Bridges to Transition
Bridges to Transition is a Vocational Rehabilitation Public Private Partnership (VRP3), a grant funded by County Boards of Developmental Disabilities and the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission. The goal of Bridges is to expand career exploration and employment options for transition youth with developmental disabilities. The Ohio Association of County Boards is providing statewide project management and support for this VRP3.
About Bridges to Transition
Bridges to Transition (“Bridges”) is a Vocational Rehabilitation Public Private Partnership (VRP3) between County Boards of Developmental Disabilities (CBDD) and the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission (RSC). This partnership began in 2009, when RSC Administrator Michael Rench approached Ohio Association of County Board’s (OACB) Associate Director, Kim Linkinhoker, and encouraged him to work with CBDDs to develop a VRP3. Bridges is now the largest VRP3 in the state.
Bridges focuses on transition youth, ages 14 to 22 who are eligible for CBDD services and RSC services. The overall goal of the project is to enhance career exploration options and increase employment outcomes by developing a collaborative network of services that will assist students in achieving their employment goals.
County Boards of Developmental Disabilities contribute local dollars and RSC matches those dollars with federal funds. Local CBDDs are helping to maximize money coming into the state to serve individuals with the most severe disabilities.
The Ohio Association of County Boards provides statewide project management for Bridges. This creates a very efficient system, allowing for a single point of contact for our 31 partners, and a single point of contact for RSC. The Project Management Team provides technical assistance and training, progress monitoring, fiscal tracking, and administrative support. The team consists of:
Pete Moore, Project Manager
pmoore@oacbdd.org or 614.431.0616
Kristen Helling, Service Initiatives Coordinator
khelling@oacbdd.org or 614.431.0616
Program History
In 2009, Michael Rench, Administrator of the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission (RSC), approached Kim Linkinhoker, Associate Director of the Ohio Association of County Boards(OACB) about developing a partnership between County Boards of Developmental Disabilities (CBDD) and RSC.
Kim’s wheels started turning, and he saw the opportunity for a culture shift. Experience and research teach us that transition youth with the most severe disabilities have the least opportunities for career exploration and community employment. These youth are often targeted for a sheltered environment. Research further demonstrates that once an individual enters the sheltered environment, they rarely transition into community employment. Kim wanted this partnership to focus on youth as young as 14 who are eligible for CBDD services and to develop and expand services for those youth in order to ensure they too were afforded the opportunity to investigate career options and pursue community involvement. It is our belief that everyone can work.
Overview of The Bridges Model
In addition to believing everyone can work, we believe that collaboration is key. To that end, all Bridges partners are encouraged to focus on engaging individuals, families, schools and communities – including adult service agencies, employers, transportation providers and the like – in the transition process.
Every partner has the freedom to develop their project in a manner fitting their county, and we encourage “local flavor.” We know that a project in a large metropolitan area will look different than a project in a small, rural community. Additionally, some partners have subcontracted with other CBDDs in their area of the state to form partnerships of their own and further expand their abilities to serve transition youth with the most significant disabilities.
Each CBDD has a Vocational Rehabilitation Coordinator serving their county. The role of the Vocational Rehabilitation Coordinator is to: determine eligibility for Bridges; work with an RSC Counselor to determine eligibility and order of selection for RSC services; complete a comprehensive assessment of each individual and develop an Individualized Plan for Employment; coordinate the delivery of vocational rehabilitation services; engage families, schools and communities in the process. Vocational Rehabilitation Coordinators are encouraged to keep their caseloads relatively small (maximum of 40 to 60 individuals) in order to maximize the time and attention they have for each individual.
Bridges dollars are also being used to develop and expand vocational rehabilitation services. Since its inception, five Bridges partners have become Community Rehabilitation Programs, and an additional five have added services to their “menu” that focus on serving transition youth.
Current Program Partners
|
Belmont
Butler
Champaign
Clark
Clermont
Crawford
Darke
Defiance
Erie
Fairfield
Franklin
Guernsey
Hamilton
Harrison
Hocking
Huron
Jefferson
Knox
|
Licking
Logan
Marion
Miami
Noble
Ottawa
Perry
Preble
Scioto
Seneca
Shelby
Stark
Summit
Union
Van Wert
Warren
Wood
Wyandot
|
How to Get Involved
The Bridges contract is renewed annually in September, however, new partners may be added throughout the year. If you are interested in becoming a Bridges partner, please contact us by clicking here. For more information, you may also review the New Partner Guide.
Click here for the New Partner Guide.
Links and Additional Resources
Government Links
Educational Resources
Employment Resources
| 
