History/Overview

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 it’s 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.