Transitions ACR August 2019 Newsletter
From the Director's Desk...
Introducing our New "TACR Shorts" Comics
Hello from Transitions ACR ! It's August and many youth and young adults are heading back to school.

One of our goals is to improve the supports for youth and young adults, ages 14-30, with serious mental health conditions so they can successfully complete their schooling.

Do you and the students in your life know and understand the accommodations that are available to them in high school and college? We have several Tip Sheets and Videos that can help explain what accommodations are, how you get them, and how to go about working with your school to get what you need to be successful. We've featured several Tip Sheets below. Read on and view the Resource List that goes with our Accommodations Comic HERE .
Young Adults, Mental Health & Back to School

Know your Mental Health Rights &
the Accommodations Available to You

"My Mental Health Rights on Campus" Tip Sheet

My Mental Health Rights on Campus is one of our many Tip Sheets in our Tools for School Series.

Are you nervous about attending college if you have a mental health condition? If so, this information will give you the knowledge you need to address your rights, rules, and resources while at college. In this Tip Sheet, we address questions like,"Can my school discipline me for something I think happened because of my mental health condition?" and "Can my school require me to take a leave of absence?"

Read and download it HERE.
(also available in Spanish and Vietnamese.)
"Getting Accommodations at College" Tip Sheet

We have a few Tip Sheets on Accommodations in our Tools for School Series. It's essential that you understand this topic! If you are having trouble with school due to mental health, your school is obligated to provide extra supports and services to help you succeed. These supports and services are called accommodations and they can make a difference! Your school may also make some modifications to the courses at your request. What accommodations or modifications can I ask for? We have several suggestions in this Tip Sheet.

Read and Download it HERE.
(also available in Spanish)
"Outside-The-Box College Accommodations Real Support for Real Students" Tip Sheet

The “American with Disabilities Act” (ADA) entitles students with disabilities, like mental health conditions, to get academic help with academic accommodations and other legal rights. Most schools are used to providing typical accommodations such as: note taker, extra time for assignments, and assistive technologies. Yet, the challenges of having a mental health condition are unique. This tip sheet will help you to think “outside-the-box” to get the educational accommodations that help you with your unique struggles. 

Read and Download it HERE.
(also available in Spanish)
"What Is a 504 Plan and How
Can It Help My Teen?" Tip Sheet

As a parent of a teenager with a disability, you may have heard the term 504 plan or Section 504 before, but not really understood what it means and how it can help your high school aged youth. Section 504 is a civil rights federal law that public school districts are required to follow. In this tip sheet, we offer parents and guardians some information on 504 plans, including understanding the difference between a 504 Plan and an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). We also share how you qualify for a 504 Plan and what the benefits of having a 504 Plan in place can be.

Read and Download it HERE.
(also available in Spanish)
Advancing Research
Education Research

See some of our recent presentations about supporting young adults in their post-secondary education efforts.


Find the presentations HERE .
Young Adult Corner
Comeback TV's

Outside the Box
Accommodations
Part 1 & 2

The young adults at Transitions ACR created a Comeback TV video series all about Accommodations at College!

Watch Episode 1 HERE .
Gus and Lauri DiGalbo offer some advice on how to get college accommodations in a way that will really support college students with mental health lived experience.

Gus and Lauri DiGalbo discuss the 3 buckets of academic accommodations for people with mental health conditions.

To view our Comeback TV videos on school and 
other topics, click here . 
What Is iSPARC Doing?
Supporting the Educational Goals of Young Adults
with Mental Health Conditions
It seems like an obvious question, but this Tip Sheet from iSPARC answers the question, "Why Is It Important to Support the Educational Goals Of Young Adults?" with research backed facts about future financial well-being based on educational level achieved and provides specific tips for cultivating motivation toward educational goals. It also includes strategies for helping young adults achieve their educational goals. Read and download it HERE.
Upcoming Webinars!
WEBINAR: Moving from Trauma-Informed to Trauma-Responsive Care Through Training, Referral and Treatment for Youth and Families

Hosted By:  iSPARC
Thursday, September 05, 2019
Don't miss this webinar that discusses the services and main outcomes of the UMMS Child Trauma Training Center (CTTC). Jessica L. Griffin, PsyD and Zlatina Kostova, PhD will also present information on project outcomes measuring the impact of Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) on child’s and caregiver’s symptoms and overall functioning.

Learn more & register  HERE .
WEBINAR: Best Practices for Transition Planning for High School Students with Mental Health Conditions

Thursday, September 12, 2019
This webinar with Marsha Ellison and Laura Golden will describe the content of three manuals from the Translating Evidence to Support Transitions (TEST) project created to guide secondary school transition planners to use and adopt these practices. Process and outcomes for using an implementation science framework to develop and pilot the guides in two states will be presented. 

Learn more & register  HERE .
In the News
We recently brought HYPE (Helping Youth on the Path to Employment) on the road again and this time, we delivered the 12 week program at one of Vinfen 's locations. Read the blog post that the  Vinfen  Voice wrote about our statewide Career
Development Course for Young Adults in MA and find out what HYPE is all about.

33rd Annual Research and Policy Conference on Child, Adolescent, and Young Adult Behavioral Health (the " Tampa Conference ") is March 15-18, 2020. Registration and the Call for Proposals is now OPEN. Find more details HERE .
Who We Are
The Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research   promotes the full participation in socially valued roles of transition-age youth and young adults (ages 14-30) with serious mental health conditions. The Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research ( Transitions ACR ) is located within the  Implementation Science and Practice Advances Research Center  ( iSPARC ) and houses The Learning & Working During the Transition to Adulthood Rehabilitation Research & Training Center ( The Learning & Working RRTC ), among other projects.
 
The Learning & Working RRTC   is a national effort that aims to improve the supports of this population to successfully complete their schooling and training and move into rewarding work lives. 

Funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), and from the Center for Mental Health Services of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

As a Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Research Center of Excellence, iSPARC aims to improve the mental and behavioral health of all citizens of Massachusetts and beyond.
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Some of the contents of this message were developed under a grant with funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, and from the Center for Mental Health Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, United States Department of Health and Human Services (NIDILRR grant number 90RT5031). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this message do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and/or SAMHSA and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

The Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research is part of the Implementation Science and Practice Advances Research Center, a Massachusetts Dept. of Mental
Health Research Center of Excellence.