Centers for independent living and secondary transition collaboration: characteristics for enhanced service delivery for adolescents in the United States

Abstract

Introduction: Research involving secondary transition practices indicates a growing implementation of interagency collaboration to maximize service delivery to support students transitioning from school to adult life. Centers for Independent Living (CILs) are often excluded from collaborative partnerships and denied the opportunity to contribute as a valued stakeholder in the transition process.Method: A total of 189 CIL professionals representing represented 38 states completed the online survey to (a) identify to what degree does the factor structure of Thompson's Collaboration Survey holds for CIL professionals and (b) explore what specific CIL professional and agency characteristics predict greater collaboration between CILs and local education agencies (LEAs). Additionally (c) researchers sought to determine the degrees to which greater self-reported collaboration predicts more frequent transition services provided to transition-age youth by CIL professionals.Results: Results indicated that the factor structure proposed by Thompson was confirmed in a sample of CIL professionals. None of the agency or individual characteristics (i.e., number of high schools partnered with, number of students served, amount of training in transition services, and importance of collaboration between high schools and agencies for transition) predicted greater collaboration with LEAS. When analyzing the effects of degree of collaboration on the services provided, high ratings on three of the five collaborative dimensions predicted a higher likelihood of providing services to transition-age youth.Conclusion: This study suggests that more training and experience of CIL professionals does not necessarily lead to greater collaboration. Additionally, the findings suggest that collaborative team structure is more important than social capital collaborative dimensions in leading to frequent services from CILs to transition-age youth.Implications for rehabilitationExtant literature suggests that secondary transition collaborative partnerships are critical to ensure students with disabilities have smooth transitions to adult life environments;The literature base calls for greater involvement from Centers for Independent Living (CILs) with local education agencies to maximize the benefit of youth with disabilities;This study suggests that more training and experience of CIL professionals does not necessarily lead to greater collaboration; andCollaborative team structure (i.e., Governance and Administration) is more important than social capital collaborative dimensions (i.e., Trust & Mutuality) in leading to frequent services from CILs to transition-age youth.