ACL: Kansas Self-Determined Transition Employment Partnership (K-STEP): Youth-Led Systems Change for Enhanced Transition and Employment Outcomes
Project Description:
The Kansas Self-Determined Transition Employment Partnership (K-STEP), led by the Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities with partners including youth and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD), family members, and community organizations, proposes this project to develop and implement plans to increase competitive integrated employment, successful post secondary education without remediation, and independent living for youth with ID/DD. Our overall goal is to establish sustainable community partnerships of diverse stakeholders to facilitate youth-led systems change focused on expanding and enhancing the transition service system in Kansas.This partnership will embrace a participatory, multidimensional approach to increase the capacity of Kansas' most under served communities and improve outcomes for youth and families, with a focus on youth with ID/DD who are English learners from marginalized racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Key objectives will be achieved in three phases: (1) Establish and maintain community partnerships and develop the K-STEP framework; (2) Collaborate with under served and marginalized communities to develop a community K-STEP Plan; and (3) Implement community K-STEP Plans and plan for sustainability. In each phase, we will conduct community landscape analyses to ensure that K-STEP Plans meet the unique needs identified by youth with ID/DD and their families across the target communities. Our anticipated initial and intermediate outcomes include increased knowledge of available services; reduced barriers, complexity,and duplication in the service system;participant reports of enhanced smooth exchanges among transition programs; and an increased number of youth with ID/DD and their families in leadership roles as they are empowered to lead systems change efforts.
Core Function(s):
Performing Research or Evaluation, Continuing Education/Community Training
Area of Emphasis
Employment-Related Activities
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Adults with Disabilities, Children/Adolescents with Disabilities/SHCN, Legislators/Policy Makers
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Specific Groups
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
State
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
