New Resources are now available to you from the OADS Youth Transition Team

New Resources are now available to you from the Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) Youth Transition TeamThe OADS Youth Transition Team is happy to announce the roll out of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Transition Planning webpage. The webpage highlights important information regarding transition and includes a printable timeline that can be used as a guide during youth transition planning. 
The OADS Youth Transition Team was created as a pilot project supported by the Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) and Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) to improve the transition process for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and other related conditions (ORC).
The goal of this project is to provide training, quality oversight, and resources that offer more consistent approaches to supporting youth with IDD, ASD, and other related conditions as they transition from the OCFS children’s system to the OADS adult system. The OADS Youth Transition Team has been working to develop and provide information and resources for cross-training school personnel and community case managers to provide person-centered support to youth as they seamlessly transition to adulthood. Reporting will allow the team to identify the greatest needs for transition training and support. 
This work could not be done without the ongoing partnership of other transition leaders in Maine from the Department of Education (DOE), Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), along with several youth leaders and family stakeholders. Interagency collaboration is critical for successful transition of the individuals we serve, and the OADS Youth Transition Team has been busy building internal and external connections with DHHS. If you are working with transition-aged youth who may be eligible for OADS services, and have not already connected with us, we encourage you to reach out and introduce yourself to the OADS Transition Liaisons and let them know if you need transition information or resources. The more we connect in our communities and gain stakeholder input, the better we can find new resources and supports, which can improve the overall person-centered planning process.
To connect with a Transition Liaison in your area, you can email: [email protected]
This initiative is funded by the Federal American Rescue Plan Act under Section 9817.