The 2020 Federal 

Youth Transition 

Plan: A Federal 

Interagency Strategy

Prepared by the Federal 

Partners in Transition 

Workgroup 

February 2015
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THE 2020 FEDERAL YOUTH TRANSITION PLAN: A FEDERAL INTERAGENCY STRATEGY i

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The Federal Partners in Transition (FPT) is a workgroup with representatives of several federal agencies, including 

the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, and the 

Social Security Administration, which are involved in promoting inclusive service delivery for transitioning youth 

with disabilities from school into postsecondary education, the workforce, and independent living. FPT’s Strategic 

Planning Committee, which comprises career and senior executive staff from the four aforementioned federal 

agencies, developed this interagency strategy to ensure our federal programs and resources are optimized to 

support our nation’s youth and young adults with disabilities in reaching their goals of economic empowerment 

and independence. The partner agencies wish to acknowledge the national online dialogue participants and 

political and career staff for their input, dedication, and leadership throughout this process.
FEDERAL PARTNERS IN TRANSITION WORKGROUP ii

PARTICIPATING DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

Department of Education

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)1

Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE)

Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE)

Institute of Education Sciences (IES)

Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Community Living (ACL)

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Department of Labor

Employment and Training Administration (ETA)

Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)

Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

Social Security Administration

Office of Research, Demonstration, and Employment Supports (ORDES)

The 2020 Federal Youth Transition Plan: A Federal Interagency Strategy was prepared by the Federal Partners in Transition 

(FPT) Workgroup. This report is reflective of FPT’s multifaceted, cross-systems approach to provide supports and services 

to youth with disabilities and does not necessarily reflect the policies and legislative requirements of individual federal 

departments and agencies.

1 The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) reauthorizes programs previously authorized under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, including 

programs under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The new statutory provisions incorporate “independent living” into the name and mission of NIDRR (National 

Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research) and move the program’s administration from the Department of Education to the 

Administration on Community Living in the Department of Health and Human Services. In this document, the program name, NIDRR, is used to be consistent 

with the time period during which the 2020 Plan was developed. 
THE 2020 FEDERAL YOUTH TRANSITION PLAN: A FEDERAL INTERAGENCY STRATEGY iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I

PARTICIPATING DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES II

PREFACE 5

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7

INTRODUCTION: THE 2020 FEDERAL YOUTH TRANSITION PLAN, A FEDERAL INTERAGENCY 

STRATEGY 9

BACKGROUND 10

What is transition? 10

Federal Partners in Transition Workgroup 10

Assumptions 10

VISION AND COMPATIBLE OUTCOME GOALS 11

Vision 11

FPT Compatible Outcome Goals for Transition Programs and Policies 12

FPT APPROACH 14

How FPT Fosters Collaboration 14

FEDERAL INTERAGENCY STRATEGY IN ACTION 19

Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities’ (AIDD) Partnerships in 

Employment Systems Change Grants 19

Disability Employment Initiative (DEI) 19

Employment First 19

Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Other Related Disabilities 20

Medicaid & The Health Insurance Marketplaces 20

National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) Co-funded Research in Transition 21

Promoting Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income (PROMISE) 21

Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) Special Demonstration Transition Projects 22

Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) 23

Youth Transition Demonstration 23

POLICY AREAS FOR FUTURE STRATEGIC FOCUS 24

CONCLUSION 25

APPENDIX 26

List of Acronyms 26

REFERENCES 27
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THE 2020 FEDERAL YOUTH TRANSITION PLAN: A FEDERAL INTERAGENCY STRATEGY 5

PREFACE

An Inclusive Approach to Improving Transition Outcomes for Youth with Disabilities

To move toward national policies that will, by extension, lead to better outcomes for youth with disabilities2 

and others, the Federal Partners in Transition (FPT) Workgroup aims to embed equality, diversity, inclusion, and 

opportunity into its policy work. Doing so ensures our federal interagency strategy “removes disability from the 

special shelf” and reflects the underlying spirit of civil rights laws like the Individuals with Disabilities Education 

Act (IDEA), the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Rehabilitation Act), as amended by the Workforce Innovation and 

Opportunity Act 2014 (WIOA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which promote the full inclusion, 

integration, and participation of youth and adults with disabilities. Transition provisions recently enacted by WIOA 

are consistent with the principles, goals and policy priorities identified in The 2020 Federal Youth Transition Plan: A 

Federal Interagency Strategy (2020 Plan).

To move towards an inclusive approach to transition outcomes for youth with disabilities, it is important to 

understand the challenges this population faces, the various systems they can access for services and supports, 

and their experience in the wider context of youth transition. An abundance of data exists describing the 

challenges youth with disabilities confront as they prepare for adult life, but there is also significant variation in 

the consistency of the data used to estimate the total size of this population. In part, this fluctuation stems from 

the varying ways disability is defined across the public programs and statistical agencies that collect these data. In 

2012, Mathematica researchers Todd Honeycutt and Dave Wittenburg determined that the prevalence of disability 

ranges anywhere from 5 percent to nearly 14 percent of the total population of transition-age youth depending 

on the definitions and data sources used. Because of challenges inherent in quantifying the population of 

transition-age youth with disabilities and the fact that youth with disabilities are an inherent part of other specific 

youth populations such as “vulnerable” and “disconnected” youth, youth policy analysts and researchers have 

suggested developing a single overarching federal policy that addresses the challenges faced by youth in transition 

(Fernandes, 2012; Moreno, Honeycutt, McLeod, & Gill, 2013).

Understanding how multiple spheres of influence impact transition 

outcomes for youth with disabilities, FPT bases its strategy on the fact 

that youth with disabilities receive supports and services from child and 

adult service systems. In addition, they receive supports and services 

from mainstream systems as well as disability-focused systems. For 

instance, today 48 percent of students with disabilities who are served 

under IDEA are instructed in general education classrooms for at least 

80 percent of the day. Thus, general education teachers are increasingly 

responsible for educating students with disabilities (West, 2009). The 

National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2)3 collected data from 

parents and youth regarding postsecondary education for youth, ages 

17 - 21, who had exited high school. The data indicated that 55 percent 

of postsecondary students who were identified by their secondary 

schools as having a disability did not consider themselves to have a 

disability by the time they transitioned to postsecondary school. The 

NLTS2 also reported that 37 percent of postsecondary students with 

disabilities identified themselves as having a disability and informed 

their postsecondary schools of their disability. Additionally, data 

reported to the Department of Education (ED) indicate that of the 

392,200 students with disabilities, ages 14 - 21, in the United States, 

outlying areas, and freely associated states, who left school during the 

2 Youth with disabilities is defined differently by various programs and systems, including agencies contributing to The 2020 Federal Youth Transition Plan: A 

Federal Interagency Strategy. Consequently, a standard definition is not used in this report.

3 The NLTS2 is available at: http://nlts2.org/index.html.

The National Longitudinal Transition 

Study-2 (NLTS2), commissioned 

by the U.S. Department of 

Education, is a 10-year-long study 

of the characteristics, experiences, 

and outcomes of a nationally 

representative sample of youth 

with disabilities. It includes 11,270 

youth nationwide who were ages 13 

through 16 at the start of the study 

(2000). Information was collected 

over 10 years from parents, youth, 

and schools and it provided a national 

picture of the experiences and 

achievements of young people as 

they transition into early adulthood.
FEDERAL PARTNERS IN TRANSITION WORKGROUP 6

2011- 2012 school year, 250,672 (63.9 percent) exited high school with a regular high school diploma, and 80,469 

(20.5 percent) dropped out of school. The remaining 61,059 (15.6 percent) of students with disabilities, ages 14 

- 21, who left school during the 2011 - 2012 school year, were reported as having received a certificate, reached 

maximum age, or died (Department of Education, 2012).4

Regarding employment, the NLTS2 reports in 2005, 57 percent of out-of-high-school students with disabilities were 

employed compared to 66 percent of students in the general population. Young adults with disabilities earned an 

average of $10.40 per hour compared with $11.40 per hour for young adults in the general population. Although 

employment outcomes for transition-age youth with disabilities have improved over the past decade, youth with 

disabilities continue to lag behind their peers without disabilities in finding a job. In May 2014, the employment 

rate for youth with disabilities, ages 16 to 19, was 15.1 percent, as compared to 27.3 percent for their peers without 

disabilities. The employment rate for youth with disabilities, ages 20 to 24, was 30.2 percent, and 63.9 percent 

for youth without disabilities (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014). In addition to low employment rates, youth with 

disabilities frequently rely on public benefits. For example, in 2012, 1.15 million youth (ages 13 to 25) received 

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, and another 167,000 youth (age 25 and under) received Social 

Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits (Social Security Administration, 2012). 

