ▪ Financial education and benefits counseling
Engagement LessonsSuccess LearnedMD PROMISE successfully recruited 2006 youth. 996 are receiving interventions
92% Engagement rate, and over 80% have completed 3 or more interventions
Community Based is critical/ staff have to be comfortable in the communities.
Use incentives sparingly. Text and home visits most effective.
If you can get consent, schools can be strong partners if working on education/employment outcomes do to Indicator 14.
Labor intensive, and most families present in crisis, which need to be addressed while continuing forward progress in other areas.
Information needs to be at 3rd/4th grade reading level for families
Motivational Interviewing/Trauma Informed Care are key skills for staff to have in order to meet families youth/where they are, and be persistent, consistent and creative.
Important to collect and use process and outcome measures.
Important Tools/Information▪Many people believe they can’t work or they will lose SSI. However, they can and they are always better off working.
▪The Social Security disability standard for SSI changes when youth become an adult at age 18. Youth are subject to medical review and often don’t meet the adult definition
▪Section 301 is a work incentive that allows youth to continue to receive their SSI check after age 18, if they are engaged in an approved 301 program to gain work skills and experience that decrease the likelihood of the youth returning to the SSI rolls.
** This is a potential tool for engagement
For more information go to: http://www.innow.org/md-win/md- win.html or email [email protected] or call 1-888-838-1776
Transitioning YouthMaryland Department of Disabilities supports transitioning youth in a variety of ways:
▪ Governor’s Interagency Transition Council for Youth with disabilities▪ Transitioning Youth website designed to provide information and
resources to youth and young adults with disabilities and their families at www.mdtransition.org
▪ Participate in Maryland team receiving intensive TA from the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition
▪ Partnership with MSDE to create an MIS system to link youth to post school services adult services.
Other Best Practices/Resources for Engagement:
Pre Employment Transition Services (Pre ETS)
Available to any youth with a disability enrolled in a secondary school, post-secondary education program, or other recognized educational
program; is at least 14 years old but less than age 22; and has a disability documented with an IEP, 504 plan, medical records, or a
doctor’s note. Anyone can refer the youth to VR.
Services may include job exploration counseling, Work-based learning experiences, in-school or after school, Counseling on post-secondary, Workplace readiness training on social skills and independent living,
and/or Instruction in self-advocacy.
Other Best Practices/Resources for Engagement:
Project SEARCH
For more information contact: Jade Ann Gingerich
Director, Employment Policy/PROMISE
Maryland Department of Disabilities
217 E. Redwood Street, Suite 1300
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-767-3651
Dave AguzziAssistant DirectorOffice of Independent Living
Tennessee Department of Children’s Services
#WeTheStates
14
14
Tennessee Department of
Children’s Services
Promoting Financial
Capability Among Young People Transitioning
from Foster Care
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National Policy on Financial Capability
• Financial management referenced in John H. Chafee Independence Program in 1999
• Fostering Connections Act of 2008 - 90 day transition plan requirement creates opportunity for States to address budgeting and related issues with young people
• Credit check and inaccuracies addressed for youth age 16 and over in the 2011 Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act; (age lowered to 14 and over in 2014 Strengthening Families Act)
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Tennessee Policy and Financing
• Tennessee’s Transitioning Youth Empowering Act of 2010
– Allows for extended foster care to age 21
– Codified establishment of Resource Centers (§ 37-2-603 -Establishment of resource centers to provide or facilitate assistance)
• Combination of federal (Chafee/Education and Training Voucher, IV-E, Medicaid) and state funding
• Providers and other partners can garner additional funding
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Tennessee Programming and Services
• TN DCS Administers the following directly:
– Extension of Foster Care Services
– Independent Living Wraparound Services
– Scholarships
– Credit check process
– Training for foster parents: Your Money, Your Goals
• Provider contracts
– Resource Centers (e.g. Opportunity Passport, additional
services)
– Youth Villages LifeSet (e.g. case management, life skills, etc)
– Others that support pregnancy prevention/positive decision
making
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Extension of Foster Care ServicesYoung adults who turn 18 years of age in Foster Care who are:
• Completing high school or HiSET, or
• Enrolled in an institution which provides post-secondary or
vocational education, or
• Verified as having a serious disability that prevents them from
pursuing education or full-time employment.
