Transitioning toward Excellence & Achievement in Mobility Legislation
February 19, 2011
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TEAM-Education Act (181KB) [download] TEAM-Empowerment Act (180KB) [download] TEAM-Employment Act (198KB) [download] |
The TEAM-Education Act (HR 602) amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to encourage school districts, students with significant disabilities, their families and transition teams to plan for integrated employment after high school.
- Requires that transition planning be included in a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) starting at age 14
- Allows the state Intellectual/Developmental Disability Agency to participate on the IEP & Transition planning team for students expected to be eligible for I/DD services
- Offers advocacy training for students and families to help them articulate their wishes during the IEP process
- Allows IDEA Part B discretionary dollars to be used by school districts to hire or contract with transition experts
- Modifies the definition of "transition services" to include customized employment services and training in advocacy and self-determination, and specifies that they do not include facility-based or other segregated programs
- Provides $50 million to Local Educational Agencies to pilot the hiring of internal transition services coordinators
The TEAM-Empowerment Act (HR 603) amends the Developmental Disabilities Act to establish greater accountability of the DD system by enhancing infrastructure to support youth with significant disabilities transitioning into adulthood.
- Establishes Transition Planning & Service Divisions within state I/DD agencies to:
- Assist with development of "Individualized Transition Plans (ITPs)" for youth with significant disabilities once they exit high school until age 26
- Provide Transition Brokers to help individuals and families navigate systems of complex supports
- Provide training in self-advocacy, self-determination and peer mentoring for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities
- Facilitate a Memorandum of Understanding between key state agencies involved in providing services to individuals with I/DD to foster multiagency collaboration
- Assist with development of "Individualized Transition Plans (ITPs)" for youth with significant disabilities once they exit high school until age 26
- Authorizes $50 million in funding for FY 2012 and subsequent years in assistance to states to participate
The TEAM-Employment Act (HR 604) amends the Rehabilitation Act to establish firmer accountability for systems that provide citizens with significant disabilities job training and support through Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies.
- Requires that the attainment of integrated employment or post-secondary education is the preferred outcome for all individuals, including those with significant disabilities, receiving publicly-financed VR supports (VR agencies would no longer be able to determine adults with significant disabilities as being ineligible to receive supported employment services)
- Establishes a presumption of employability for all individuals
- Authorizes demonstration grants to allow ten states annually to implement Employment First strategies focused on improving post-secondary education and integrated employment outcomes for young adults with significant disabilities. These funds would be prohibited from being used for activities that result in the placement of participants into facility-based, segregated services.