The Transition Age Youth (TAY) Mental Health Division within TIEMH aims to promote TAY wellness and community participation through promoting the integration of developmentally and culturally attuned services both locally and nationally. We specialize in tailoring practice models for TAY populations including young people with histories of complex trauma, poverty, disconnection from school and work, public system involvement and institutionalized care.
We aim to simultaneously contribute to the scientific and practice communities. We publish in reputable journals and speak at national conferences in addition to developing practice tools that mental health and social service providers can apply to improve their strategies for engaging and supporting TAY in the real world.
We apply Community-Based Participatory Action and mixed-methods to ensure that project processes and associated knowledge products are deeply informed by community partners–most importantly, young people with lived and living mental health experience. Our work is centered around integrating multidisciplinary community-based care, near-age peer support and vocational approaches that align with young people’s preferences, values and goals. Click the page links below to learn more about our work.
Community Participation Projects
We conduct research and support organizations in integrating youth voice and young adult lived experience perspectives, developmentally-attuned multidisciplinary care, and young adult near-age peer support.
Consulting & Training
We provide tailored consultation and training to agencies and states who want to better engage and improve TAY outcomes, including on-site needs assessment, training, technical assistance, capacity enhancement, workforce development and team-building workshops. We also provide coaching calls, and web-based learning for integration and maintenance of new skills.
Employment & Education Research
The Transition-Age Youth team 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.
Our Partners
Our team 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 mental health needs impacted by trauma and marginalization.
Systematic Youth Voice Leadership
We believe it is imperative that youth voice is heard and integrated within all TAY practices and policies. Our team has developed and overseen youth-led advisory boards in Illinois and Texas, and led national conversations centering TAY experience and expertise.
Young Adult Peer Support
We have expertise in near-age, young adult peer support–leading national and local research, training, resource and workforce development projects. Our team values TAY lived experience perspectives and works to enhance peer support services for providers and organizations.
