Peer Navigator Employment Training Program for Young People with Disabilities

Project Description

The Peer Navigator Employment Training Program (PNETP) for young people with disabilities is funded by the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation (MEAF). Peer Navigators are people who provide advice to others with a similar background to them. Health Care Transition services can include help finding an adult doctor and learning to speak with doctors. This program provides individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) an internship as Peer Navigators to help other young adults with IDD with their healthcare, job, and school transitions.

Goals of the Program: The goal of this program is for Peer Navigator interns to learn the skills they need to have jobs in social services or healthcare. Part of the intern training is helping others with health, work, school, and independent living goals.

Training Program: The PNETP Training Program includes lessons in:

Peer Navigation
Transition to Adulthood
Work Behavior and Skills
Introduction to Developmental Disability
Family-Centered Care
Communication
Case Management
Culture Competency
Health Care Transition
Regional Centers
Social Recreation and Community Integration
Employment Supports
Education Supports
In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)
Independent Living Services
Person Centered Planning

Anticipated Outcomes: In 2 years, we hope to train 16 interns, each serving 10 people with IDD with transition (160 people total) and work with 8 employment organizations. We hope that all 16 Peer Navigator interns will be able to find employment.

Who to contact:

Principal Investigator: Cecily Betz, PhD, RN: cbetz@chla.usc.edu

Project co-lead: Christine Mirzaian, MD, MPH: cmirzaian@chla.usc.edu

Project Coordinator: Rowan Smith, MPH rsmith@chla.usc.edu