The MYTI Project: Mississippi Model Youth Transition Initiative

1
The MYTI Project Mississippi Model Youth
Transition Initiative

• A project funded by the Social Security
  Administration through Mississippis Dept. of
  Rehabilitation Services for Gulfport Schools and
  Harrison County Schools

2
Areas of Focus for Project

• Improving school to adult transition by
  customizing employment outcomes
• Offering access to benefits counseling for
  parents of students -- 1021 yrs. old
• Adopting a presumption of employment for all
  students

3
Project Partners

• MS DRS and MS Dept. of Education/Special Ed as
  lead agencies
• MS Development Authority
• MS Developmental Disabilities Council
• Local WIN Center Gulfport
• MS Social Security Administration
• Attorney General of MS
• Gulfport Schools
• Harrison County Schools
• The Arc of Mississippi

4
Targeted Students

• The project will focus on students with
  disabilities from 10 21 years of age who are
  currently receiving SSI payment or who are likely
  to receive SSI at eighteen years of age.
  Particular focus will be toward students with
  significant disabilities, deaf/blind, and
  emotionally handicapped.

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What you can expect from the project!

1. Transition Employment Activities for different
   ages of students
2. Social Security Benefit waivers and assistance
3. Introduction to the One-Stop Center

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Your Child has been selected!Now What?

• Different Things happen at Different Times
• Phase 1 Students 10 to 13 years old
• Phase 2 Students 14 to 18 years old
• Phase 3 Students 19 to 21 years old
• Phase 4 Students 22 to 25 years old

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DiscoveryAll Phases

• Discovery is a process to get to know the best
  of your child
• Questions about your child
• How they do things
• Who they know
• Observations and conversations with you and your
  child
• Teachers or staff asking to come to your home to
  learn about the student
• Going with you or your child in the community or
  at school

8
Profiles Portfolios

• Both offer the best of the student
• Both are approved by student and family before it
  is considered complete
• A form to capture the information discovered
  about the student
• Profile - a write up of the information learned
  about the student
• Informational Portfolio - a set of pictures and
  words that describe the student
• Life Portfolio a scrape book like description
  of the student

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Future Vision PlanPhase 1 students 10 13
years old

• Future Vision Plan a planning meeting where
  parents and student describe their employment
  vision when they are 25 years old not specific,
  general info
• Curricular Plans Other Activities A listing
  of classes, chores, or community activities
  desired to get to the future plan.

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Connecting the Dotsat the planning meeting

• What tasks does the student do or potentially can
  do
• What employers are in the interest area of the
  student-have the right conditions at the work
  site-and may need the students contributions
• Student and family identify the employers they
  want the staff to contact
• Identify who in the meeting knows someone at
  the targeted employers.

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Phase 1 Coordinatorstudents age 10 13 years of
age

• Lisa Ladner
• MS. Dept. of Rehab Services
• Coordinates these student activities with the
  teacher and families
• Office at the WIN Job Center

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Phase 1 Early TransitionFor Students 10 13
years old

• Discovery Life Portfolio
• Future Vision and Plan
• Benefit Planning

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Benefits Counselor

• Christina (Tina) Gorman
• MS. Dept. of Rehab Services
• Provides benefit counseling for students in all
  Phases
• Individual appointments with students families
• Office at the WIN Job Center

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Benefit Counseling

• Information about social security benefits
• A confidential in-depth review of the students
  financial and work situation to plan for work and
  continued benefits
• Assistance in completing any forms for social
  security
• Research on specific situations involving social
  security

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Whats next

• Each student is at different places in the
  process, get with your Phase Coordinator to see
  where your child is in the process
• Set up an appointment with the Benefit Counselor,
  Tina Gorman

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The Arc of Mississippi Partnership

• Also connects project to local employers
• Available for all phase students and their
  families
• Contact your phase coordinator for his assistance
  or call him at
• 1-800-401-1044

• Mike Montgomery assists
• in connecting families to families,
• staff to employers, in offering
• employment information

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Information Available to you

• Individual calls to the Phase Coordinator
• Check the web site for general information
  www.MYTI.org
• Newsletter quarterly sent to your address
• Developing soon parent mentoring and parent
  participation in the Local Management Team

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What are your questions?What are your interests?

• MYTI Questions for you
• Are you interested in another parent meeting a
  couple of times a year to talk to other parents?
• Would you be interested in journaling your
  childs story of project participation with your
  feelings?