Furthermore, up to 75 percent of youth with disabilities have hidden or non-apparent disabilities, including mental 

health needs. Hidden disabilities are not readily apparent through observation; in addition, some disabilities 

emerge in young adulthood and may not yet be recognized or acknowledged by an individual or his or her parents. 

Therefore, to ensure young people with disabilities receive continuity of service and are connected to the range of 

transition services and supports they need, ED, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Labor, 

and Social Security Administration are working together, within the parameters of their legislative authority, to 

ensure that all programs that serve youth - whether they are disability, mainstream, adult and/or child systems and 

programs - can be coordinated at the level of the individual intervention so that each person’s needs are met as 

completely as possible. 

Research also shows that larger social system factors should be taken into account when planning interventions 

because macrosystemic realities such as poverty, language, culture, and community unemployment can prevent 

diverse youth with disabilities from accessing opportunities (Trainor et al., 2008). Therefore, FPT is committed to 

promoting inclusive, comprehensive policies that ensure all youth with disabilities have access to the full range 

of both disability-related and general supports needed to reach their goals of economic empowerment and 

independence. For these reasons, FPT is committed to partnering with experts across multiple federal agencies and 

their respective programs to ensure that youth policies, programs, and services consider how multiple influences 

such as disability status, economic status, and sociocultural status impact youth in transition.

4 Consistent with 20 U.S.C. § 1418(a), States report data in what is known as the “618 data collection” using the EDFacts data system. One data element is “IDEA – 

Exiting Special Education,” under which States report the number and percentage of children with disabilities by race, ethnicity, limited English proficiency status, 

gender, and disability category, who, for each year of age from age 14 through 21, stopped receiving special education and related services because of program 

completion (including graduation with a regular secondary school diploma), or other reasons, and the reasons why those children stopped receiving special 

education and related services. 20 U.S.C. § 1418(a) (1) (A)(iv).
THE 2020 FEDERAL YOUTH TRANSITION PLAN: A FEDERAL INTERAGENCY STRATEGY 7

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

The FPT was formed in 2005 to improve interagency policy and service coordination to support all youth, including 

youth with disabilities, in successfully transitioning from school to adulthood. FPT brings together political, senior 

executive, and career staff from federal agencies across multiple systems to collaborate on transition issues. Several 

agencies’ missions limit them to serving youth with disabilities, while others provide general youth services or a 

combination of disability-related and general services. The partnership is led by co-chairs, Kathy Martinez, Assistant 

Secretary for the Office of Disability Employment Policy at the Department of Labor (DOL), and Michael K. Yudin, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the Department of 

Education (ED). In February 2013, FPT formed a Strategic Planning Committee comprising career and senior 

executive staff from the ED, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), DOL, and the Social Security 

Administration (SSA) to develop The 2020 Federal Youth Transition Plan: A Federal Interagency Strategy (2020 Plan) to 

improve transition outcomes for youth with disabilities. The 2020 Plan outlines how FPT will enhance interagency 

coordination through the identification of compatible outcome goals and policy priorities, ultimately leading to 

improved outcomes for youth with disabilities by 2020. The 2020 Plan was developed in response to the following 

recommendation from the Government Accountability Office (GAO):

“To improve the provision of transition services to students with disabilities through enhanced 

coordination among the multiple federal programs that support this population, we 

recommend that the Secretaries of Education, HHS, and Labor, and the Commissioner of SSA 

direct the appropriate program offices to work collaboratively to develop a federal interagency 

transition strategy.” (GAO, 2012)

Specifically, GAO recommended that the strategy address: 1) compatible policies, procedures, and other means 

to operate across agency boundaries towards common outcomes for transitioning youth and their families; 2) 

methods to increase awareness among students, families, high school teachers, and other service providers on 

the range of available services; and 3) ways to assess the effectiveness of federal coordination efforts in providing 

transition services. 

To develop a federal interagency strategy that works “across agency boundaries toward common outcomes” as 

recommended by GAO, FPT adopted the following shared vision. 

Our vision is that all youth programs are based on universal design principles5

 so that youth, 

regardless of their individual challenges, including disability, are equipped to pursue a 

self-directed pathway to address their interests, aspirations, and goals across all transition 

domains including community engagement, education, employment, health, and independent 

living that will ultimately result in positive, everyday social inclusion.

Consistent with GAO’s recommendation to improve the provision of transition services through enhanced 

coordination and compatible policies among the multiple federal programs that support transitioning youth with 

disabilities and their families, and using the shared vision as our guide, FPT also identified five compatible outcome 

goals. These five goals operate across agency boundaries and will underpin the overall federal interagency strategy 

moving forward. 

5 Universal design is defined as the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for 

adaptation or specialized design. Retrieved from http://www.ncwd-youth.info/taxonomy/term/837.
FEDERAL PARTNERS IN TRANSITION WORKGROUP 8

To support positive outcomes for youth with disabilities, FPT is committed to partnering with experts across 

multiple federal agencies and their respective programs, including both disability and mainstream programs, to 

ensure that they are universally designed and accessible. As a result, youth with disabilities and all youth will have 

an equal opportunity to: 

• Access health care services and integrated work-based experiences in high school to better understand 

how to manage their physical, mental, and emotional well-being, to enhance their job-readiness skills and 

career planning, and to make a successful transition from school to work and greater independence; 

• Develop self-determination and engage in self-directed individualized planning to prepare them for 

postsecondary education, health care management, vocational training, and/or employment; 

• Be connected to programs, services, activities, information, and supports for which they are eligible that 

prepare them to self-manage their health and wellness, pursue meaningful careers, become financially literate 

and capable, and make informed choices about their lives; 

• Develop leadership and advocacy skills needed to exercise informed decision-making and personal and 

community leadership; and

• Have involvement from families and other caring adults with high expectations to support them in 

achieving their goals. 

Additionally, the 2020 Plan highlights FPT’s shared vision and current federal cross-systems initiatives that align 

with compatible outcome goals, as well as policy priorities that will inform FPT’s work going forward. The FPT 

timeline for achieving the five compatible outcome goals is 2020.
THE 2020 FEDERAL YOUTH TRANSITION PLAN: A FEDERAL INTERAGENCY STRATEGY 9

INTRODUCTION: THE 2020 FEDERAL YOUTH 

TRANSITION PLAN, A FEDERAL INTERAGENCY 

STRATEGY

“We found interagency coordination is enhanced by having a clear and compelling rationale 

for staff to work across agency lines and articulate the common federal outcomes they are 

seeking.” (GAO, 2012)

The purpose of the 2020 Federal Youth Transition Plan: A Federal Interagency Strategy (2020 Plan) is to enhance 

interagency coordination, to develop compatible goals to improve outcomes for youth with disabilities in 

transition, and to help agencies approach transition in a more integrated way that will lead to improved outcomes 

by 2020. The 2020 Plan is intended to be the blueprint for the Federal Partners in Transition (FPT) Workgroup to 

carry out its efforts in response to the following recommendation from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) 

for executive action:

“To improve the provision of transition services to students with disabilities through 

enhanced coordination among the multiple federal programs that support this population, 

the Secretaries of Education, HHS, and Labor, and the Commissioner of SSA should direct the 

appropriate program offices to work collaboratively to develop a federal interagency transition 

strategy. This strategy should address: 1. compatible policies, procedures, and other means 

to operate across agency boundaries towards common outcomes for transitioning youth 

and their families; 2. methods to increase awareness among students, families, high school 

teachers, and other service providers on the range of available transition services; and 3. ways 

to assess the effectiveness of federal coordination efforts in providing transition services. To the 

extent that legislative changes are needed to facilitate the implementation of this transition 

strategy, agencies should identify and communicate them to the Congress.”

