A Professional Development and Case Management (PDCM) Model for Seamless Transition Planning

Kent State University has received a five-year grant from the Administration of Community Living’s National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research to evaluate the efficacy of a Professional Development and Case Management (PDCM) Model for Seamless Transition Planning. The project’s goal is to improve employment outcomes for youth identified as having cognitive disabilities through a collaborative approach to Individual Education Plan and Individual Plan for Employment development, coordinated case management, and service delivery.

Project personnel will work with representatives from the Office of Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, the Ohio Department of Education, and the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities to identify teams of vocational rehabilitation (VR) counselors with school caseloads, secondary educators, transition coordinators, and service and support administrators (SSAs) to receive professional development and test the feasibility of the PDCM concept. The proposed model includes processes related to: a professional development for VR counselors, educators, and SSAs serving transition-age youth, and b) a collaborative case management process where these professionals plan over the last three years of high school and the first year after exit.

1. Role of Agencies in the Transition Process
2. Schools
   Lead the transition planning process through the Individualized Education Program (IEP) by focusing on academic instruction, skill development, and preparing students for postsecondary education, training, or employment. Schools coordinate with families and agencies to ensure students are ready for life after graduation.
3. County Boards of Developmental Disabilities
   Provide long-term support and services to help individuals with disabilities build independence, access community resources, and maintain meaningful employment. County boards of developmental disabilities collaborate with schools and Vocational Rehabilitation agencies to align services and ensure continuity beyond high school.
4. State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Agencies
   Support students in preparing for and securing competitive, integrated employment. VR counselors help set employment goals, connect students with job training and placement services, and fund support needed for successful employment outcomes.
5. Timeline of Project

Year 1 (2020/2021):
Recruitment of Cohort 1
Initial Training for Cohort 1
Selection of Cohort 1 Students

Year 2 (2021/2022):
Quarterly Coaching Cohort 1
Fall 2021 Professional Development

Year 3 (2022/2023):
Recruitment of Cohort 2
Initial Training for Cohort 2
Selection of Cohort 2 Students
Quarterly Coaching Cohort 1 & Cohort 2

Year 4 (2023/2024:
Fall 2023 Professional Development
Spring 2024 Professional Development
Quarterly Coaching Cohort 1 & Cohort 2

Year 5 (2024/2025):
Feb 5th 2025 - Spring Symposium
Quarterly Coaching Cohort 1 & Cohort 2

Year 6 (2025/2026)
Continued technical assistance
Dissemination of project materials

Project Objectives, Goals & Activities

1. Goals
2. Purpose - Benefits - Goals
3. Logic Model 
4. Goals

Goal 1: Improve employment outcomes for youth with cognitive disabilities
Goal 2: Evaluate the PDCM model
Goal 3: Improve implementation of evidence-based practice by multi-agency teams
Goal 4: Support multi-agency teams in improving transition services

Goal 1:

Improve employment outcomes for youth identified as having cognitive disabilities through a collaborative approach to Individual Education Plan and Individual Plan for Employment development, coordinated case management, and service delivery.

Goal 2:

We will evaluate the Professional Development Case Management (PDCM) model to improve the coordination of transition services for youth with cognitive disabilities by designing, testing, and assessing its effectiveness in both in-school and post-school contexts. Using a mixed-methods approach, the evaluation will include measures of professional development fidelity, pre- and post-tests of IEP and IPE content, and assessments of multi-agency collaboration. In addition, we will examine the usability and feasibility of the PDCM model to better understand how it supports knowledge growth and changes in practice among individual professionals and multi-agency teams engaged in the intervention.

Goal 3:

The PDCM model is designed to prepare rehabilitation counselors, special educators, and case managers to jointly develop IEPs and IPEs and coordinate implementation and monitoring of services. The intervention components of the model support teams in overcoming challenges with implementing evidence-based practices.

Goal 4:

Coaching, consisting of quarterly meetings with multi-agency teams over targeted youths’ in-school transition years and continuing one-year post exit, will support teams in collaborative case management, implementing evidence-based practices, problem solving implementation challenges, and securing competitive integrated employment for youth with cognitive disabilities.

2. Purpose - Goals - Benefits

Purpose - The purpose of this project is to test the feasibility of a collaborative approach to planning and providing secondary and postsecondary services and supports for improving the transition outcomes of adolescents with cognitive disabilities. The Professional Development and Case Management (PDCM) model will target school-age and adult service professionals of transition aged youth with disabilities (16-21 yrs.), for ongoing professional development in implementing evidence-based transition practices.

Goal - The PDCM project seeks to improve employment outcomes for youth with cognitive disabilities by strengthening collaboration among schools, vocational rehabilitation, and developmental disability services. Goals include enhancing the quality of IEPs and IPEs, increasing the use of evidence-based practices, supporting multi-agency case management, and evaluating the effectiveness of the PDCM model to ensure more seamless, coordinated transition services.

Benefits - The PDCM project helps professionals improve collaboration and transition planning, leading to stronger IEPs and IPEs, better coordination across agencies, and more effective services. For youth with cognitive disabilities, this means increased access to quality transition supports and improved employment outcomes.

Questions?

For additional information about the project, please contact:

Darlene Unger, Ph.D. (Principal Investigator) at dunger1@kent.edu

The contents of this website were developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90DPEM0003).  NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this website do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, or HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.