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LIFE IS 90 SHOWING UPIMPROVING THE
TRANSITION SUCCESS OF YOUTH WITH EMOTIONAL AND
BEHAVIORAL DISABILITIES

• Michael Bullis, Ph.D.
• Dean Sommerville-Knight Professor
• College of Education, University of Oregon
• (bullism_at_uoregon.edu, 541-346-1601)

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• I dont feel like Im gonna make it. I dont have
  the kind of help that I need and I dont have the
  kind of willpower to give myself the help I need.
  I dont want to start using because I know how my
  life goes down the drain. I just wish somebody
  was in my life, you know? I think it would help a
  lot if someone was as coming over ever day to
  talk to me -- just talk to me -- about AA and
  stuff. Im supposed to be mature enough to handle
  myself, but its kind of hard when Im totally in
  my addiction. I need people there for me at this
  point in my life to take initiative for me
  because I cant do it myself.
• -- Youth with ED, Todis et al., 2001

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OBJECTIVES

• HOW? (SHOULD EFFECTIVE TRANSITION PROGRAMS BE
  STRUCTURED)
• WHO? (ARE STUDENTS WITH EBD)
• WHAT? (RELATES TO TRANSITION SUCCESS)
• WHY? (IS SPECIAL ATTENTION NECESSARY)

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BREAKING THE CYCLE
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GETTING STARTED RIGHT
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(No Transcript)
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RESILIENCE

• THE ABILITY TO OVERCOME SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE
  ODDS AND YET STILL SUCCEED IN ONES DAILY BATTLES
  AND LIFE GOALS.

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HOW DO THEY DO IT?(PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS)

• MATURATION
• PERSISTENCE
• NATIVE INTELLIGENCE
• APPEARANCE
• ACCESSING RESOURCES
• EFFECTIVE SERVICES
• MENTORING

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PROGRAM STRUCTURE

• LOCATED IN SCHOOL
• MULTI-AGENCY COLLABORATION
• SERVICE COORDINATION
• STAFF TRAINING
• FAMILY INVOLVEMENT
• BALANCE BETWEEN ACADEMICS WORK

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KEY COMPONENTS

• SCREENING RECRUITMENT
• YEAR-AROUND
• CONSISTENT ROUTINES
• HIGH EXPECTATIONS
• ACADEMICS WORK
• REALISTIC FOCUS
• - Competitive Work
• - Real Life Decision-making

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THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT -- IS YOU

• He (the transition specialist) gives lots of
  chances he works around my schedule. The focus
  is on helping the student, not on getting you
  through some requirements. I wouldnt be nowhere
  in life without this program.
• - Youth with EBD, Bullis et al., 2002

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THE TRANSITION SPECIALIST

• 10-15 STUDENTS/STAFF
• SCREENING RECRUITMENT
• SERVICE COORDINATION
• - In-school
• - Community-based Agencies
• SOCIAL SKILL TRAINING
• JOB PLACEMENT SUPPORT
• WORKS OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL

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ADMINISTRATIVE APPLAUSE

• . . .the student gets a lot of one-on-one case
  management type support. A staff person is
  assigned to them and gives a lot of supportive
  kinds of things to get the student through
  whatever program theyre going through. I dont
  know what the student to staff ratio is, but to
  have the time to do that is really what makes the
  program successful and the student successful . .
  . We dont have as much time to go out and do all
  that. My impression is thats really what has
  made a big difference in those kids lives.
• - Alternative Education Director

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ADMINISTRATRIVE CHALLENGE

• The strengths are that you have a lot of
  flexibility in how you work with kids because
  staff arent tied to a classroom where they cant
  spring free. Theyre available to work with kids
  so they can do a lot of innovative interventions,
  get out in the community, find services for kids
  who have left school . . . The downside of it,
  though, is that theyve been located off-site.
  But thats the strength of it. The strength of it
  is that theyre not on-site. The down side is
  that its very difficult to supervise.
• Special Education Administrator

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FISCAL REALITIES

• ADM 10,000/YEAR
• 12 STUDENTS x 10,000 120,000
• COST 8,000/YEAR PER STUDENT
• 12 STUDENTS x 8,000 96,000
• PROGRAM COSTS
• - STAFF 50,000 Benefits 75,000
• - SERVICES 21,000
• PROFIT?

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SCREENING RECRUITMENT

• SPECIAL EDUCATION PERSPECTIVE
• - AN EDUCATIONAL DISABILITY
• - 90-95 IDENTIFIED BY THEN END OF ELEMENTARY
  SCHOOL
• - 10 OF ALL SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS
• - 1-1.5 OF THE TOTAL SCHOOL POPULATION

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• MENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVE
• - A MEDICAL DISABILITY
• - 5 OF ALL ADOLESCENTS IDENTIFIED
• - 20 OF ALL ADOLESCENTS WILL EXPERIENCE
  CLINICAL DEPRESSION
• - INTERNALIZING VS. EXTERNALIZING

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REALITIES OF SCREENING RECRUITING

• 60 DROPOUT
• MANY POTENTIAL PARTICIPANTS WILL
• - NOT Have A SPED Disability
• - NOT Be In School
• RELUCTANCE TO LABEL

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REALITIES OF JOB PLACEMENT

• POOR WORK HISTORIES
• POOR POST-SCHOOL OUTCOMES

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MULTIPLE JOBS EXPERIENCES

• THE AVERAGE ADOLESCENT WILL HAVE 6-8 DIFFERENT
  PAID WORK EXPERIENCES BEFORE GRADUATING FROM HIGH
  SCHOOL. WITHOUT AN EFFECTIVE VOCATIONAL PROGRAM,
  AN ADOLESCENT WITH EBD WILL HAVE 1 0R 2 SUCH
  EXPERIENCES

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EMPLOYMENT
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A WORKING CLASS HERO

• WORK AS AN INCENTIVE
• STUDENT CHOICE
• MULTIPLE COMMUNITY JOBS
• DEVELOPMENTAL JOB PLACEMENTS
• CAREER FOCUS

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DEVELOPMENTAL APROACH(Handout)
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FINDING JOBS

• SELF-FAMILY-FRIEND NETWORK
• 1-TIME OR CONTINUING PLACEMENT?
• HOW MUCH DO YOU DISCLOSE?
• CULTIVATING EMPLOYERS

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REALITIES OF REAL WORK

• IN THE COMMUNITY
• - How Do They Get There?
• - Academic credit?
• WHO SUPERVISES?
• WHAT IF THEY ARE FIRED?
• HOW DO YOU FOSTER SUCCESS?
• - Careful Placement (Handout)
• - Regular Monitoring

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THE ULTIMATE TENSION

• DIGNITY OF FAILURE
• PROVIDING THE RIGHT INTENSITY OF SUPPORT
• INVOLVING STUDENTS IN DECIDING THEIR SERVICES