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Advancing Equity for Hispanic Transition-Age Youth in the Chicagoland Area

Background

  • Background: Darcy Contri and 3 trainees last year completed drafts of videos; we wanted to update the materials and narrow down content to be more specific.
  • This is the point of this project:
    • Narrowed scope to Chicago and the surrounding areas vs Illinois as a whole state (context)
      • Urban vs. Suburban vs. Rural
    • Geared towards the Hispanic population
      • Hispanic vs. Latina/o/e/x
    • Transition-age youth with disabilities
  • Informational resource-based videos, resource document, and literature review aimed at:
    • Peer to Peer
    • Caregivers

Methods

  • Literature Review completed January 2022 by Edwin
  • Final English video products were completed in April 2022 by Claudia (teens and parents/guardians)
  • Final resource document completed by Kayleigh in April 2022. Spanish translation is in works.
  • Spanish final video products are currently in progress and to be completed by end of April 2022 as well as the final research paper by Edwin.
  • TBD: website with easy to access links to all resources

Kayleigh Geisse, Edwin Monárrez, Claudia Piatek

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Key Findings- Barriers and Facilitators of a Successful Transition into Adulthood

  • Individual
    • Hispanic youth with disabilities are less likely to go to graduate high school, seek out post-secondary schooling or training, apply and get accepted into programs/training in the area they are interested, or gain meaningful employment
  • Community
    • Service shortages in areas that are heavily populated by Hispanic people, fear of policing and governmental repercussion regarding citizenship, the spread of misinformation amongst community members, shortages in funding
  • Culture
    • Internalized and external negative communal stigmas and biases, deficit model thinking, lack of experience and education regarding disabilities, interdependence vs. independence, historical distrust of the dominant culture
  • Cultural Brokering: “The act of bridging or mediating between groups or persons of differing cultural backgrounds to reduce conflicts or produce change (Jezewski, 1990; Jezewski & Sotnik, 2001).
    • Advocate and activate on behalf of the purpose
    • Potential for cultural brokers in the community to help ease the transition process and make it more successful

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Recommendations and Implications

  • Narrowly focused topic as to not spread too thin and provide more detailed analysis
    • Opens it up for future trainees to explore:
      • Other locations, rural/suburban, different populations
  • Darcy Contri will disseminate the videos and resource documents through the DSCC (Division of Specialized Care for Children) and Edwin will be disseminating the information through Grupo Salto
  • Website with resources would make this information even more accessible to individuals and families
  • Videos are both in English and Spanish to inclusively reach more individuals and families, however it is difficult to ensure that everyone who would benefit from these resources will receive/be aware of them.
    • We are in the process of discussing hosting a webinar in late May

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