National Policy Development Center for Preparing Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities for Employment

Dates: 10/1/2019-9/30/2023
Funder: U.S. Dept. of Labor
Funding: $750,000
PI: Marsha Langer Ellison, Ph.D.

Description: The Transitions to Adulthood Research Center (Transitions Center) at UMass Chan Medical School is part of a new nationwide policy initiative to improve employment outcomes for teenagers and young adults with disabilities, including a focus on those with mental health disabilities.  The Council of State Governments is leading the grant in partnership with the Transitions Center and the K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Institute on Employment and Disability at Cornell University.

The Transitions Center will conduct research to develop a national portrait of how states are addressing Pre-employment Transition Services, particularly to youth with mental health conditions.  This will be followed by case studies of model states.