Federal Partners in Transition

The Federal Partners in Transition (FPT), a workgroup with representatives of several federal agencies, including the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Labor, and the Social Security Administration, was formed in 2005 to support all youth, including youth with disabilities, in successfully transitioning from school to adulthood. To realize this work, FPT developed The 2020 Federal Youth Transition Plan: A Federal Interagency Strategy, which outlines how the partner agencies will enhance interagency coordination through the identification of a shared vision, compatible outcome goals, and policy priorities, ultimately leading to improved outcomes for youth with disabilities by 2020.

Vision

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.

Compatible Outcome Goals

Youth transitioning to adult life 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.

Download The 2020 Federal Youth Transition Plan: A Federal Interagency Strategy (PDF, 32 pages).

Supporting Resources

The FPT National Online Dialogue, held May 13 to May 27, 2013, invited people to share their ideas and comments about federal legislative and regulatory barriers and other opportunities to improve transition outcomes for youth with disabilities. Based on this input, the Federal Partners in Transition National Online Dialogue: Participation Metrics Final Report (PDF, 22 pages) was developed to summarize the dialogue's results. These responses helped frame the efforts of the FPT to develop an interagency strategy.