The Simcoe Muskoka Service Collaborative determined that Transition Age Youth (TAY)  are better served if all agencies working with them share a common approach that recognizes the unique needs of TAY and provides timely, innovative services that are youth-centered, accessible, coordinated, evidence-based, community-driven, and as least intrusive as possible. 

The Service Collaborative decided to use the Transition to Independence Process (TIP) Model^TM – an evidence-supported practice that provides guidelines and core practices (specific activities that service providers do with youth seeking service – this include future planning, goal setting, skill building, mediation, etc.) to support service providers when engaging youth. It was designed to involve youth and young adults (14-29 years old) in a process that helps them to become more independent and successfully achieve life goals, especially those related to:

• employment/career;

• education;

• living situation;

• personal effectiveness/well-being; and

• community-life functioning.

The TIP Model builds on existing staff roles, skills and youth initiatives within the community, so you do not need to hire staff or to add programs in order to implement it.  TIP acts as a template for service providers across many sectors (see list below). The TIP Model would support the development of a system of care for TAY. 

Transition Age Youth System of Supports (TAY SoS) Partnership

The TAYSoS Partnership is a community-led partnership designed to create a fully integrated system of supports to assist youth and their families through the transition to adulthood. The initiative supports the implementation of the TIP Model and is intended to be as broad as possible for this age range by including health, education, employment, community and social support programs (see complete list below). 

Creating a complete system of care meant that all TAY in Simcoe Muskoka would have equal access to services and supports, regardless of their age, race, gender or sexual orientation. The Service Collaborative used the Health Equity ImpactAssessment (HEIA) tool to identify strategies to ensure all youth benefited from the TAY SoS Partnership and developed a set of guidelines to support agencies to adapt TIP’s core practices to meet the unique needs of TAY. The TIP Model supports the development of the TAY system of supports by:                    

• providing strategies for connecting with TAY that help them plan for their future, set goals, solve problems and resolve conflicts;

• developing a common language for service providers and improving collaboration;

• fitting within existing programs and community initiatives; and 

• using a youth-friendly, person-centered approach.

To date, 45 agencies from 14 sectors are involved in the Simcoe Muskoka Service Collaborative and TAY SoS Partnership. Sectors include:

• youth mental health and addictions / adult mental health and addictions
• peer support
• government
• housing and homelessness
• primary care
• youth justice
• youth services
• child welfare services
• cultural/linguistic services
• education
• employment
• developmental services

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