The 2020 Plan consists of five additional sections. The first is a Background section, which includes a working 

definition of the term transition for the purposes of the 2020 Plan, describes the history of FPT, and discusses the 

assumptions that form an underlying foundation in carrying out our work. The second is a Vision and Compatible 

Outcome Goals section, which communicates FPT’s shared vision, vision themes, and compatible outcome goals 

used to frame coordination across our federal agencies and respective programs. The third is an FPT Approach

section, which discusses the positive impact of cross-systems coordination on youth’s outcomes and describes the 

mixed methodology FPT employed in conducting its work. This work involved obtaining public input; obtaining 

information from agency experts; examining agencies’ policies, procedures, and programs; and collaborating to 

share cross-systems expertise and establishing subgroups. The fourth is a Federal Interagency Strategy in Action

section, which provides examples of current federal cross-systems initiatives that support the FPT compatible 

outcome goals. The fifth and final section is a Policy Areas for Future Strategic Focus section, which highlights 

the policy priorities that will inform FPT’s work going forward.
FEDERAL PARTNERS IN TRANSITION WORKGROUP 10

BACKGROUND 

What is transition?

The transition from youth to adulthood is critical for every young 

person. This is particularly true for young people with disabilities. 

Ideally, during the transition years, youth acquire knowledge and 

learn important skills they will need to maximize their independence 

and self-sufficiency in their communities. This process involves 

multiple domains including community engagement, education, 

employment, health, and independent living. It includes accessing 

educational opportunities including vocational training, obtaining 

employment, finding stable housing, and accessing health care and 

other resources to support their future planning and development 

into adulthood. Comprehensive access to these supports often 

requires that youth have accurate information and that strong crossagency collaboration exists among youth service delivery systems, 

among adult service delivery systems, and between youth and adult 

service delivery systems. Without these networks and resources, 

individual youth, particularly those with disabilities, are at risk for 

poorer outcomes as they transition into adulthood. 

What is transition? Transition is the period 

of time when adolescents are moving into 

adulthood and are often concerned with 

planning for postsecondary education, 

careers, health care, financial benefits, 

housing, and more. Research shows 

that regardless of eligibility and access 

challenges, there is a need to provide 

continuity of service for youth from ages 

14 or 16 to ages 25 or 30 across child - 

and adult - service systems (Altschuler, 

2005; Davis, n.d.; Davis & Sondheimer, 

2005; Hoffman, Heflinger, Athay, & Davis, 

2009; Manteuffel, Stephens, Sondheimer, 

& Fisher, 2008; Stewart et al., 2010).

Federal Partners in Transition Workgroup 

First formed in 2005 to improve interagency coordination across the disability-related and general service systems, 

FPT convenes political, senior executive, and career staff from federal agencies including but not limited to ED, HHS, 

DOL, SSA, Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), and Department of Transportation (DOT). The 

partnership is led by co-chairs Kathy Martinez, Assistant Secretary for the Office of Disability Employment Policy at 

DOL, and Michael K. Yudin, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services 

at ED. By improving our understanding of each other’s missions, research areas, policies, program practices, and 

research-based and evidence-based practices, FPT members are collaborating to develop processes, strategies, 

and solutions to support youth with disabilities, in creating an informed, self-directed pathway across all transition 

domains - as students, workers, parents, and community members. 

Assumptions

The FPT interagency strategy is based on the following two assumptions:

• Each of the federal agencies and their respective programs contribute to positive transition outcomes in 

different ways within the context of their own unique programs’ missions and statutory mandates. Although 

the agencies differ in terms of approach and terminology, targeted populations, and even the “way of doing 

business,” much of the work is in fact complementary.

• Each agency, within the bounds of statutory authority, will continue to collaborate, coordinate, and contribute 

collectively to meeting the compatible outcome goals; and is committed and accountable to meet one or more 

goals. Most of these goals apply across youth transition programs and policies, regardless of systems.
THE 2020 FEDERAL YOUTH TRANSITION PLAN: A FEDERAL INTERAGENCY STRATEGY 11

VISION AND COMPATIBLE OUTCOME GOALS 

To respond to GAO’s recommendation, the strategic planning committee identified both a shared vision and a set of 

compatible outcome goals that will help guide future work by aligning programs and policies.

Vision

As the first step in developing a federal interagency strategy that works across agency boundaries and toward a 

common outcome, FPT adopted the following shared vision, which communicates the overarching desire for what 

FPT partners want for all youth transitioning to adulthood. 

Our vision is that all youth programs are based on universal design principles so that youth, 

regardless of their individual challenges, including disability, are equipped to pursue a 

self-directed pathway to address their interests, aspirations, and goals across all transition 

domains including community engagement, education, employment, health, and independent 

living that will ultimately result in positive, everyday social inclusion.

This federal interagency strategy focuses on the role of the federal government and FPT. Realizing this vision will 

require strong partnerships with other federal interagency workgroups, with state, local, tribal, and private sectors, 

as well as with youth with disabilities and their families as was stated in the Interagency Working Group on Youth 

Program’s 2013 report, entitled Pathways for Youth: Draft Strategic Plan for Federal Collaboration.

6

 

Vision Themes

To the extent that individual agencies have the capacity and flexibility to do so within existing statutory and resource 

constraints, FPT has identified the following themes to influence policy development, inform strategic direction, and 

drive long-term goals related to transition outcomes moving forward.

• Begin with the end user in mind - Youth with disabilities and their families are the primary stakeholders. They 

can affect or be affected by federally funded programs and policies. Therefore, youth and their families must be 

engaged in all stages of program and policy development. 

• Strength-based research, policies, and practices - Transition services should be grounded in 

research-based and evidence-based practices that are inclusive, accessible, and strength-based to 

improve individual experiences for youth who have been historically underrepresented and economically 

disadvantaged. This includes youth who may be culturally and linguistically diverse, as well as LGBT youth. 

Given that additional research is foundational to making improvements across the systems and services, there is 

a need for continued national research studies to examine models that work and outcomes that matter.

• Universal Design for Learning7 - Environments, products, and communication as well as programs, services, 

and activities designed with an inclusive spirit and universal design for learning structure are fundamentally 

beneficial for all youth and adult programs, and thus, for all individuals regardless of disability status. It is 

important to note, however, that certain entitlement programs for youth with disabilities are means-tested, 

have other strict disability-related requirements, and are intended by law to serve a targeted group of 

individuals. 

• Set high expectations - Encourage self-determination and begin transition planning for youth with disabilities 

as early as possible to support a self-directed pathway to achieve optimal health and wellness, academic 

achievements, career goals and occupational planning, integrated employment, community inclusion, and 

independent living.

• Options to live successfully in the community - Youth with disabilities will not need to choose between 

work and health care supports to live successfully in the community. 

6 The Pathways for Youth: Draft Strategic Plan for Federal Collaboration report is available at: http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/pathways-for-youth.

