Affiliations: [a] Mathematica, Washington, DC, USA
| [b] Mathematica, Princeton, NJ, USA
Correspondence:
[*]
Address for correspondence: Gina Livermore, Mathematica, 1100 1st Street NE, FL12, Washington, DC 20002, USA. Tel.: +1 202 264 3462; Fax: +1 202 863 1763; E-mail: glivermore@mathematica-mpr.com.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:PROMISE was a federal initiative to support youth receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) during the transition to adulthood. OBJECTIVE:This article discusses insights gained from the national PROMISE evaluation about the current transition system. METHODS:The national evaluation relied on a randomized controlled trial design and information obtained from staff interviews, surveys of parents and youth, and program administrative data. RESULTS:The authors found that: (1) many SSI youth received transition services without PROMISE, but that there was substantial room for PROMISE to improve service use; (2) intensive case management, facilitating early work experiences, and a family focus were the primary PROMISE innovations to usual services; (3) formal partnerships enhanced interagency collaboration but required time to form, service benchmarks, and regular communication; (4) identifying SSI youth for outreach is challenging under the current system; (5) PROMISE service costs represented relatively large investments; and (6) the intensive case management offered by PROMISE might be difficult to sustain in the current system. CONCLUSIONS:Lessons from PROMISE are relevant to current initiatives supporting youth with disabilities during the transition to adulthood. The evaluation will assess the longer-term impacts of PROMISE and provide information about its potential for generating long-term benefits.
