State Agencies’ Transition Collaborative of Maryland Leadership Round-table

Leadership from Maryland partner agencies met in December to hear updates related to intensive technical assistance the state has been receiving through the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT) since 2016. The core partner agencies of this collaborative include Behavioral Health Administration (BHA), Coalition of Inclusive Education (CIE), Department of Labor (DOL), Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA), Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS), Maryland Department of Disabilities (MDOD), Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), The Parents Place of Maryland (PPMD) and University of Maryland (UMD) College Park Center for Transition and Career Innovation (CTCI).

The collaborative, known as the State Agencies’ Transition Collaborative of Maryland (SATC-MD) focuses on the values and systems alignment needed to support all youth with disabilities and their families to successfully transition from school to Community, Career and/or College.

While SATC-MD’s intensive technical assistance is scheduled to end in 2020, the group is committed to continued collaboration, systems change and partnership sustainability. Future outcomes already in the works include cross-agency training and staff development, quarterly leadership meetings, continued gap analysis and work on a services tracker to assist students and families in getting connected to necessary services and supports prior to exit from school.

Pictured left to right: Matt Elburn (Worcester County Public Schools), Deputy Secretary Bernard Simons (DDA), Jade Gingrich (MDOD), Natalee Solomon (BHA), Christy Stuart (MSDE), Nancy Hauswald (MSDE),  Assistant State Superintendent, Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services, Marcella Franczkowski (MSDE), Staci Jones (DDA), Assistant State Superintendent Scott Dennis (DORS), Tim Kelly (DORS), Teara Booker-Dwyer (CTE), Kristen Patterson (DOL) Deputy Secretary Christian Miele (MDOD), Rene Averitt-Sanzone (PPMD), Betsy Tornquist (CIE), Christina Sprauge (Charles County Public Schools)