7 Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is defined as a framework for designing educational environments that help all students gain knowledge, skills, and 

enthusiasm for learning. Retrieved from http://www.ncwd-youth.info/taxonomy/term/839.
FEDERAL PARTNERS IN TRANSITION WORKGROUP 12

• Person-centered planning - Transition planning should be self-directed and strength-based with youth taking 

on increasingly greater decision-making and leadership roles as they move towards adulthood. 

• High-quality professional development for youth service professionals - Youth service professionals 

must have access to high-quality professional development opportunities to ensure that they acquire the 

required competencies to effectively serve youth with disabilities.

• Continuity of service and access to information - The transition process is multifaceted. No one person, 

institution, or organization acting alone can provide all the supports and services needed. Therefore, FPT 

acknowledges that collaboration and coordination across systems, both disability-related and general, are 

imperative in providing continuity of service and access to information for youth and young adults.

FPT Compatible Outcome Goals for Transition Programs and Policies 

To respond to GAO’s recommendation to develop a coordinated federal interagency strategy, FPT initially 

conducted resource mapping to identify existing policies, programs, and outcome measures related to transition. 

We agreed that our approach to the mapping should be inclusive, recognizing that any federal program with a 

stated goal to serve all youth should be accessible to those with disabilities. For example, a program designed to 

prevent all teen pregnancy should be universally designed to ensure that young people with disabilities benefit 

from it. We mapped from the position that youth with disabilities are, first and foremost, youth, and that all youth 

programs and services should be both available to, and inclusive of, youth with disabilities. Preliminary review of 

these policies, program practices, and outcome measures generated the shared vision statement that expresses our 

hope for universal design principles to be applied to all youth programs in the future. Using the vision statement 

as a springboard, we then developed the following five compatible outcome goals that will operate across agency 

boundaries to improve transition outcomes for all youth with disabilities. 

These compatible outcome goals reflect our belief that federal programs serving all youth transitioning to adult life 

should be universally designed and accessible in order to ensure that youth with disabilities and others have the 

equal opportunity to: 

• Access health care services and integrated work-based experiences in high school to better understand 

how to manage their physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and to enhance their job-readiness skills and 

career planning. Research shows that having a competitive paid job during secondary school is the strongest 

predictor of job success after graduation (Colley and Jamison, 1998; Luecking and Fabian, 2000; Wagner et al. 

2005). Furthermore, according to the 2011 - 2012 National Survey of Children’s Health, 25.1 percent of children 

ages 12-17 have special health care needs (McManus et al, 2013). Youth with disabilities have been shown to 

have greater medical needs than their peers without disabilities and depend on a range of health care services 

for normal functioning and healthy development (Newacheck & Kim 2005; White, 2002; Zwerling, Whitten, & 

Sprince, 2002).

• Develop self-determination and engage in self-directed individualized planning to prepare youth with 

disabilities for postsecondary education, health care management, vocational training, and/or employment. 

Research shows that such transition plans should be built from a comprehensive strength-based assessment 

that identifies the youth’s skills and developmental levels, goals, and future objectives (Hagner, Malloy, 

Mazzone, & Cormier, 2008; Podmostko, 2007; Walters, et al. 2011). By gradually shifting responsibility for healthrelated tasks at a developmentally appropriate time, youth gain the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary 

to independently navigate the adult health care system successfully. The services provided should be “flexible, 

supportive, and customizable to individual needs” (Manteuffel, Stephens, Sondheimer & Fisher, 2008).

• Be connected to programs, services, activities, 

information, and supports for which they are eligible 

that prepare them to self-manage their health and wellness,

pursue meaningful careers, become financially literate and 

capable, and make informed choices about their lives. This 

includes ensuring that existing mainstream youth transition

programs integrate youth with disabilities in their services, 

FPT will continue to broaden local partnerships 

that provide youth with disabilities with 

transition supports such as schools, 

parent organizations, and employment 

networks, by working with communities. 
THE 2020 FEDERAL YOUTH TRANSITION PLAN: A FEDERAL INTERAGENCY STRATEGY 13

activities, information, and supports. Research shows that collaboration across systems serving youth with 

disabilities is an identified need (Osgood et al., 2010). For instance, studies show that when individuals receive 

support by multiple systems such as employment, transportation, and housing this will have direct and indirect 

impact on their health and access to care (Bean, 2013, Lindsay, 2011).

• Develop leadership and advocacy skills needed to exercise informed decision-making and personal and 

community leadership. These opportunities are key in transferring decision-making power to youth. Research 

shows that peer-to-peer mentoring and promoting youth leadership can help support youth move toward 

employment (Podmostko, 2007). 

• Have involvement from families and other caring adults with high expectations to support them in 

achieving these goals. To achieve this, FPT will partner with families and other adults to ensure they have the 

information and supports they need to access appropriate services for youth in planning their future.

Research shows that youth with disabilities and their families need 

supports to help them navigate services available, both within each 

system and across the systems (Heflinger & Hoffman, 2008; Podmostko, 

2007; Stewart et al., 2010). In a qualitative study of youth with 

disabilities involved in the U.S. Social Security Administration’s Youth in 

Transition Demonstration, one-on-one relationships with counselors 

were vital to maintaining youth’s drive to find work and to navigate 

“the system” (O’Day, 2012). Furthermore, family involvement can help 

promote positive school outcomes by helping to build strengths in 

youth with disabilities as they access employment information and 

assistance in accessing additional supports (Podmostko, 2007).

Becoming financially literate and capable 

is not only desirable; it is often a way 

out of poverty. Counseling is vital when 

educating youth and their families 

about how work impacts benefits and 

how supports can continue while youth 

and young adults with disabilities 

transition to financial independence.

The Case for Collaboration

Given the complex needs of youth with disabilities and their families, policymakers and other professionals 

have stressed the importance of adopting broad-based partnerships across both disability-related and 

general systems that serve youth and young adults to ensure that youth in transition have access to a 

comprehensive set of services and supports to help them develop the skills they will need to manage their 

life, health and wellness; graduate from high school; access postsecondary education; and secure meaningful 

employment at a family-sustaining wage with pathways to career advancement. Second, it has also become 

evident that cross-agency strategies and practices are needed for performance design planning; collecting 

and using data; performance accountability; and the implementation of programs and services at the federal, 

state, and local levels. FPT understands that no single system or agency is responsible for providing all the 

necessary supports to help youth develop those skills; rather, as youth move from the classroom into the 

workplace, they often need to access services from several different agencies at one time in order to have 

their needs met. Therefore, FPT recognizes that cross-agency coordination and collaboration are needed both 

within and across child-and adult-service systems in order to effectively meet the diverse and complex needs 

of transitioning youth with disabilities. 
FEDERAL PARTNERS IN TRANSITION WORKGROUP 14

FPT APPROACH

How FPT Fosters Collaboration

To carry out a federal interagency strategy, FPT is using a multistep approach. Figure I below highlights the 

strategies used.

