Community Level Team

Community Level Teams

“No one can do it alone. Improving the quality of life and the education of children with disabilities and their families requires the collective knowledge, skills, experience and expertise of all family members and professionals. It requires that the community and all service systems work together to achieve the goals of the child and the family” (Bishop, K.K. (1993). Family/Professional Collaboration of Children with Special Health Needs and their Families)

Community Level TeamA group of administrative levelprofessionals from the school system and adult service provider agencies within the community that meet on a regular basis to oversee the quality of transition services. This team does not address individual student needs.

Potential Members

Education

• Public Schools• Community College

Rehabilitation

• Vocational Rehabilitation• Independent Living• Department of Juvenile Justice

Business

• Chamber of Commerce• Job Link Center

Service Agencies

• Developmental Disabilities • Mental Health/Substance Abuse• Social Services• Department of Juvenile Justice

Advocates

• ARC • Autism Society

Political

• County Commissioners• School Board

Religious Groups

• Church Groups

Community Groups

• Recreation Department • Arts Council• Boys/Girls Club • YMCA

Recruitment of Team Members

Forming Stage Activities“getting to know you”

Initiating the team Defining/investing

membership Planning/holding

organizational and follow-up meeting

Defining initial needs, goals, action plan

Determining governance/structure

Community Level Team Activities

Collaboration

Communication

NetworkingService

Coordination

Morningstar, 2006

Values

VisionMission

Common Goals

• Membership (participants, and plans/ strategies)• Vision • Values• Mission

Resource Assessment• Identifying the gap

between what is available and what resources are needed or desired

• Placing resource and service needs in priority order

• Making decisions on which needs require attention

• Developing a long term plan to address needs

Interagency Agreements

• Purpose/Mission • Partners • Length of Agreement • Commitments • Assurances • Administrative

Oversight • Signatures

We agree to...

Negotiating Interagency Agreements

• Why we need them• How to get people to the table• To hold people accountable• To know roles• To begin collaboration• Foundation for braiding funding, enhancing roles,

etc.• In beginning…Outlining what’s already being

done

Case Managers

CRP Staff

DJJ Counselors

DSS Case Managers

Teachers

VR Counselors

What can they do to facilitate transition?

• Resource Assessment • Interagency

Agreements• Role

Clarification

Buy-In Must Be Real

Coordination and Networking

• Information exchange• Referrals• Eligibility

determination • Staff development• Job development• Job placements• Community awareness

Legislative Basis

Resources

Priorities and RulesEligibility

Jargon

Information Sharing

Storming Stage Activities“the honeymoon is over!”

Confirming values, missions, and needs Setting goals Embracing diversity Communicating effectively/managing conflict Gaining momentum with action planning

Teams at various Stages: Community Teams/School Teams

Forming Stage Members are aware of each

other’s names and positions Members bring personal

goals to meetings Team roles are loosely

defined Communication is cautious Decision-making is largely

independent

Storming Stage Members interact frequently

between meetings and understand each other’s personal goals

Members are somewhat able to merge personal goals with team goals

Communication is lively; conflict may be high

Some shared decision-making

Standard Operating ProceduresCommunity Level Team

• Orientation for new members

• Frequency, time, and length of meetings

• Environmental arrangements

• Meeting reminders• Member absences

• Agenda • Team member

roles • Celebration

• Resource Management • Problem-

Solving• Advocacy

Evaluation

• Outcome data • Customer

satisfaction • Member

satisfaction • Quantitative data

Indicator 14

• Indicator 14, part of IDEA (2004) Part B State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report, requires states to collect data on the:

“Percent of youth who had IEPs, are no longer in secondary school and who have been competitively employed, enrolled in some type of postsecondary school, or both, within one year of leaving high school.”

• Resource Management• Standard

Operating Procedures• Networking

The First Follower