Pathways to Independence: A Transition Podcast

Dr. Juan Treminio sits down with two leaders from the San Diego Regional Center (SDRC). Rebecca Hamada, Assistant Director of Client Services, oversees Children's and Transition Aged Youth Services for individuals ages 6-22 and is passionate about supporting youth and families through critical transition periods. Michelle Flores, Employment Resource Coordinator with Community Services, oversees employment programs and services for adults ages 18 and older, including SDRC's paid internship program and Project SEARCH, and is passionate about expanding inclusive employment opportunities and building strong community partnerships.

The conversation tackles common misconceptions about Regional Center, starting with why families should keep their case active during the school years instead of inactivating it. Rebecca explains that school-aged clients can still access services such as respite, social recreation, and conference attendance, and that reactivating a case at 22 can mean a new intake process, lost planning time, and a gap in services. Michelle explains "exhaustion of generic services," the rule that school-funded resources must be used first, which is why a 16- or 17-year-old still in school cannot yet access an SDRC paid internship.

Rebecca and Michelle describe how SDRC connects with IEP teams: families can invite their service coordinator to IEP meetings (with at least two weeks' notice), and teams can align the IEP and ITP with the Regional Center's Individual Program Plan (IPP). They share advice for charter school leaders and case managers on building rapport with service coordinators and regional program managers, inviting SDRC staff to visit schools, and attending outreach events such as the SDRC Vendor and Family Resource Fair, the Employment Services Conference, People First, and Leading the Charge.

The episode also covers key timelines (SDRC begins transition and employment conversations around age 16, and families should explore programs at least a year before exiting school), the value of person-centered planning, how families can advocate without feeling like a burden, current employment vendor capacity and wait lists, and creative ways students can lead their own IEPs, from PowerPoint presentations to pre-recorded videos and letters read aloud.

Dr. Juan Treminio interviews Dean Wies, who has spent 31 years as a transition teacher and is currently a lead teacher in an adult transition program serving students ages 18-22. Dean describes his program's structure (9 classrooms, 11-14 students each, heterogeneous ability levels ranging from students needing full physical support to students with driver's licenses) and explains his philosophy of treating students as adults with real responsibilities and natural consequences.

The conversation covers how the program builds functional life skills (banking, money management, self-advocacy) to counter "learned helplessness" some students develop in high school; how Individual Transition Plans (ITPs) are built around student-driven interviews and interests (e.g., wanting to work at Chick-fil-A, live in a group home, or learn to drive); and how video documentation in IEPs has been a powerful, trust-building tool for showing families skills growth they wouldn't otherwise believe.

Dean also details the mechanics of job placement: a team of job developers who solicit paid (workability-grant-funded) and volunteer job sites and formalize each placement with a detailed "job contract." He explains his program's close collaboration with the San Diego Regional Center (inviting caseworkers to IEPs), and with programs like Miramar College's College to Career (C2C) program, a competitive three-year certificate program. Dean shares how he began proactively connecting families to outside agencies after seeing students sit idle for months post-graduation, which evolved into an annual resource fair.

The episode closes with Dean's observations on a demographic shift toward more students with higher support needs entering transition programs since the alternate diploma pathway was introduced, his advice for early-grade educators (start functional skills young; let students fail safely), and a walkthrough of his classroom's daily routine (morning check-in, community outings, job sites, afternoon IEP-goal work).

Season One of Pathways to Independence was built on a simple belief: that the educators and specialists doing transition work every day have something worth saying and that the field is better when those voices are in conversation with each other. Jamie Kain brought that belief to life when she created this podcast, and this finale is a fitting close to the season she built.

In this episode, Jamie sits down with incoming host Juan Treminio for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about what transition planning is really for and where the field too often gets it wrong. They dig into the independent living component that gets skipped, the difference between self-advocacy as a checkbox and self-determination as a practice, how family expectations and student voice can pull in opposite directions, and why going door-to-door to local businesses to create vocational opportunities is still one of the most powerful things a transition team can do.

Juan also shares a preview of what Season Two will look like: a deeper focus on interagency collaboration, with guests from the Department of Rehabilitation, Regional Centers, and community employers who have worked directly with students with disabilities.

This episode also marks a transition of its own. Jamie is passing the hosting reins to Juan Treminio, Program Specialist in Transition Services at El Dorado County Charter SELPA, who will carry Pathways to Independence into Season Two.

To Jamie: thank you for building something that matters.

To our listeners: Season Two is coming.

In this episode of Pathways to Independence, Jamie Kain of El Dorado County Charter SELPA speaks with Dr. Patrick Gaffney, Director of Student Services at Clayton Valley Charter High School, about their unique transition program for students with IEPs aged 18-22. Dr. Gaffney shares the development and success of their adult transition program, emphasizing the importance of community partnerships, family engagement, and an adaptable, innovative approach. The conversation highlights the logistics, challenges, and achievements of the program, offering insights for other schools looking to implement similar initiatives.

How can schools maintain the connection between the everyday activities of the ITP and the goal of independent adulthood for students?

In this episode of the Pathways to Independence podcast, Jamie Kain, Program Specialist for the El Dorado County Charter SELPA, discusses the importance of social-emotional supports for students with IEPs as they transition to adulthood. Joined by Sean Andrew, Program Coordinator of Student Wellness, they explore the challenges, solutions, and best practices in supporting these students. Sean shares his experiences from working in special education, emphasizing the need for trauma-informed practices, mental health services, and seamless transitions between school and adult care. They also discuss the pivotal role of families and the importance of professional development for educational staff.

• Mental Health and Transition: Exploring the need for appropriate social-emotional supports and the integration of mental health services into IEPs.

• Addressing the "Service Cliff": Highlighting the need to create a seamless bridge between school services and adult mental health supports to ensure continuity of care.

• School Strategies: Practical steps for schools, including integrating life skills into the curriculum (stress management, self-advocacy), expanding peer mentorship, and staff training