Figure I. FPT Approach

Identification of 

legislative barriers to 

effectively implement 

transition services

Description of methods 

and strategies to 

develop compatible 

outcome goals for 

transition programs

Identification of 

strategies and tools to 

develop and use a single 

system for assessment 

of the effectiveness of 

transition programs

Review of strategies 

for each agency to 

share pertinent data 

across programs

Obtaining Public 

Input and Gathering 

Supporting 

Documentation 

(i.e., national online 

dialogue) 

Examining Agencies’ 

Policies, Procedures, 

and Programs (i.e., 

agencies’ program goals 

and youth transition 

frameworks)

Collaborating to Share Administrative, Research, 

Evaluation, and Program Data

Obtaining Public Input 

To address GAO’s point regarding statutory and regulatory barriers and to achieve the Administration’s 

commitment to “creating an unprecedented level of openness in government,” in May 2013, FPT hosted a two-week, 

national online dialogue, “Join the Conversation for Change: Help shape federal agency strategies for helping youth 

and young adults with disabilities successfully transition from school to work.” Policymakers, service providers, 

advocates, youth, and others were invited to examine the impact of existing federal regulations and legislation 

on the successful transition from school to work of youth with disabilities. During the two-week dialogue, more 

than 3,000 participants contributed 355 ideas, more than 1,600 comments, and close to 10,000 votes. Visitors were 

given an opportunity to “vote” for ideas, which helped organize public input to determine possible solutions to 

ensure that youth with disabilities benefit from federal resources to realize their goals of economic empowerment 

and maximum independence. The results of the dialogue, which informed the FPT’s compatible outcome goals as 

well as the policy priorities the agencies have identified in this report will continue to be a focal point for future 

activities. The Federal Partners in Transition National Online Dialogue Participation Metrics Final Report8 outlines the 

results of the dialogue. Figure II below highlights the most popular ideas9

 the national online dialogue’s participants 

provided for each campaign. 

8 The Federal Partners in Transition National Online Dialogue Participation Metrics Final Report is available at: http://fptepolicyworks.ideascale.com/communitylibrary/accounts/90/909643/FPT-National-Dialogue-Metrics-Report_September-2013-FINAL-a.pdf. 

9 These direct quotes are from the national online dialogue.
THE 2020 FEDERAL YOUTH TRANSITION PLAN: A FEDERAL INTERAGENCY STRATEGY 15

Figure II. Most Popular Ideas Related to Statutory and Regulatory Barriers, and Solutions for Each Campaign10

Campaigns Most Popular Ideas

Education Lower Age for Starting Transition 

“The age to begin transition service planning should be lowered back to 14, or 

sooner. Waiting to age 16 to initiate planning is too late.”

Employment Make Adult Services Transferable Between States

“Currently, if a person who continues to need employment support is funded for 

that support in one state, parents are unable to leave that state without losing 

that support. A move can mean going to the end of a very long waiting list. IEPs10 

transfer from state to state. Adult services should, also.”

Health and Human 

Services

No Waiting for Services for Individuals with Disabilities

“Individuals with disabilities should not be on waiting lists for 8 years before they 

receive assistance. There should be a NO WAIT IN ANY STATE POLICY for services for 

individuals with disabilities.”

Social Security Ability to Save for a Child

“As a parent, the responsible thing to do for my daughter is to save money in a 

college fund for her. However, because she is a minor, the account should legally 

be in my name. According to current SSI and Medicaid guidelines, I cannot have 

more than $1,500 between my checking and savings account so it is impossible 

for me to save money for her. Of course, I know there are ways around this but it 

should not be difficult for me to do the same thing an able-bodied parent can do 

at the drop of a hat.”

Gathering Supporting Documentation

In addition to what we learned from the national online dialogue, FPT member agencies consulted with their 

internal experts to ensure that the lessons learned from current practice and the results of our respective research 

inform execution of this 2020 Plan. FPT also examined proposals that, if adopted, represent further opportunities to 

work collaboratively across our agencies, two examples of which are featured below: 

• The Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 President’s budget calls for $5 million in first-time funding under the Department 

of Health and Human Services’ Administration on Community Living for a Youth Transitions Initiative. This 

funding would address the comprehensive needs of youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities 

as they transition from adolescence into young adult life across all systems - health, education, employment, 

human services, and community living. Federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies that contribute as 

barriers to employment for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) will be identified and 

plans will be developed to deconstruct such barriers, and implement cross-agency programs to produce better 

outcomes for youth in transition.

• The FY 2015 President’s Budget calls for the reauthorization of modified demonstration project authority 

under Section 234 of the Social Security Act for SSDI and conforming changes to SSI demonstration authority, 

in tandem with a detailed description of three potential early intervention pilots. This initiative would allow 

partnerships with other federal agencies in implementation, as appropriate. 

10 IEPs stand for Individualized Education Programs
FEDERAL PARTNERS IN TRANSITION WORKGROUP 16

Examining Agencies’ Policies, Procedures, and Programs - The First Step Towards 

Developing Compatible Outcome Goals

To address GAO’s recommendation regarding development of compatible policies supporting common outcomes 

for transitioning youth and their families, FPT’s strategic planning committee has worked closely with its partners 

both within and across the departments and agencies to examine agencies’ policies, procedures, and programs 

through the use of resource-mapping activities. Having this basic knowledge about how the agencies operate 

in terms of eligibility requirements, program goals, allowable activities, and outcome measures is foundational 

to our ultimate goal of better aligning programs and policies to create a more seamless, coordinated transition 

system. To develop the compatible outcome goals mentioned in the Vision and Compatible Outcome Goals 

section, FPT relied on the knowledge base about what transition supports youth with disabilities need, keeping 

in mind that they are first and foremost youth and that all youth programs should be available to and inclusive of 

youth with disabilities. In addition, to provide organizational structure, FPT also examined a variety of the agencies’ 

research-based and evidence-based youth transition frameworks in light of the following criteria to select a youth 

transition framework that: 1) had been adopted and implemented by federal partners across systems; 2) had 

been designed to ensure that all youth, including those with disabilities, receive a “continuum of service” across 

agency boundaries; and 3) included multiple transition domains, accounting for each agencies’ program goals and 

statutory requirements. 

Because the Guideposts for Success11 (Guideposts) framework was used to gather information for ED’s Office of 

Special Education and Rehabilitative Services’ Promoting Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income 

(PROMISE) initiative as well as to shape recent service delivery, policy, and technical assistance efforts related 

to other youth with disabilities initiatives (e.g., DOL’s Disability Employment Initiative and SSA’s Youth Transition 

Demonstration), FPT used the five elements from the Guideposts as an organizational framework to develop 

the compatible outcome goals. In so concluding, the strategic planning committee noted that there were 

commonalities that existed between the Guideposts and other youth transition frameworks.

12

The Guideposts were designed based on the assumption that no single agency can meet all the transition needs 

of youth with disabilities, and that extensive collaborative partnerships are needed to ensure “continuum of 

service” across agency boundaries. Given their focus on achieving comprehensive service delivery by working 

across systems, the Guideposts provide an organizational framework through which we can demonstrate how our 

agencies’ efforts and program goals are compatible, contribute to our shared vision for youth, and address the 

needs of youth with disabilities, many of which they have in common with other youth. 

Collaborating to Share Administrative, Research, Evaluation and Program Data 

To address GAO’s recommendation regarding assessment of program effectiveness, in fall 2013, the National 

Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth), a National Technical Assistance and 

Demonstration Center on Preparing Youth with Disabilities for Employment funded by the Office of Disability 

Employment Policy (ODEP), conducted an extensive analysis of transition-related outcome measures and metrics 

and created a matrix of those sources, entitled the Crosswalk of Youth Progress and Outcome Measures for 

Transition. This work examined: 1) individual client progress and outcomes; 2) use of common definitions; 3) 

program design and systems improvement measures; and 4) professional development strategies across systems. 

The overall goal of this work is to develop, in collaboration with our agency partners, their technical experts, and 

other experts in the field, a framework to improve transition-related data collection, data sharing, and use among 

providers, programs, systems, and policymakers at the local, state, and national levels, as well as with governmental 

11 The Guideposts for Success framework, developed by the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth), in collaboration with the 

Office of Disability Employment Policy, reflects what research identifies as key educational and career development interventions that make a positive difference 

in the lives of all youth, including youth with disabilities including: (a) school-based preparatory experiences, (b) career preparation and work-based learning 

experiences, (c) youth development and leadership, (d) connecting activities, and (e) family engagement. The Guideposts for Success are available at: 

http://www.ncwd-youth.info/guideposts.

