Guide on Serving Youth with Mental Health Needs Unveiled

In honor of National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day (see next story), the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) announces the release of Tunnels and Cliffs: A Guide for Workforce Development Practitioners and Policymakers Serving Youth with Mental Health Needs, prepared by the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth. Practitioners and policymakers have key roles to play in ensuring that youth with mental health needs (MHN) have a fair chance of achieving the American dream of independence and self-sufficiency. Obstacles such as transition cliffs and ineffective service delivery tunnels can be eliminated through thoughtful systems change processes that incorporate sound policies and practices.

The guide’s contextual framework is the Guideposts for Success, a document developed by NCWD/Youth in collaboration with ODEP.  The Guideposts are research-based and describe key components that all youth, including youth with disabilities, need to transition successfully to adulthood.  The Guideposts for Success for Youth with Mental Health Needs, which are included in chapter 3 of Tunnels and Cliffs, incorporate all the elements of the original Guideposts as well as the additional specific needs of youth with mental health disabilities.

Tunnels and Cliffs was developed to help workforce development practitioners, administrators, and policymakers enhance their understanding of youth with mental health needs and the supports necessary to help them transition into the workforce successfully.  In addition, it highlights systems change initiatives already underway in a growing number of states and communities across the country, and provides policy makers, from the program to the state level, with useful information to assist them in addressing system and policy barriers to effective service delivery. Tunnels and Cliffs is available at
<http://www.ncwd-youth.info/resources_&_Publications/mental_health.html>.

National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day

The second annual National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day is today,  May 8, 2007. Awareness Day is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to promote positive youth development, resilience, recovery, and the transformation of mental health services delivery for children and youth with serious mental health needs and their families. The theme for Awareness Day this year is Thriving in the Community with a special focus on school-based programs. Mental health resources are available from SAMHSA, either through their toll free telephone number 800-789-2647, or their website <http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/>. The information is for users of mental health services and their families, the general public, policy makers, providers, and the media.

Entering the World of Work:  What Youth with Mental Health Needs Should Know About Accommodations

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) has released a fact sheet on accommodations for youth with mental health needs who are preparing to enter the workforce. Disclosing a mental health disability, requesting accommodations, and examples of accommodations are among the topics addressed, and resources are provided. This fact sheet is available for download or print free of charge at <http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/transitioning.htm>.

USDOL Launches Initiative to Advance Employment of People with Disabilities

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) launched its new “Alliance Initiative” to advance the employment of people with disabilities. The ODEP Alliance Initiative is a cooperative program that enables those organizations committed to improving disability workplace practices to work with ODEP to develop and implement model policies, initiatives, and strategies that increase recruiting, hiring, advancing, and retaining workers with disabilities. The Alliance Initiative is open to businesses, trade and professional associations, labor unions, educational institutions, government agencies, and other organizations. More information is available at <http://www.dol.gov/odep/alliances/index.htm>.