Transition-Age Youth

About

Our Transition-Age Youth (TAY) Mental Health Division within TIEMH aims to promote TAY wellness & community participation through promoting the integration of developmentally and culturally attuned services for TAY locally and nationally. We specialize in tailoring practice models for disadvantaged, vulnerable and marginalized populations, including: young people with histories of complex trauma, poverty, public system involvement and institutionalized care.

Our efforts aim to simultaneously contribute to the scientific and practice communities. We publish in reputable journals and speak at national conferences, in addition to developing and strategically sharing useful practice tools that real-world mental health and social service providers can apply to improve their strategies to both engage and support TAY.

We apply Community-Based Participatory Action and mixed-methods in all of our projects to ensure that project processes and associated knowledge products are deeply informed by community partners, including most importantly young people with lived/living mental health experience.

The bulk of our work and expertise is centered around integrating multidisciplinary community-based care, near-age peer support, and vocational approaches that are in strong alignment with young people’s preferences and goals. To learn more about our work & access resources, see links below.

Who are we?

Publications, Presentations, Practice Tools, & Press

The Transition-Age Youth team at the Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health have produced many publications, presentations, tools, and press over the years.

View Publications

View Book Chapter, White/Grey Paper, & Practice Manuals

View Peer-Reviewed Conference Presentations & Press

View Invited Speaking Engagements, Trainings, & Webinars

Community Participation & Peer Support Projects 

The Transition-Age Youth Team at the Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health conducts research and supports organizations in integrating youth voice and young adult lived/living experience perspectives, developmentally-attuned multidisciplinary care, and youth/young adult near-age peer support, in particular among young people who have experienced complex trauma, poverty, homelessness, disconnection from school & work, child welfare &/or justice system involvement.

Employment & Education Research & Quality Improvement Efforts

The Transition-Age Youth team at the Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health partners with agencies across the country to implement enhancements to supported employment for adolescents and young adults with mental health needs. This includes education services, career exploration, peer support and community navigation.

Advisory Board, Systematic Youth Voice Leadership 

The Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health values youth voice and leadership. It is imperative that youth voice is integrated in all work that is for youth and young adults. Through this vision, we have created and managed spaces that are for young people where they can consult on, develop and strengthen practices in mental health care for youth.   

Our project leaders have developed and overseen advisory boards in Illinois, Texas, and led national conversations with youth and young adults, seeking their experience and expertise in a variety of areas.  With their help, we have learned how to adapt to meet the unique needs of transition age youth.   

• Center for Youth Mental Health Emerging Voices Advocacy Council, Austin, Texas: Developed young-adult advisory board to oversite Center for Youth Mental Health initiatives, and to drive the planning, development, and implementation of the Amplify Center.  The board currently consists of 8 active members, who have a passion for advocating for mental health access for young people.  All members are young people who have either experienced a mental health need or who have family members who have experienced a mental health need.  The board has provided oversight and guidance on the naming of the Amplify Center, in the hiring of staff for the Center, and program supports and materials.  The board also guides the development of a community-responsive near age peer support effort for the Amplify Center; members have the option to certify as a peer support specialist.  Members participate in Center research and presenting to others on their experiences, Center advisory efforts, and particularly the critical need for developmentally and culturally responsive mental health supports.
• Thresholds Youth & Young Adult Services (YAYAS) Peer Advisory Board, Chicago, IL: Developed and coordinated advisory board of young adult participants across six clinical programs.   consulted on program materials, practices & policies, proposed intervention research projects, and other areas of need.  The YAYAS Peer Advisory board aims to support young leaders in creating change for youth and young adult services.  The YAYAS Board has a passion for connecting young people to one another for natural mentorship opportunities through service learning, educational, volunteer, & social activities. 

Our Partners 

The Transition-Age Youth team at the Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health partners with young people, mental health and social service organizations, advocacy groups, schools across the country improve policy, programs and practice for youth and young adults with serious mental health needs impacted by disadvantage and marginalization.  

Training & Consulting 

TIEMH provides tailored training and consultation to agencies and states who want to better engage and improve the outcomes of transition-age youth with mental health challenges. 

We help others to adapt our approaches for their unique contexts and populations, and to evaluate our joint efforts so that others can learn from our work. Recognizing that TAY services must be purposely different than traditional services for children or for adults, we assist other states, regions, organizations, and teams to integrate evidence-informed practices to maximize success with TAY. 

We provide on-site needs assessment, training, technical assistance, capacity enhancement, workforce development, and team-building workshops for diverse audiences. We also provide coaching calls, and web-based learning for integration and maintenance of new skills. We have trained hundreds of people, from direct practice staff to administrative and state-based leaders. We help agencies leverage their internal resources to evaluate their efforts, demonstrate achievements, secure additional funding, and sustain innovative programming for TAY. 

We tailor our training, technical assistance and consulting approach to your agency or system’s needs. We are most well-known for our work in the following areas: 

• Outreach & engagement for marginalized, hard to engage populations 
• Evidence-Based Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Supported Employment 
• Supported Education in high schools & post-secondary settings 
• Young adult Peer Support & mentoring 
• Assertive Community Treatment and multidisciplinary, community-based team models 
• Supported housing and skill development for young people at high-risk for homelessness 
• Blending clinical, vocational, & residential care for marginalized, system-involved young people 
• Sustaining innovation within fiscally conservative contexts 
• Administrative, clinical & research partnerships for effective and feasible program evaluation 
• Using data and qualitative information to better understand, improve, & build community awareness of your services 
• Leveraging virtual technology & social media platforms to engage TAY