Supports Include:
• Placement Support (foster home, Independent Living Allowance,
transitional supervised housing, sometimes congregate care)
• Monthly Face to Face visits with case worker
• Court review/oversight
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Independent Living Wraparound Youth and Young Adults are Eligible as Follows:
• Currently in state’s custody/foster care age 14 and older
• Aged out of foster care
• Exited state’s custody to adoption or subsidized permanent guardianship at or after age 16
Young adults who received EFCS during the same time frame last year:
• Education related services (good grade incentives, graduation packages, post-secondary application and housing fees, tutoring, etc)
• Normalcy related services (extracurricular activities, athletic fees, driver’s education)
• Services that support attainment of housing, employment and transportation
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Credit CheckThe Fair Credit Reporting, Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation, and Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Acts Support and Require Credit Checks for Youth Ages 14 and Older in Foster Care. Tennessee Administers as Follows:
• Automated process returns reports from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion to the child welfare information system for each youth
• Can request individual checks
• Daily report provides comprehensive, statewide results
Youth Engagement:
• Youth receive their credit check results
• Youth informed of steps to clear credit history if credit found
• Youth receive information on the importance of credit, maintaining good credit, and protection from identity theft
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Your Money, Your GoalsYour Money, Your Goals is a set of financial empowerment materials for organizations that help people meet their financial goals by increasing their knowledge, skills, and resources
• Made available by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
• Uses a financial empowerment approach and each module of the toolkit stands alone. It is designed to start by identifying the goals the client has and then planning and using their finances to meet them
• Examines culture and values about money
TN DCS Tailors the Curriculum for Use With Foster Parents, Youth and Staff:
• Cross training foster parents, IL Specialists, and DCS staff together, which creates opportunities for increased understanding of their respective roles and discussion about how this training can be utilized with young people
• Emphasizes the connection with Prudent Parenting and Trauma
• There is a section on Credit Checks
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Education and Training VoucherTennessee Offers Education and Training Vouchers (ETVs) as Follows:
• Up to $5000.00 per academic year
• Post-Secondary Program must have a federal school code
Eligibility for ETVs:
• Students currently in state’s custody/foster care age 16 and older
• Students who age out of foster care
• Students who exited state’s custody to permanency to adoption or
subsidized permanent guardianship at or after age 16
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Bright Futures ScholarshipTennessee Offers a State Funded Scholarship:
• Up to $5000.00 per academic year
• Used for state run 4-year university, community college and technology
programs only
The Bright Futures Scholarship is Designed for Students in or Formerly in
State’s Custody Who are not Eligible for Education and Training Vouchers:
• Students who exited state’s custody to permanency at or after age 16 (not
adoption or subsidized permanent guardianship)
• Students in, or who exited, Juvenile Justice Youth Development Centers
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Resource Center Services• Four Locations (Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga) Provide:
• Opportunity Passport
• Life Skills Instruction
• Anger Management and Conflict Resolution
• Reproductive Health/Positive Decision Making (PREP)
• HiSET Preparation
• Community Supported Scholarships
• Employment Readiness and Job Placement
• Youth Leadership/Youth Board Support
• Transition Support: clothing, personal hygiene items, food vouchers, bus
passes, help youth locate housing
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Opportunity Passport™ helps young people with foster care
experience:
• Become financially capable
• Gain experience with the banking system
• Acquire assets for improved outcomes education completion,
stable housing, employment
• Three Components:
• Financial education
• Personal bank account
• Matched savings
What is the Opportunity Passport™
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• Ages 14 - 26
• Goal setting & adult support
• Mandatory financial education curriculum
• Additional financial education, financial coaching and asset training available
• Dollar for dollar match, with a $3,000 lifetime limit
• Unlimited number of matches
• Semi-annual survey completion
Opportunity Passport™ Parameters
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“With the help of the Opportunity Passport™, I was able to purchase a car. I can now use my time more effectively, and tackle more tasks throughout the day. I’ve maintained full-time employment, continue a college education and I can still be home in time to read bedtime stories to my sons. That matters to me.”
─ Young adult
What Opportunity Passport™ Means to Young People
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Youth Villages LifeSetYouth and Young Adults are Eligible Under a DCS Grant as Follows:
• Currently in state’s custody/foster care age 17 and older
• Exited state’s custody/foster at age 17 to permanency
• Aged out of foster care
• Youth Villages can serve youth not eligible under the DCS grant with private funding
LifeSet Provides the Following Services:
• Life skills development, including financial management
• Employment readiness and attainment
• Housing and related supports
• Assistance enrolling in educational programs
• Scholarship and educational support via the “YV Scholars” program
• Administration of National Youth in Transition Database Surveys
Sabine CheryAssistant CommissionerChild Welfare ProgramsDivision of Family Permanency Services
Office of Older Youth ServicesNew York City Administration for Children’s Services
#WeTheStates
NYC-ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN’S SERVICES- DIVISION OF
FAMILY PERMANENCY SERVICES
OFFICE OF OLDER YOUTH SERVICES:
TEEN SPECIALIST UNIT
September 26, 2017
ACS Vision for Older Youth Transitioning out of Foster Care
Gainful Employment
$
$
PermanentConnections to
Significant Adults
Social Connections
Stable Housing
Education
ACS Services and Initiatives
Housing
Education Employment
Expectant and Parenting Youth
LGBTQ
Interagency Collaboration:
Best Case Practice-Resources-Education-
Wellbeing-Safety-Permanency
Co-Parenting
Father Engagement
38%
Chance of subsequent pregnancy for parenting
females in foster care under 18 before the age of 20
(Putnam-Hornstein, Cederbaum, King & Needell, 2013)
80%
Females transitioning out of foster care had at least one child by age 21
(Courtney, Dworsky, Cusick, Havlicek, Perez & Keller, 2007)
Males transitioning out of foster care had at
least one child by age 21 (Courtney, Dworsky, Cusick,
Havlicek, Perez & Keller, 2007)
50%
Likelihood children of youth in foster care will
spend time in foster care when compared to the
general population(Dworsky & DeCoursey, 2009)
5X
What We Know
Expectant and parenting youth in foster care experience negative outcomes in education, employment, housing, physical and mental health (Culhane, Burne, Meltrauz, Morean, Halil & Stevens, 2011)
Addressing Risk
Building Protective/PromotiveFactors
Creating Opportunities+ =
Results: Nurturing
Parents
THEORY OF CHANGE
Youth have:• Educational Success• Strong, Stable
Connections• Physical & Mental
Health
Thriving Youth
Children are:• Safe• Healthy• Ready to Learn
Nurturing
Parenting
Elements of the Approach
Multi-Generational
Developmentally Informed
Trauma Informed
Multi-Systemic
Youth Driven
Results Based
Informed by Evidence & Practice
What is Co-Parenting?
