Webinars
Creating Opportunities for Youth with Mental Illness: A Focus on Transition and Employment
Watch YES! Center’s monthly webinar, “Creating Opportunities for Youth with Mental Illness: A Focus on Transition and Employment“, that was hosted on Wednesday, June 23rd from 3:00-4:30 P.M. Eastern.
It is estimated that almost half of adults in the U.S. will experience a mental illness in their lifetime. We also know that significant mental illness is associated with lower employment rates. This webinar will highlight various ways the employment and education professionals can support youth with mental illness towards successful employment and transition outcomes. This includes leveraging Pre-ETS funding, promoting collaboration, and presenting services to youth in a way that does not stigmatize mental illness. The session will also include youth self-advocates sharing their stories about the impact of their mental illness and supports they used to find success.
Session Participants were able to:
- Understand the current rate of MI and its impact on transition and employment outcomes in the U.S.
- Understand the current challenges faced by individuals with MI.
- Learn strategies for using Pre-ETS funding to support work experiences for students with MI.
- Become aware of current best practices in collaborating and supporting an individual with MI towards employment and transition success.
- Understand the first-hand experience of a youth with MI.
Session Presenters
Lawrence Abramson, Technical Assistance Specialist, Way2Work Maryland Project
Larry Abramson is a national leader in the provision of transition services to students with mental health challenges. He is a Technical Assistance Specialist on the Way2Work Maryland Project. Prior to this role, Larry served as Director of Vocational Services at St. Luke’s House where he established the Career Transition Program and was a site director of the Social Security Administration’s funded Youth Transition Demonstration Program. He has helped design programs that bridge the gap between school, mental health, and vocational rehabilitation systems. Larry has designed employment programs that meet the career goals of students as well as the needs of the business community.
Kathryn Sabella, Ph.D., Director of Research, Transitions to Adults Center for Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Kathryn Sabella, Ph.D. is the Director of Research, Transitions to Adults Center for Research (Transitions ACR) within the Department of Psychiatry’s Systems & Psychosocial Advances Research Center at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. In this role, she facilitates all aspects of research, training, and dissemination activities in close partnership with Transitions ACR leadership. Her research interests include psychosocial development during the transition to adulthood, education disparities, and mental health policy and system changes.
