A new partnership developed by the Rocky View School Division (RVS) is trying to make it easier for students with complex needs to make a meaningful and sustainable transition to adulthood and community work.  

The RVS Board of Trustees heard at their meeting yesterday (December 13) how the division and Vecova, a centre for disability services and research based in Calgary, has started a pilot project to help identify students with complex needs, evaluate their work readiness, meet with families and identify work placements for students.

Once they've been identified, students will be provided with coaches who support the building and bridging of work-ready skills assessment and skill building.

Kim Yager is the Team Leader for Vecova and says the process starts with intake and planning. 

"So understanding that the youth is a unique youth and their strengths and challenges and understanding them as a person, defining what life after high school is going to look like for them, then developing a plan with them, with parents, with school, any other community members that happen to be involved in their life and really defining what life after high school looks like, coming up with a plan to make that happen and setting up the opportunities to do that."

Director of Learning Supports for RVS Sherri Black explains how the partnership with Vecova came to be.

"There was a recognizable gap from a learning supports perspective for kids with complex needs and their ability to be successful beyond high school.  So we looked at, is there any partnerships outside of the division that we could access that would help us identify those gaps and then fill them.  So that's where Vecova came in."

Students who would benefit from being helped by Vecova are starting to be identified.  So far, Black says 82 students are on the list but she expects that number will grow.  Conversations with the students and their families to get the ball rolling are planned for January.

Black explains that the perception of kids with complex needs is that they might not be able to work but that goes against the aim of public education.

"Our goal is to give kids the skills that they need to be contributing citizens when they leave high school and be independent and successful.  Having those conversations a little bit earlier with kids who are in grade nine, knowing that they may need additional supports, access to other things, and sometimes a shift in thinking for parents, to believe that their kids can move beyond high school.  The earlier that starts, the more successful they are."

Both Black and Yager are extremely excited to get the program underway.  They feel like it will give hope to families of students with complex needs.  Yager believes that no student is beyond hope.

"Our belief is that anyone can work with the right supports, with the right job, in the right environment.  When you look at someone that has more complex needs, due to a developmental disability, it's very difficult sometimes for parents or the people around that student to understand, 'what does valuable work really look like for that person?'  So essentially, no matter what someone's support needs are in this program, we will tailor an individualized program to help them wherever they're at."  

Yager asks any community members who would like to provide a work experience and would be open to being involved in the program or wish to learn more can reach out to her at Vecova.  

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