12 The National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center Cross-referencing the Taxonomy for Transition Programming with NASET National Standards & 

Quality Indicators and Guideposts for Success for Transition-Age Youth is available at: http://www.nsttac.org/sites/default/files/assets/pdf/pdf/capacity_building/

CrosswalkTaxonomy.pdf.
THE 2020 FEDERAL YOUTH TRANSITION PLAN: A FEDERAL INTERAGENCY STRATEGY 17

and nongovernmental organizations across multiple systems. The information and measures ultimately gleaned 

through this effort will provide valuable information, which will assist the agencies in their decision-making 

regarding how best to assess the effectiveness of their transition-related programs and services, particularly 

discretionary ones, where the agencies have more flexibility. 

Initial efforts related to data sharing focused on learning from our agency partners where such sharing is already 

occurring, and on barriers that might impede data sharing. One example of a federal data sharing agreement 

is the one between SSA and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to determine to what 

extent CNCS impacts people in their programs, including youth with disabilities who are recipients of SSI and 

SSDI. No personally identifiable information is shared between CNCS and SSA. Another example is an agreement 

between ED and SSA which established procedures and conditions under which SSA and ED will continue to share 

aggregated information from certain SSA and ED databases. This information sharing will help agencies better 

address critical issues pertaining to individuals with disabilities, including the employment of youth and adults with 

disabilities.

GAO encouraged data sharing as a means to more effective interagency collaboration. For instance, GAO indicated 

that interagency working group members should identify and share relevant performance data in order to 

coordinate their efforts (GAO, 2014). In particular, data sharing enables agencies to extend their combined reach 

across systems and move beyond individual program-specific interventions. In addition, agencies could share 

“interoperable, open-source analytical tools and techniques” that streamline data collection and management 

efforts into a single system for use by multiple agencies (GAO, 2013). 

However, the Government Data Sharing Community of Practice forum participants also raised immediate 

challenges to federal data sharing (GAO, 2014). For example, the lack of uniform data standards across agencies 

complicates the interaction of separate data sets. Moving to a standardized system could also prove costly to 

procure and implement even if the long-term cost-saving benefits are clear. In the case of delivering human 

services, GAO recommended several best practices from 35 stakeholders, including providing multiagency 

guidance on permissible data sharing and showcasing model data-sharing agreements in compliance with privacy 

regulations. Many proponents urge agencies to strike a balance through sharing enough systems and data to see 

the big picture without sacrificing government flexibility or individual agency missions. With regard to research 

data, agencies must qualify for a restricted use data license, establish a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), limit 

the number of staff that can access the data, and follow strict security guidelines in order to obtain the use of 

restricted research data collected through large-scale federal surveys. Most of these steps are required to protect 

the personally identifiable information stored by the federal government, and all agencies understand the vital 

need to protect the personal data of those we serve. FPT plans to move forward on data sharing by fostering the 

collaboration necessary to promote effective and secure data sharing. 

 To further explore opportunities to share data across federal agencies and programs, FPT established a program 

and research data subgroup, comprising experts in program data and research data across different systems 

and fields. The program and research data subgroup will gather program- and research-related data information 

from across the partner agencies. To broaden the scope of this research and data collection effort, a Transition 

Research Inventory form was developed that captures youth-related data and research findings that are not directly 

connected to specific agency programs and offers supplemental research-based knowledge related to youth issues. 

Once this task is completed, the program and research subgroup will identify the opportunities and challenges 

associated with data sharing and carefully consider how and to what extent data collection between FPT partner 

agencies can and should be enhanced. Some of the questions the subgroup will continue to explore include: 

• What are the challenges in supporting state and local programs in collaborating on the development of 

performance measurement systems?

• What benefits would result from this effort?

• What will it take to effectively support state and local entities to develop, implement, and use performance 

measurement systems in the improvement of programs and services?
FEDERAL PARTNERS IN TRANSITION WORKGROUP 18

• What are the essential components for achieving results?

- For all youth and specific subpopulations, such as youth with disabilities, foster care youth, and juvenile 

justice youth?

- Within and across systems?

• How can progress and outcome measures help improve interagency collaboration?

Each of these aforementioned strategies has provided FPT with insight on multiple levels and enhanced our 

knowledge and coordination across systems. The process led to continuous, candid dialogue among the partners 

and fostered a climate of cooperation and mutual benefit among the agencies. The preparation of this 2020 Plan 

and our other activities are designed to ultimately lead to improved interagency collaboration and, by extension, 

positive transition outcomes for youth with disabilities by 2020. 
THE 2020 FEDERAL YOUTH TRANSITION PLAN: A FEDERAL INTERAGENCY STRATEGY 19

FEDERAL INTERAGENCY STRATEGY IN ACTION

Below are existing priorities, initiatives, and cross-agency activities that are aligned with our compatible outcome 

goals: 

Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities’ (AIDD) Partnerships in 

Employment Systems Change Grants

The AIDD Partnerships in Employment Systems Change Grants13 are funded under Projects of National Significance. 

These eight grantees have partnered with state agencies, including the state Department of Education, State 

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), State agency delivering Developmental Disabilities (DD) Medicaid Services, and the 

State DD Councils, to form a consortium that will develop and conduct initiatives designed to improve employment 

outcomes, expand competitive employment in integrated settings, and improve statewide system policies 

and practices for youth and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). In addition, a 

Community of Practice project serves additional states. The goal of the project is to build capacity, reform delivery 

systems, and improve strategies related to competitive integrated employment. This work leverages expertise 

from ODEP’s Employment First Initiative and the State Employment Leadership Network, and is a partnership of 

the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disability Services and the Institute for Community 

Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Disability Employment Initiative (DEI)

DEI14 seeks to improve education, training, and employment opportunities and outcomes of youth and adults with 

disabilities who are unemployed, underemployed, and/or receiving Social Security disability benefits. The DEI is 

jointly funded and administered by DOL’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and ODEP. DEI improves 

collaboration among employment and training and asset development programs implemented at state and local 

levels, including SSA’s Ticket to Work Program, and builds effective partnerships that leverage resources to better 

serve individuals with disabilities. Because expanding the workforce investment system’s capacity to serve as 

Employment Networks for SSA disability beneficiaries is a primary goal of the grant, DOL also works closely with 

SSA in implementing it. Since 2010, DOL has awarded over $81 million in grants to 26 states through the initiative. 

DEI Projects focus on either adults or youth in order to develop and refine replicable models. Youth-related DEI 

Projects must implement a service delivery strategy consistent with the Guideposts. 

Employment First 

ODEP investments in Employment First15 have fostered strong interagency collaboration on a focused goal at the 

state and the federal level to promote integrated employment as the preferred outcome of day and employment 

services for individuals with the most significant disabilities. The Employment First State Leadership Mentoring 

Program (EFSLMP) is a cross-disability, cross-systems change initiative focused primarily on helping various publicly 

financed systems at the state level forge strong partnerships in supporting a common customer to achieve success 

in integrated employment through the alignment of policy, funding, and service delivery strategies. Participating 

states must commit to having, at a minimum, the following state agencies engaged in the EFSLMP: education, I/

DD adult services, Medicaid, mental health, VR, and workforce investment. States typically have an independent 

division of I/DD services, or it is housed as a subdivision of a state’s Medicaid agency or Department of Health and 

Human Services. ODEP has utilized the observations from working with 32 state teams to educate policymakers 

across the federal government, sharing information on existing federal public policies that either enhance or 

impede state Employment First systems-change efforts. These activities have helped inform the work of the Federal 

Interagency Community Employment Working Group, as well as helped inform the development of policy guidance 

and recommendations to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), ETA, and ED’s Rehabilitation 

13 Information on AIDD Partnerships in Employment Systems Change Grants is available at: http://www.acl.gov/Programs/AIDD/Programs/PNS/Resources/

PartnershipsInEmplSystemsChangeGrants.aspx.

