Youth Transition Demonstration (YTD)

To further the President’s New Freedom Initiative goal of increasing employment of individuals with disabilities, SSA created the Youth Transition Demonstration (YTD). There are currently twelve YTD projects in ten States.

The States developed service delivery systems to assist youth with disabilities to successfully transition from school, which may include post-secondary education, to employment and economic self-sufficiency. The States established partnerships to improve employment outcomes for youth ages 14-25 who receive SSI or SSDI payments on the basis of their own disability. The projects provide a broad array of transition-related services and supports to SSI and SSDI applicants and children.

California, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, West Virginia

Note: Iowa, Vermont, Washington and one site in Maryland were previously involved in the project, but these projects ended in 2007.

The project sites are developing service delivery systems that demonstrate how communities can integrate services and resources to achieve positive transition results including both post-secondary education and employment. A national evaluation contract was awarded to Mathematica Policy Research in September 2005.

Youth participating in the evaluation will be followed for at least four years after they are recruited into the study. A variety of data sources, surveys of youth, and interviews with project staff will be used to determine whether the intervention led to increased earnings or increased enrollment in postsecondary education for youth.  The evaluation uses a random assignment design, which is like a lottery or picking names out of hat – eligible youth are randomly chosen to either receive YTD services or to be in the control group that will remain eligible for non-YTD services in the community.  Any differences in outcomes that emerge can be attributed to the intervention.

The YTD is generating empirical evidence, based on both process and random-assignment evaluations, on the impacts of SSI waivers and enhanced coordination of services for youth with disabilities. Under this project, SSA is testing the effectiveness of altering certain SSI rules as an incentive to encourage beneficiaries to initiate work or increase their work activity and to increase their earnings.

If you are interested in additional information, please visit:
YTD Help (http://www.ytdhelp.info)  [Disclaimer]
YTD New Project Announcement (http://www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityresearch/ytdnewsites.htm)
YTD Project Descriptions (http://www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityresearch/ytdprojects.htm)