Examining barriers and strategies for effective professional or interagency collaboration in secondary transition

Abstract

BACKGROUND: For young adults with disabilities, post-high school outcomes in employment, higher education, and independent living are markedly worse than for peers without disabilities. As a result, legislation and research aimed at supporting transitioning students with disabilities has increased. Further, numerous initiatives that better support youth and families have been implemented at the state and local level. Collaboration within and across service delivery systems has been identified as a critical aspect of transition planning and supports; however, evidence-based research related to the implementation and effects of collaborative partnerships is limited. OBJECTIVE: In the current study, we identify transition professionals’ perceptions of collaborative factors that facilitate and inhibit collaboration. METHOD: This study utilizes a single-state survey research design to examine the viewpoints of people in transition professions, specifically educators, Vocational Rehabilitation professionals, and community supports providers. RESULTS: Variances in perceptions were found among participant role groups. Specifically, educators as a whole report that time and workload barriers affect their ability to collaborate effectively. Further, findings indicate that ensuring individual collaborative team member responsibility is perceived as an effective strategy. CONCLUSIONS: These findings may be applied to technical assistance providers when developing team-level evaluations to monitor current levels and support needs of collaborative transition planning teams.