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Youth in Transition Toolkit:

Youth in Transition Toolkit

  1. Minnesota’s Youth in Transition Framework
  2. Educate yourself
  3. Engage families
  4. Support youth
    1. My best life
    2. Independent living
    3. Employment
    4. Postsecondary education and training
1

My best life

Overview

Helping youth build a vision for their best life can reinforce self-determination and provide motivation during transition planning.

To understand what it means for someone to live their best life, you must truly listen to the person. What are their dreams? What do they want and need to make those dreams come true?

  • Awareness: Understand best life concepts and tools to support transition planning.
  • Exploration: Identify strengths, preferences, interests and needs to build a vision for their best life.
  • Preparation: Practice using tools and strategies to advocate for their best life and build a foundation for employment, independent living, and postsecondary education or training.
  • Implementation: Use self-advocacy, self-determination and self-efficacy skills in daily life.

Instruction in self-advocacy

Lightbulb LEARN

LEARN: Develop your knowledge

Learn how to support youth as they develop their best lives.

Charting the LifeCourse tools can help youth answer critical questions:

  • What is a good life for you?
  • What do you not want in your life?
  • What do you need to have a good life?

The framework's tools can also help youth:

  • Advocate for what they want
  • Work through problems
  • Make informed choices

Charting the LifeCourse encourages people to have high expectations for what life can be like and then explore what needs to happen to get there. LifeCourse provides youth ways to prepare and advocate for the future, taking into consideration what's important to them and their family. These person-centered tools put youth in the driver's seat, allowing them to have a voice.

Charting the LifeCourse also allows families and other team members to advocate for what's needed. Watch this 1-minute video to hear a mother's story about how Charting the LifeCourse was important for her and her son.

To learn more about the framework, visit our Charting the LifeCourse page.

 

Ben's Good Life

 

As a professional, understanding what you need for your own best life can help you guide youth as they define their best lives. 

Consider the following questions, and then write down your answers:

  • What things are important to you to have your best life?
  • What do you need to build your best life? 
  • What supports will help you live your best life?
Resources DO

Do: Work with youth

Help youth develop self-advocacy skills and knowledge of disability awareness and rights.

The Charting the LifeCourse transition to adulthood guide (PDF) introduces what makes up a good life and helps youth begin thinking through common questions. Encourage youth to share the guide with their family, and choose one or two questions to discuss.

Cover of Charting the LifeCourse's Focus on Transition to Adulthood guide
Transition To Adulthood Guide (PDF)

It's my choice (PDF) is a comprehensive workbook offered by the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities.

Cover page of It's My Choice PDF
It's my choice (PDF)
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