The relationship between two or more adults that focuses on taking
care of the physical, social and emotional needs of their children to
support their health and positive development. It involves the
sharing and/or dividing of parental roles and responsibilities.
Feinberg, M. E. (2003). The internal structure and ecological context of co-parenting: A framework for research and intervention. Parenting: Science and Practice, 3(2), 95-131.
For Parents: • Reduction of parenting-related
stress• Parental efficacy
For Children:• Socio-emotional well-being• Healthy development • Reduction of behavioral
problems
Child Well-Being
Research suggests that Co-Parenting can increase the likelihood of the following positive outcomes:
Why is Co-Parenting Important?
Quality of Co-parenting
New York City Administration for Children’s Services Co-Parenting Initiative Results:
Safety, Permanency & Well-Being
• Knowledge and skills to create a nurturing environment for their children
• Skills to establish a positive co-parenting relationship i.e., able to effectively communicate and problem solve
• A co-created parenting plan that enables them to work together to promote the well-being of their child
• Ongoing and sustained involvement, especially by the non-custodial parent in the child’s life
Expectant and parenting youth leave the workshop with:
Policy Guidance to Contract Providers
Curriculum Development
Outreach & Engagement Protocol
Implementation Efforts
Continuous Learning & Quality Improvement
Policy Guidance
Co-Parenting Skills Curriculum
✓ Developmentally Focused
✓ Youth Driven✓ Experiential
Tailored to develop: •Reflection •Communication •Problem Solving•Self-Regulation •Stress Management•Giving and Receiving Support•Expressing Needs and Feelings•Nurturing Parenting
8 weekly two hour sessions
Recruitment & Engagement
• Father Survey & Assessment Form
• Peer Outreach
• Ongoing Engagement of the Family
• Incentives
Lessons Learned• Adolescent co-parents in foster care are willing to
accept co-parenting support & counseling
• A tailored recruitment and engagement approach for fathers is needed
• The prenatal period is an opportunity for intervention & growth
• Ongoing engagement and follow-up support by case workers is vital for sustainable application of the knowledge and skills gained
• Adolescent co-parents identify peer parenting support as significant
Hurdles to Clear
• Few programs target expectant and parenting youth
• Intimate partner violence
• Legal issues related to age of co-parents
It’s not enough
We need more….▪ Attention to permanency for older youth. APPLA is not a
permanency goal.
▪ Acknowledging who the fathers are in and out of foster care
▪ Collaboration to foster an integrated approach
▪ Funding for comprehensive programs that provide education, employment and supportive services for youth in foster care.
▪ Creative housing solutions developed in partnership with other State/City agencies and private partners.
Airika BufordCommunications & Outreach Coordinator
Transition to Independence Program
Wayne State School of Social Work Wayne State University
#WeTheStates
Foster Youth & Higher Education
The FACTS
• Matt Stagner, Senior Fellow and Director, Human Services, Mathematica Policy Research (facilitator)
• Carol Beatty, Secretary, Maryland Department of Disabilities
• Dave Aguzzi, Assistant Director, Office of Independent Living, Tennessee Department of Children’s Services
• Sabine Chery, Assistant Commissioner, Child Welfare Program, Division of Family Permanency Services, Office of Older Youth Services, New York City Administration for Children’s Services
• Airika Buford, Communications & Outreach Coordinator, Transition to Independence Program, Wayne State School of Social Work, Wayne State University
Engaging Young Adults: Pathways to Success
#WeTheStates
11:30AM – 12:45PM Homewood room
Tuesday, September 26th 2017
#WeTheStates
Engaging Young Adults: Pathways to Success