14 Information on DEI is available at: http://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/DEI.htm.

15 Information on Employment First is available at: http://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/EmploymentFirst.htm
FEDERAL PARTNERS IN TRANSITION WORKGROUP 20

Services Administration (RSA). In 2014, ODEP will be embarking on the development of a National Employment 

First Strategic Policy Framework, which will embed cross-systems approaches and strategies for ensuring a solid 

policy framework focused on optimizing improved, integrated employment outcomes for citizens with significant 

disabilities. 

Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Other Related Disabilities 

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA’s) Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) funds 

43 Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LENDs) training programs in 39 

states to improve the health of infants, children, and adolescents who have, or are at risk for developing, 

neurodevelopmental and other related disabilities by preparing trainees from a wide array of professional 

disciplines to assume leadership roles and ensure high levels of interdisciplinary clinical competence and a 

culturally diverse workforce. Many LEND programs promote effective transition consultation for students in the 

health, education, and employment realms even though their core mission is to provide clinical interdisciplinary 

leadership training to health practitioners and families. The LENDs, in conjunction with AIDD-funded University 

Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) participate in multi-agency efforts to work 

to improve the service system for youth and young adults with disabilities. An example of such efforts is the 

Partnerships for Employment project, funded by the Administration for Community Living, which is working with 

eight states to improve employment outcomes for youth and young adults with I/DD. 

Another example of multi-agency collaboration is the Family-Centered Transition Project,

16 which has received 

funding from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) in ED’s Office of Special 

Education and Rehabilitative Services. In 2013, the LENDs and UCEDDs, with the Association of University Centers 

on Disability (AUCD), produced a report entitled, A Collaborative Interagency, Interdisciplinary Approach to 

Transition from Adolescence to Adulthood,

17 to highlight the interagency and interdisciplinary approaches that will 

facilitate effective transition process for youth with disabilities from adolescence to young adulthood. 

Medicaid & The Health Insurance Marketplaces

The Affordable Care Act greatly improves the access of young adults to health care insurance through Medicaid18

expansion in a number of states and the extension of dependent eligibility to age 26 in private employer insurance 

plans. Moreover, for youth in transition, who may be just starting out with income above the level of Medicaid 

eligibility, the Health Insurance Marketplaces provide a key potential source of insurance coverage for this 

population. Coverage purchased through the Marketplaces no longer has any lifetime or annual caps on essential 

health benefits and preexisting conditions exclusions have been eliminated. Removing such obstacles to coverage 

is particularly important to young adults with disabilities. Plans sold through the Marketplaces must also offer a 

core set of benefits known as the essential health benefits including pediatric services, mental health services and 

habilitation and rehabilitation services, among others. Young adults in transition, either by themselves or with their 

families, can confidently purchase coverage through the Marketplaces and receive financial assistance knowing that 

they will be able to access the services they need, when they need them. There are ongoing initiatives to educate 

this population on these benefits and support their access to quality health care. At the same time, innovations in 

clinical care, education, policy, and research are needed.

Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that is partially funded by the federal government and administered 

by states. Through various programmatic authorities, it provides states with opportunities to promote employment 

and successful community living for youth in transition. In addition, states have opportunities to test innovative 

strategies and transform their long-term care systems through demonstration waivers or increased funding 

within Affordable Care Act provisions. States also have the opportunity to promote employment and successful 

community living through the Medicaid Buy-In program, which permits states to allow higher income limits or no 

16 Information on The Family-Centered Transition Project is available at: http://iod.unh.edu/Projects/fctp/project_description.aspx.

17 A Collaborative Interagency, Interdisciplinary Approach to Transition from Adolescence to Adulthood Report is available at: http://www.aucd.org/docs/

publications/transition2013_full_sm2.pdf.

18 Information on Medicaid is available at: http://www.medicaid.gov/.
THE 2020 FEDERAL YOUTH TRANSITION PLAN: A FEDERAL INTERAGENCY STRATEGY 21

income limits for working individuals with disabilities, including youth in transition with disabilities. Forty-six states 

currently have Medicaid Buy-In programs. 

As noted earlier, Employment First’s activities have created opportunities to promote health care transition planning 

as it relates to employment by asking participating states to include Medicaid agencies as one of the required 

partners and working closely with CMS, ETA, and RSA. Furthermore, given that the ability to manage one’s health is 

critical to going to school, learning, and transitioning into employment, ODEP established an alliance with the HSC 

Foundation’s Youth Transition Collaborative and HHS’ MCHB funded Center for Health Care Transition Improvement 

in April 2014. Recognizing the opportunities to transform health care transition planning through the Affordable 

Care Act, the alliance aims to provide stakeholders with information, technical assistance, and access to resources 

that will help build the capacity of regional and national organizations to empower youth, young adults, and young 

veterans with disabilities or chronic health conditions to create a self-directed path to integrated employment and 

optimal health and well-being.

National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) Co-funded Research in 

Transition

NIDRR, in ED’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

Services Administration, in HHS, co-fund research centers that identify, develop, and evaluate transition practices 

for youth and young adults with serious mental health conditions. More information is available on the grantees’ 

websites:

Rehabilitation Research and Training Center at University of Massachusetts Medical School19

Rehabilitation Research and Training Center at Portland State University20 

Promoting Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income (PROMISE) 

The PROMISE21 program is an initiative of ED, HHS, DOL, and SSA. Under this competitive grant program, state 

agencies have partnered to develop and implement a model demonstration project that provides coordinated 

services and supports designed to improve the education and career outcomes of children with disabilities 

receiving SSI, including services and supports to their families. The six PROMISE projects, funded by ED and awarded 

in FY 2013, provide opportunities for states to be innovative in designing programs that meet the needs of child SSI 

recipients and their families and that will improve the life outcomes of individuals with disabilities. Figure III below 

highlights the PROMISE States and Programs.

Figure III. PROMISE States and Projects

State(s) Projects 

Arkansas Arkansas PROMISE 2013

California California PROMISE (CaPROMISE)

Consortium of States - Utah, South Dakota, 

North Dakota, Montana, Colorado, and Arizona

Achieving Success by Promoting Readiness for Education and 

Employment (ASPIRE)

Maryland Maryland PROMISE Promoting the Employment Readiness of 

SSI Minors

New York New York State PROMISE

Wisconsin Wisconsin PROMISE

19 Information on Rehabilitation Research and Training Center at University of Massachusetts Medical School is available at: http://labs.umassmed.edu/

transitionsRTC/#sthash.VsPe5vPr.dpbs.

20 Information on Rehabilitation Research and Training Center at Portland State University is available at: http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/index.php.

21 Information on the PROMISE program is available at: http://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/promise/index.html.
FEDERAL PARTNERS IN TRANSITION WORKGROUP 22

Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) Special Demonstration Transition Projects

In FY 2007, federal funds were provided to improve upon state-level collaboration and state interagency 

coordination for students with disabilities under the authority of RSA’s Special Demonstration Programs. The 

purpose of the Special Demonstration Transition Projects was to provide financial assistance to eligible entities 

to expand and improve the provision of VR services and related services for youth with disabilities. These grants 

supported projects that demonstrated the use of collaborative transition planning and service delivery to improve 

postsecondary education and employment outcomes of youth with disabilities. As noted in the chart below, 

six states were awarded grants. The grantees received final funding in FY 2011, continued to operate during FY 

2012, and at the end of that year, RSA approved no-cost extensions for all of these grants, which allowed them 

to operate through September 2013. Oregon was given an additional no-cost extension and operated through 

September 2014. Grantees collected data under a task order funded by RSA. This data was reviewed and compiled 

for future reference and dissemination to researchers and service providers. In addition, data and outcomes from 

the Maryland project are now being analyzed for dissemination to researchers and service providers (e.g.,Luecking 

& Luecking, 2014). Figure IV below highlights RSA’s Special Demonstration Transition Projects’ states, programs, and 

contacts.

