Stepping Out
A School-to-Adult-Life Transition Program
Administered by One Step Beyond, Inc.
Mission
To provide an equal opportunity for young adults with disability to the life
experiences available to their peers without disability; that is, to provide
the opportunity for these young people to realize their dreams of maximum
independence, community inclusion, and long-term, enriching peer relationships.
Needs Statement
Parents of young adults with disability are worried, concerned, and confused
by the opportunities and challenges their children will face as they near
completion of their high school education.
- They are worried about the potential for exploitation, mistreatment, and neglect of their children when they are outside the range of parental supervision and the safe haven of public education.
- They are concerned about who will adequately care and advocate for their children when they no longer can.
- They are confused about the options available to their children with disability to access the independent, meaningful, and satisfying life experiences that they see as relatively obstacle free for their children without disability and that are the right of all citizens regardless of disability.
- They are concerned that the transition to adult employment and independent life skills training offered by special education departments may not be adequate to prepare their children for life after high school graduation.
Young adults with disability want access to the same life experiences as their peers without disability have.
- They want to work and earn money.
- They want to live as independently as possible
- They want to form long-term relationships
- They want to participate in community activities
And yet these young people are faced with severely less access and opportunity to these life experiences because of their disabilities.
Program Goal
To work in partnership with individuals with disabilities, their
families, and supportive public agencies to develop in these young adults
the skills they need to achieve the highest possible degree of independence
and community inclusion and to form meaningful and enriching peer relationships
while transitioning at their own pace from their family home to a home of
their own.
- To provide a setting where young adults with disability can work on their transition objectives where their parents can feel confident that their children are safe, secure and engaged in meaningful activities.
- To provide activities to further the individual transition goals of young adults with disability in a well planned, collaborative, and step-by-step program.
- To provide an opportunity for young adults with disability to enjoy the companionship of their peers and to grow in their ability to interact cooperatively with these peers as they participate in recreational and skills-training activities.
- To provide opportunities for young adults with disability to grow in their ability to interact with their community through participation in recreational outings, shopping excursions, and community service projects.
- To provide for young adults with disability an individualized employment preparation, training, placement, and support program in collaboration with other like programs in which they are involved.
- To provide an opportunity in collaboration with Best Buddies Chapters, National Honor Society Chapters, and like organizations for young adults with and without disability to enjoy the companionship of their peers and to increase tolerance, understanding, and inclusion of individuals with disability in the community.
Program Objectives
- All participants will improve their ability to manage a household (first aid and emergency response awareness, housecleaning, basic household repair and maintenance, and planning, shopping for, and cooking meals).
- All participants will improved their money management skills (increased understanding of product costs, budgeting, and purchasing).
- All participants will be involved in an employment program.
- All participants will improve their ability to interact with individuals in the community through participation in community service projects, community recreational events, and political awareness activities.
- All participants will improve their ability to communicate and cooperate with others and will form or maintain relationships with fellow program participants (both with and without disabilities).
- Some participants will be ready to take the next step toward their future; that is, to live in a home of their own with compatible housemates of their choosing with the necessary supports to be successful and secure.
Program Description
Stepping Out is a day, after school, evening, weekend, and temporary
residential training program serving young adults with disability in various
stages of transition from public education and family-home-based supervision
to supportive independence. Individuals will progress at their own pace over
the course of one to several semesters to complete a curriculum offering recreational
activities, life-skills training, and employment-skills training, placement,
and monitoring that is tailored to their unique transitional objectives. They
will spend time in the program ranging at the beginning from one or more days
or afternoons per week, to overnights, weekends and finally a full week.
Program Financial Support
- Department of Economic Security (DES) Division of Developmental Disability
(DDD) respite and habilitation funding
- Arizona State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) and Arizona Rehabilitation Services
Administration (ARSA) supportive services and funding
- Grants
- Fundraising
- Donations
- Partnership with businesses
- Partnership with educational institutions