Easing the move from Children’s Services to Adult Services

Olean Center staff has recognized that the transition from the Children’s Program to the Adult’s Program can be challenging for all involved.  Now, a new effort to ease that move is in the works.

That effort involves collaboration between staff from both departments, Director of Community Partnerships Josette Sobers, employment coordinator and DSP Dawn Rathbun, the Westerly school system, Westerly Transition Academy, and the state Office of Rehabilitation Services.

While the state requires a move to adult programming by age 21, it can happen earlier. Rather than waiting until a participant needs to exit the Children’s Program, the team now slowly introduces options available for services at around age 15.

Key to the process is compiling and sharing with everyone involved all of the information about a participant’s services, interests, and skill-building to date.

“We probably started having the conversation at an earlier age about a year ago,” said Children’s Department Director Jason Lanzillo. “A lot of effort has gone into improving  the process, but it’s still a work in process.”