Figure IV. RSA Special Demonstration Transition Programs

State(s) Program 

South 

Carolina

Youth Employment Services (YES)

Provided a multitiered program that combines three transition models: Transition Employability, 

Skills Workforce Apprenticeship Program, and High School/High Technology.

Pennsylvania PA Community on Transition

Achieved employment outcomes through a shared agenda by replicating evidence-based 

models such as Project Search and Postsecondary Innovative Transition Technology.

Oregon ACCESS: Accelerated Career Counseling and Employment Support Services

Analyzed the effectiveness of the interagency planning, implementation process, and effects of 

project.

Maryland Maryland Seamless Transition Collaborative

Implemented a model of transition services that is characterized by student self-determination, 

work experiences, paid inclusive employment prior to school exit, and resource links.

Ohio Promoting Rehabilitation and Educational Results through State, Regional, and Local 

Collaboration

Collaborated with Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission and the Office for Exceptional 

Children to address difficulties in accessing transition services due to the lack of planning.

Massachusetts Transition Works: Innovative Strategies for Transitioning Youth with Disabilities from 

School to Work and Post-Secondary Outcomes 

Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors partnered with local school districts to support youth with 

disabilities through innovative practices and strategies.
THE 2020 FEDERAL YOUTH TRANSITION PLAN: A FEDERAL INTERAGENCY STRATEGY 23

Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and Rehabilitation Services Administration 

(RSA)

The National Technical Assistance Center on Improving Transition to Postsecondary Education and Employment 

for Students with Disabilities was funded at $2.5 million. OSEP and RSA jointly funded this National Technical 

Assistance Center to assist State Educational Agencies, Local Educational Agencies, State VR agencies, and other VR 

service providers to implement evidence-based and promising practices and strategies to ensure that students with 

disabilities, including those with significant disabilities, graduate from high school with the knowledge, skills, and 

supports needed for success in postsecondary education and employment.

Youth Transition Demonstration 

The Youth Transition Demonstration22 was a random assignment research study conducted by SSA. Demonstration 

projects were designed to help youth with disabilities maximize their economic self-sufficiency as they transition 

from school to work. The projects emphasized collaboration among and between multiple service systems: 

including, for example, schools and state VR agencies. The evaluation design was based on the Guideposts 

for Success framework, developed by ODEP in collaboration with NCWD/Youth. Through this research, SSA is 

developing and evaluating strategies that increase employment outcomes and independence for youth with 

disabilities as they transition to adulthood and employment. This research generated empirical evidence on the 

impacts of SSI waivers and enhanced coordination of services for youth with disabilities

22 Information on Youth Transition Demonstration is available at: http://www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/youth.htm.
FEDERAL PARTNERS IN TRANSITION WORKGROUP 24

POLICY AREAS FOR FUTURE STRATEGIC FOCUS

Based on the issues identified from FPT’s multistep approach, including the public input we received from the 

national online dialogue and an analysis of transition-related efforts and proposals of individual agencies, FPT 

has committed to focus on the following policy priorities in order to achieve our compatible outcome goals and 

improve transition outcomes for youth with disabilities:

• Promote the benefits of work-based learning as a part of education and workforce training. 

• Facilitate access to quality health care and health care insurance. Individuals should not have to choose 

between health care and working. 

• Support professional development for service professionals, such as educators, job coaches, and health care 

providers to build competencies in asset-based service delivery approaches.

• Bridge the service gap between youth and adult programs to encourage and expand opportunities for students 

and youth with disabilities up to age 24 (e.g., dual enrollment, internships, mentorships, apprenticeships, and 

postsecondary training options).

• Enhance states’ capacity to create developmental opportunities for youth with disabilities during school and 

after school.

• Demonstrate the value of hiring youth and young adults with disabilities from both an employee’s and 

employer’s perspective.

• Create a benefits counseling model to promote the concept of self-determination and person-centered 

planning.

• Increase capacity for systems change work within states, which could be similar to Employment First’s 

Community of Practice where states could come together to share ideas and strategies for adopting policies 

and practices that lead to positive outcomes for youth in transition.

• Improve education and outreach to the public regarding policy and practices governing transition service 

programs. 

• Promote collaboration, coordination, and cooperation among youth and adult service systems, state education 

agencies, state VR and workforce development agencies, schools, and youth with disabilities and their families 

and leverage expertise and resources to assist students with disabilities in achieving their postsecondary 

education and career goals.

• Evaluate and implement the evidence-based strategies identified through PROMISE model demonstration 

projects that have proven effective in improving outcomes for child SSI recipients and their families. 

• Align policy and regulation to encourage younger SSA disability beneficiaries to achieve eventual financial 

independence with the assistance of programs like the Ticket to Work.

FPT expects the actions taken to implement these policies will ultimately lead to improved outcomes for youth with 

disabilities by 2020.
THE 2020 FEDERAL YOUTH TRANSITION PLAN: A FEDERAL INTERAGENCY STRATEGY 25

CONCLUSION

FPT has worked diligently since 2012 to address GAO’s recommendation to work collaboratively to develop a 

federal interagency transition strategy. We will continue to work together and engage all partners in candid 

dialogue, enhancement of our knowledge base, the leveraging of available resources, and, most importantly, in 

modeling the type of collaboration across federal systems that is necessary at the state and local levels to achieve 

meaningful results. FPT will remain vigilant in developing a coordinated federal interagency transition strategy, 

which supports youth and young adults with disabilities in achieving their goals of economic empowerment and 

independence.
FEDERAL PARTNERS IN TRANSITION WORKGROUP 26

APPENDIX

List of Acronyms

A

ACF Administration for Children and Families (HHS)

ACL Administration for Community Living (HHS)

ADA Americans with Disabilities Act

AIDD Administration on Intellectual and 

Developmental Disabilities (HHS)

ASPE Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation 

(HHS)

C

CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (HHS)

CMS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (HHS)

CNCS Corporation for National and Community Service

D

DEI Disability Employment Initiative

DOL Department of Labor

DOT Department of Transportation

E

ED Department of Education

EFSLMP Employment First State Leadership Mentoring 

Program

ETA Employment and Training Administration (DOL)

F

FPT Federal Partners in Transition 

FY Fiscal Year

G

GAO Government Accountability Office

H

HHS Department of Health and Human Services

HRSA Health Resources and Services Administration 

(HHS)

I

I/DD Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

IDEA Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

IEP Individualized Education Program

IES Institute of Education Sciences

L

LENDS Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental 

and Related Disabilities 

M

MCHB Maternal and Child Health Bureau (HHS)

MOA Memorandum of Agreement

N

NCWD/

Youth National Collaborative on Workforce and 

Disability for Youth

NIDRR National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation 

Research (ED)

NIH National Institutes of Health (HHS)

NLTS2 National Longitudinal Transition Study-2

O

OCTAE Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education 

(ED)

ODEP Office of Disability Employment Policy (DOL)

OPE Office of Postsecondary Education (ED)

ORDES Office of Research, Demonstration, and 

Employment Support (SSA)

OSERS Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative 

Services (ED)

P

PROMISE Promoting Readiness of Minors in 

Supplement Security Income

R

RSA Rehabilitation Services Administration (ED)

S

SAMHS A Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

Services Administration (HHS)

SSA Social Security Administration

SSDI Social Security Disability Insurance

SSI Supplemental Security Income

U

UDL Universal Design for Learning

W

WHD Wage and Hour Division (DOL)

Y

YES Youth Employment Services
THE 2020 FEDERAL YOUTH TRANSITION PLAN: A FEDERAL INTERAGENCY STRATEGY 27

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[Page Left Intentionally Blank]
Prepared by the Federal 

Partners in Transition 

Workgroup 

February 2015