Bridges to Transition

Dan Ottke, Director
(513) 732-4930
dottke@clermontdd.org

Scott Brown, Program Coordinator
(513) 732-4851
sbrown@clermontdd.org

Haley Dunn, Project Coordinator
(513) 732-4880
hdunn@clermontdd.org

Ashley DeMartino, Transition Instructor
(513) 732-4823
ademartino@clermontdd.org

Roger Moning, Job Placement Specialist
(513) 732-4843
rmoning@clermontdd.org

Bridges to Transition is a Vocational Rehabilitation Public Private Partnership (VRP3), a grant funded by County Boards of Developmental Disabilities and the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission. The goal of Bridges is to expand career exploration and employment options for transition youth with developmental disabilities. The Ohio Association of County Boards is providing statewide project management and support for this VRP3.

The Bridges to Transition Program assists underserved areas of the state to develop employment opportunities for youth (ages 14 to 22) as they transition from school to employment.  The mission is to enhance their vocational opportunities, better enabling them to become productive and work-ready upon graduation.

This summer, Clermont DD’s Bridges to Transition students worked at Grants Farm, YMCA, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Coney Island and the Owensville Library.  They were all paid for their work experience.  Each student worked three days a week, had a two-week rotation at three sites for a total of a six-week work experience.

Students worked with peers from school districts across Clermont County and a job coach to learn job-seeking skills, interviewing, work skills, work attitude and behaviors.   The different jobs offered students a chance to try different things (working outside vs. inside) and job tasks (cleaning vs. sorting and stacking books).  The assessment is to help the students gain experience, learn what they like, what they are good at and what they still need to practice.

Seventeen students participated in the summer work experience in 2012.  Eric Pauly said “I like meeting new people.”