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Transition-Age Youth

Transition-age youth are adolescents and young adults (ages 14-25) who have a diagnosable mental illness that has led to impaired functioning in one or more life domains. Examples of life domains include housing, education and employment, quality of life and functioning and life skills.

Developmentally, transition-age youth are interdependent, seeking their own identity and independence while still partially dependent on the support of family members, caregivers and service providers. Best practices for serving transition-age youth incorporate the principles of recovery, resiliency and cultural competence. In addition, the overall care must be youth-guided and family-driven.

Recovery
Nationally and at the Ohio Department of Mental Health (ODMH), recovery is defined as “a personal process of overcoming the negative impact of a psychiatric disability despite its continued presence.” Recovery is based on the premise that, when given hope and innovative programs, people with mental illnesses can live productive, satisfying lives. The nine essential components of recovery include:

1. Clinical care
2. Peer support and relationships
3. Family support
4. Work and other meaningful activity
5. Power and control
6. Overcoming stigma
7. Community involvement
8. Access to resources
9. Education

Resiliency
As defined by Ohio’s Resiliency Project, resiliency is an inner capacity that, when nurtured, facilitated and supported by others, empowers people to successfully meet life’s challenges with a sense of self-determination, mastery and hope.

Resiliency is an ordinary developmental process that is available to all youth and is an expectation (not an exception) for youth with significant emotional or behavioral challenges. The 12 essential components of resiliency include:

1. Validation and valuing
2. Basic needs, safety and services
3. Sanctuary
4. Supportive connections
5. Hope
6. Contribution and participation
7. Self-wisdom
8. Competencies
9. Justice
10. Expectations and accommodations that maximize success
11. Courage
12. Sense of meaning and joy

Culturally Competent
As defined by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), culturally competent systems of care provide appropriate services that respect the uniqueness of cultural influences to children and families of all cultures. These systems work best within a family’s cultural framework or perspective. Nine principles govern the development of culturally competent programs:

1. The family, however defined by other systems or entities, is the individual with a mental illness, also known as a consumer, and usually the focus of treatment and services.
2. Americans with diverse backgrounds are often bicultural or multicultural. As a result, they may have a unique set of cultural issues affecting their view of mental health treatment that must be recognized and addressed.
3. Families make choices based on their cultural backgrounds. Service providers must respect and build upon cultural knowledge as well as the families’ strengths.
4. Cross-cultural relationships between providers and consumers may include major differences in worldviews. These differences must be acknowledged and addressed.
5. Cultural knowledge and sensitivity must be incorporated into program policymaking, administration and service delivery.
6. Natural helping networks, such as neighborhood organizations, community leaders and natural healers, can be a vital source of support to consumers. These support systems should be respected, and when appropriate, included in the treatment plan.
7. The community, as well as the family, determines direction and goals.
8. Programs must do more than offer equal, nondiscriminatory services; they must tailor services to their consumer populations.
9. When boards and programs include staff whom share the cultural background of their consumers, the programs tend to be more effective (SAMSHA, 2007).

Youth-Guided and Family-Driven
In a system of care that is youth-guided and family-driven, transition-age youth and those people they define as important to them drive and guide all choices. Young adults and families have “voice and choice” in services and supports and are considered experts in their own lives.

Transition-age youth and their family members should be considered equal partners in the planning and development of any policy that affects them. As youth enter the transition years and begin their journeys toward adulthood, they need to be granted even greater control over the design, development and implementation of services and supports available to them and their community. Families are a vital component of the support that the youth will need throughout the transition process and, therefore, are to be respected and valued for their contributions.