🆕 Oct. Newsletter: Webinar, New Tip Sheets, Videos, NDEAM

View as Webpage

Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research October 2022 Newsletter

ABOUT US

October is National Disability

Employment Awareness Month

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). This year's theme “Disability: Part of the Equity Equation” reflects the importance of ensuring that people with disabilities have a seat at the table during discussions, and in policies and practices on equity.

This message ties directly to our mission at The Learning & Working During the Transition to Adulthood Rehabilitation & Research Training Center (Learning & Working RRTC), a NIDILRR funded center at Transitions ACR. The aim of our RRTC is to improve the supports for youth and young adults, with serious mental health conditions so that they successfully complete their schooling and that the resources are available to provide them equality in training and employment opportunities.

In our October Issue...

Upcoming Webinar on Transforming Community Mental Healthcare w/a Peer Support Workforce
New Adulting Shorts: The "TEA" on IEPs Part 1 & 2
Young Adult Blog: 5 Ways Working Helps Me Manage My Mental Health Condition
Favorite Tip Sheet: The Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA)
Popular Employment Resources
Conferences and Events
Additional Transition Aged Youth Resources
Young Adult Meme Corner
Our Young Adult Meme Corner and more

Transforming Community Mental Healthcare: How to Grow the Youth

and Young Adult Peer Workforce

Transforming Community Mental Healthcare:

How to Grow the Youth & Young Adult Peer Workforce

When: Thursday, October 20, 2022, 12 Noon - 1:30PM EDT

Description: During our webinar, our 3 presenters will:

Describe the history of youth & young adult peer support & key principles drawing from child peer mentoring and adult peer support models.

Identify critical elements of youth & young adult peer support & their tension(s) with current community mental health settings.

Discuss emerging best practices for supporting and growing the youth & young adult peer workforce.

Info / Register

Adulting Shorts: IEPs Part 1 & 2

Adulting Shorts:

The "TEA" on IEPs Part 1 & 2

In the first info-comic in this series, Mateo learns what and IEP is, and how and why it's important to take an active role in his Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting. Read on to see why his voice matters.

View the Info-Comic Part 1 Here

(Includes a text transcript for accessibility)

JUST RELEASED! In Part 2 of this series, Mateo spends more time learning about the steps in IEP transition planning, including why it's helpful to fill out a Statement of Strengths, Preferences and Needs Worksheet. The comic stresses the importance of the student being involved in their own transition planning.

View the Info-Comic Part 2 Here

(Includes a text transcript for accessibility)

Our Young Adult Blog

Young Adult Blog Corner:

5 Ways Working Helps Me Manage My Mental Health Conditions

In honor of October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, our blogger shares 5 ways working has helped manage their mental health conditions.

Read the Blog Here

The Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA)

Did you know that the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA) mandates services for young adults (ages 14-24) with disabilities, including those with serious mental health conditions, that prepare them to obtain and pursue career goals and meaningful employment.

Our tip sheet: WIOA: New Law Helps Youth & Young Adults Get Jobs - What Families Need to Know offers a detailed overview of the Act including eligibility criteria, available services and resources.

Popular Employment Resources

for Young Adults

Adulting Is Hard Understanding the College-to-Career Transition and Supporting Young Adults’ Emotional Wellbeing

Do I Tell My Boss? Disclosing My Mental Health Condition at Work

Supporting Employment for Young Adults Living with Mental Health Conditions

Conferences and Events

Earlier in October, members of Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research attended the 6th Annual International Conference on Youth Mental Health (IACYMH) in Copenhagen, Denmark. We discussed our work and findings on some of our current projects, as well as networked and learned from other attendees from around the globe. You can find our presentations and posters from the conference here.

On Saturday, November 5th, we'll be attending and presenting at NAMI Massachusetts' 40th Annual State Convention. We will present on "Changing the Course of Young Adult Career Trajectories w/ the HYPE Course" and discuss opportunities to use the HYPE model within local communities.

Additional Transition-Age Youth Resources:

Many of our downloadable tip sheets and briefs, reports, articles, posters, infographics and video were developed and reviewed with input from young adults with serious mental health conditions and given their “stamp of approval”. Check out them out for:

Employment — Education — Life Skills

And many of our publications are also available in Spanish (en español) or Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt).

Young Adult Meme Corner

Sometimes a picture can convey a feeling that is hard to articulate. Memes often do that.

Check out the memes developed by the young adults in our National Youth Advisory Board (YAB). They get posted to our various social media platforms.

Visit our Instagram Page for more memes

THINGS WE DO

Adulting Shorts:

Info-Comics

screenshot of meme webpage @transitions_acr

RRTC Memes Cre ate d by Young Adults for Young Adults

Blogging on Adulting: In

Our Voice is a podcast on adulting and mental health by those with lived experience.

Young Adult Blog Corner

Our New Podcast...

S.T.A.Y. Tuned:

Supporting Transition Aged Youth

with Mental Health Conditions

Tip Sheets for Young Adults and Their Supporters

Our website hosts dozens of downloadable tip-sheets, many of which were developed and reviewed, with input from young adults with serious mental health conditions and given their “stamp of approval”.

Resources for Youth and Young Adults to support mental health during COVID

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 transition-age youth and young adults (age 14-30) with serious mental health conditions 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).

Stay Connected!

Please share our newsletter

with your network.

To subscribe, click here.

Have a Question?

iSPARC

As a Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Research Center of Excellence located within the Department of Psychiatry at UMass Chan Medical School (formerly the University of Massachusetts Medical School), iSPARC aims to improve the mental and behavioral health of all citizens of Massachusetts and beyond.

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, United States Department of Health and Human Services (NIDILRR grant number 90RTEM0005). 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, and/or HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.