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CFS Team From National Center on Youth Transition Presents at Council For Exceptional Children Conference

CFS's Jordan Knab (front left) standing next to keynote speaker Josh Blue and 2007 DCDT conference planning committee.

An important focus of the Department of Child & Family Studies (CFS) is to improve service systems for the 3 million transition-age youth in America today who are struggling with Serious Emotional Disturbance or Severe Mental Illness (SED/SMI). At the age of 18, these youth who have relied on relevant services from child-serving organizations such as schools, foster care, mental health, detention and corrections may no longer be eligible for those services. Confusing differences in eligibility rules and a shortage of developmentally appropriate services pose huge obstacles and can create many risks and challenges that hinder successful transition to independent adulthood.

To share what they have learned in their efforts to improve access to services, team members from CFS’s National Center on Youth Transition recently presented at a conference sponsored by the Council for Exceptional Children/Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT). DCDT promotes active engagement and policy change in transition services and activities for youth and young adults with disabilities.

With over 300 speakers from across the nation, many were renowned experts in the field of transition of youth with disabilities into the adult world of work and community, including the following speakers from CFS and their presentations:

CFS’s Jordan Knab also served as Chair of the Program Committee.

“ This was the culmination of two years of planning by a local Florida planning committee,” said Knab. “Many thanks go to Dawn Khalil from CFS Communications, who did an excellent job designing the final program.”

The opening keynote speaker was Josh Blue, winner of Last Comic Standing's first series. Josh shared with the audience his experiences growing up with Cerebral Palsy, some of which he uses as his comedic material.

2007 DCDT conference planning committee with speaker Heather Whitestone McCallum, 1995 Miss America.

The luncheon speaker was Heather Whitestone McCallum, winner of Miss America in 1995. Heather was the first woman with a disability to ever win the title in the event's 75 year history. She contracted meningitis as an infant and suffered permanent, nearly complete hearing loss. Heather shared with the audience her lifetime of overcoming obstacles and persevering to achieve her life’s dream.

Transcripts from both speakers will be available soon.

“The conference was a great success," added Knab. "It brought together many teachers, family members, agency personnel, college students and faculty, and professionals from other disability-related fields to share research, practical applications, experiences, and goals for improving the future of transition services and outcomes for youth with disabilities.”

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