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Youth in Transition Toolkit:

Youth in Transition Toolkit

3

Educate families

Resources and supports

Let families know about statewide resources and eligibility-specific services for transition planning and beyond.

LEARN: Develop your knowledge

Learn about key resources and supports you can share with families.

Know the key organizations that can help families understand resources and supports.

Disability Hub MN serves as a go-to resource for you and the families you serve. The Hub includes a section on parent and family supports designed to help families think through resources and supports, as well as the ability to chat, email or call a Hub expert for help.  

The PACER Center offers family training and a collection of publications designed to educate families. 

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS)/State Services for the Blind (SSB) and county or tribal waiver services can support transition planning starting in grade 9.

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) administers vocational rehabilitation (VR), a state and federally funded program that provides employment services to people with disabilities. State Services for the Blind (SSB) is the VR program for people who are blind, low vision or DeafBlind. 

VRS and SSB work with high schools to ensure that all youth have access to the following Pre-employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS):

  • Counseling to help youth learn about job possibilities related to their interests, plus education or training options after high school
  • Work-based learning
  • Training to gain work readiness and self-advocacy skills

Home and community-based service (HCBS) waivers help pay for the services that allow people with disabilities to live at home or in the community.

DO: Work with families

Introduce families to key resources and supports.

Into adulthood: Your guide to disability access  from Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid outlines programs, services and contacts that may be helpful for youth with disabilities and their families as they move beyond high school to live and work independently for the first time. The guide is available in other formats and languages.  

Into adulthood: Your guide to disability access

Disability Hub can be a family's go-to place for resources and support. Introduce them to Hub services and tools. 

Play an introductory video:

Provide Hub materials:

  • Order Disability Hub MN kiosk cards, magnets or other Hub materials here

Show specific Hub features:

Introduce key Hub tools:

Screenshot of the Hub's video: "Introducing Disability Hub MN". Featuring six people's faces in a grid of colorful boxes. People are diverse in gender and ethnicity.

Share key links for families from the PACER Center:

Screenshot of the PACER Center's website, Middle and High School Transition Planning page.

Introduce families to VRS/SSB's Pre-employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) and share these overview flyers:

Stacked cover images of the VRS flyer, "VRS Student Career Services: Connecting Students to Work", and the SSB flyer.

To explain to families how HCBS waiver services might help their youth, review waivers in the Top Topics section.  

Screenshot of the Disability Hub MN's website, waivers: overview page.
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