Policy & Practice | April 2021

isability is often equated with being unable to work. However, the presence of disability does not always equate with inability to work. For individuals receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the belief that work will result in loss of benefits can pose a greater barrier, which may hinder opportunities for economic advancement. For youth approaching a redetermination at age 18 that may result in the loss of adult SSI, it is critical that human services professionals understand the supports and services available to assist families and youth to prepare for and overcome barriers to economic opportunity. This article is based on an adaptation of Unleashing the Potential for Economic Mobility of Young People with Disabilities and Their Families: The Power of Integrating Human Services, Education, Workforce and Disability Services to Drive Outcomes , a document based on lessons learned from six model demon stration projects through the Promoting Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income Project (PROMISE) (see http://bit.ly/PROMISE_ HumanServices ). It is intended to support and inform human services pro fessionals about evidence-based tools that will equip them to provide holistic services and supports to these families in ways that facilitate their stability and economic mobility. The PROMISE initia tive also aligns with 2GEN approaches (see http://bit.ly/2GEN_overview ) to better serve youth and their families holistically. A series of webinars is also available that provides additional infor mation and resources. 1 The APHSA PROMISE Partnership Transitioning from school to work or postsecondary education has long been a challenge for many of America’s youth. For young people with disabilities D

who are experiencing poverty, these challenges are far greater. For these students, who face barriers related to both their own disability and their families’ financial situation, navigating the path from school to work or further learning can be even more difficult. In 2013, the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Labor, and the Social Security Administration jointly funded an inter agency initiative to better understand and address these barriers through a demonstration initiative called PROMISE. PROMISE was a rigorous randomized controlled study to evaluate practices aimed at improving employment and educational outcomes for low-income youth with disabilities. More than 13,000 youth SSI recipi ents were recruited across New York, Wisconsin, Arkansas, California, Maryland, and ASPIRE (a six-state con sortium, including Arizona, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Utah). The work resulted in knowledge and experience that should inform activities and efforts at the federal, state, and local levels to improve the economic self-sufficiency of all youth, with and without disabili ties, and their families. The PROMISE intervention officially ended in 2018, but the impact of the work continues. In 2019, APHSA formed a partner ship with MD PROMISE, and other PROMISE projects, to share the initia tive’s results, catalyzing new efforts to promote improved collaboration and coordination of disability knowledge and services to support youth and families more holistically. Improving educational and employ ment outcomes for youth with disabilities, including those on SSI, ranks high on the nation’s agenda for federal policymakers. Youth with disabilities receiving SSI face many barriers to making educational progress and gaining early work

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