Sequencing of Services Community Initiative

Summary of Progress

In the school year 2022-2023, seven communities engaged in Colorado’s Interagency Sequencing of Services Initiative to build capacity around their transition efforts for students with disabilities by connecting with their interagency partners. These seven communities received technical assistance from state leadership to support their efforts with implementing the Key Components of this Initiative, with the first priority being to help communities build interagency transition teams. Once teams were established the communities focused on improving their systems of communication, engaging with families, increasing their understanding of transition services available, improving referrals, and in general focusing on improving access to services for improved student outcomes. Communities organized their efforts around the interagency framework of the 6 Core Student Outcomes with the intention of more collaboratively supporting students.

Four communities, Denver, Mesa, Weld, and Pueblo have been working to build capacity around the Interagency Sequencing of Services Initiative for the past two years. The focus this past year was to start working with students and to promote the idea of collaborative team planning all driven by the student’s vision and interests related to the 6 Core Student Outcomes.  Interagency transition teams in these communities had to identify students, build relationships with their families, increase their professional development, build communication systems and other processes that support schools working with community partners. While each community made progress there was also a lot of learning that took place and identified areas for improvement. With increasing interest in the Initiative, three more communities, Poudre, Aurora, and Canon City joined this past year and worked hard to build their interagency transition teams and started resource mapping which are the foundational aspects for implementing this work.

With more communities on board and more opportunities for cross training and learning across the seven sites, several themes emerged in understanding the implementation of the Interagency Sequencing of Services Initiative and what impacts progress and success. The themes identified that impact implementation in these seven communities related to the level of transition expertise and knowledge of how interagency partnerships can impact adult outcomes. Along with transition expertise was how transition was valued within a school district and the level of administrative buy-in. Another theme was the community’s value in collaboration and how they see the investment in this work benefiting their job and their students. Additionally, school-based resources such as people’s time to commit to the work and systems and technology available impacted implementation. Lastly, a community’s ability to utilize their innovation, creativity, and initiative to personalize their efforts and brand their interagency transition team’s work for their students, families and professionals made a big difference in the Initiative’s momentum.

Colorado’s Interagency Sequencing of Services Initiative will continue in the school year 2023-2024 in providing ongoing technical assistance and support for the same seven communities. Additionally, the Colorado Department of Education will also be supporting three more communities, Jefferson County, Montrose and Fort Carson/Fountain who have all expressed interest to start to engage with the Initiative and have committed to enhancing their interagency collaboration efforts.

Impact of Sequencing of Services

Learn About the Local Community  

Denver County

Mesa County

Pueblo City

Weld RE-8/3J

Denver County 

Denver's Vision: 

Collaborate across agencies and stakeholders to build a system that aligns equitable and inclusive transition services and programs that empower and support students and youth with disabilities to actively engage in achieving their desired post-school goals.

Denver's Purpose: 

Through the alignment and coordination of equitable and inclusive transition services, empower and support each and every student and youth with a disability to develop the necessary skills to actively pursue and obtain their individual post-school goals and interests.

Contact: 

Amy Swisher 
Email Amy Swisher

View a full list of Denver's Sequencing of Service partners (Google Doc)

Mesa County D51

Mesa's Vision: 

Each student, along with their family, will be empowered and supported to achieve the student’s individualized goals in employment, independent living and post-secondary education.

Mesa's Purpose

MESA Interagency Transition Team will create a coordinated system of transition services designed to empower students to navigate and utilize resources to achieve their individualized post school goals.

Contact: 

Bob Barrows, Transition Consultant D51
Email Bob Barrows

View a full list of Mesa County D51 Sequencing of Service partners (Google Doc)

Pueblo City - D60

Pueblo's Vision: 

The Pueblo SOS Interagency Team, through improved understanding of each partner's services, will design a cross agency partnership to create a system of coordinated transition services beginning in middle school. Our interagency team will utilize our partnerships to foster a community focused on delivering services that support families and students with disabilities to develop self-advocacy while creating a seamless transition from school to post school environments. 

Pueblo's Purpose

Students and their families have the confidence and support necessary to make decisions about their future that provide a smooth transition toward the achievement of their desired post-secondary goals in employment, education and community living.

Contact: 

Rachel Manzanares
Email Rachel Manzanares

View a full list of Pueblo City D-60 Sequencing of Service Partners (Google Doc)

Weld RE-8/3J

Weld RE-8/3J's Vision: 

Students with disabilities in the Weld RE-8/3J Consortium are empowered to lead their transition plan, to make informed decisions about their post secondary goals, and are provided the support to access needed transition services and resources.

Weld RE-8/3J's Purpose:

The Weld RE-8/3J Consortium interagency team will collaborate and coordinate transition services for  students with disabilities and their families to facilitate their understanding and access to available resources.

Contact: 

Kacy Little Owl, Transition Coordinator 
Email Kacy Little Owl

View a full list of Weld Re-8/3J Consortium Partners (Google Doc)