Center for Mental Health Services
Division of Service and Systems Improvement
Child, Adolescent, and Family Branch

Partnerships for Youth Transition

DESCRIPTION: The transition from adolescence to adulthood is difficult for many young people. Youth with serious emotional disturbances and serious mental illnesses are particularly at high risk during the transition to adulthood. These young people have the highest dropout rate among all youth with a disability, have more confrontations with the juvenile justice system, often fail to live independently-resulting in homelessness-and are more prone to unplanned pregnancy than youth in other disability groups. Often, system-generated plans for transition services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act are weak and not followed effectively, or children's services are often withdrawn abruptly, based on age, not the need for services. In addition, the criteria for service eligibility are inconsistent, and youth may not be eligible for services and supports in another location. Adequate assessment is frequently not conducted. Five 4-year cooperative agreements were awarded in 2003 to plan, design, and implement youth transition programs for children with serious emotional disturbances and their families.

The Office of Special Education, U.S. Department of Education is a contributor to this program. Technical assistance is provided by the University of South Florida, Department of Child and Family Studies through a grant from the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Funded Communities