ASPIRENational Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine

February 2, 2018

PROMISE Awardees

PROMISE Outcomes

• Improved educational outcomes

• Increased employment outcomes

• Greater economic self-sufficiency and reduced dependency on public benefits.

• Common strategies and unique strategies

The ASPIRE Model

• 6 unique states, 49 American Indian Tribes

• 6 Governors and 54 required agency partners

• Enrollment goal for 18.6% of eligible youth in

each state, ranging from 50 to 1051 per state

• The foundation of existing services with

additional enhanced services to the Treatment

Group

Utah State Office of Rehabilitation

ColoradoDivision of

Rehabilitation Services

North DakotaMinot State University

UtahUtah State Office of

Rehabilitation

ArizonaGovernor’s Office of Children Youth and

Families

MontanaDisability Employment

and Transition Services

South DakotaDivision of

Rehabilitation

Office of Public Instruction

Black Hills Special Services Cooperative

Arizona Department of Education

University of Utah (PI)

University of Kansas

University of Montana

US Department of Education

44 Subcontracts

University of Arizona Extension

Uniform Intervention Delivery

• Existing services vary across the states and within a single state, including VR, DD, Medicaid and more

Overcoming Variance

• ASPIRE content and delivery descriptions

• Identical scopes of work for sub-contracts

• Training – online and live

• Discussion Forums

Challenges

The Original Plan• The foundation of existing services with additional

enhanced services• Provide additional learning opportunities in the areas of

PROMISE• Parent education and training• Financial education and capability• Benefits Counseling• Self Determination training• Career exploration and employment• Educational opportunity• Case Management

• Connect, support, encourage and more

ASPIRE Families• Busy lives

• Cultural differences

• Keeping ahead of the next bill, appointment, etc.

• Non-parents as guardians

• Frustration with the systems, the rules; regular change of staff within services

• Fear breaking rules and the consequences

• Missing community, cultural, social connectedness

• Hopelessness

Overcome the Gaps

• Transportation

• Food, clothing

• Celebrations or family events

• Fees, co-pays, costs

• Connectedness

• Time consuming

• Income stretching

• The culture of systems - More than a brochure, or note with name and phone number

• Existing services for adults rather than children

What has worked• Unresponsive means overwhelmed! Not uninterested.

• Contact - Call, mail, reach out, text, email, visit – be persistent

• Solidarity - Groups build connections, a shared sense of experience, networking – “I’m not alone.”

• Uniqueness - One on one services recognize the unique individual or family, their dreams and needs

• Accompany the youth or parents, warm handoffs, especially in-person; listen with them, take notes, discuss after; modeling builds confidence

What has worked

• Smaller caseloads – Approximately 1:35

• ASPIRE as connector

• ASPIRE as resource and process expert

• The finesse, the art of meeting a family where they are, envisioning a future different from today, and developing knowledge and skills to take the next steps to achieve their dream.

Two Examples of Process Expertise

• Student Earned Income Exclusion• It exists. Teachers, VR counselors, everyone talks

about it. But how do you apply it? What do you have to do to access this work incentive?

• Section 301 (Section 301 Payments to Individuals Participating in a Vocational Rehabilitation or Similar Program)

• The message is if you have a plan leading to employment, you can keep your SSI. But how do you apply it? What do you have to do to access this work incentive?

At the end of the day…

Youth and families can feel trapped, hopeless

But…

Parents want a better life for their children.

Teens want to fit in, and do what their friends do.

These families just want to be like everyone else.

Contact ASPIRE

Carol RuddellASPIRE Project Director

Utah State Office of Rehabilitation14203 Minuteman Drive, Suite 101

Draper, UT 84020(801) 619-3010

cruddell@Utah.gov