TIP System Definition: System Guidelines

The Transition to Independence Process (TIP) model was developed for working with youth and young adults (14-29 years old) with emotional/behavioral difficulties (EBD) to: a) engage them in their own futures planning process; b) provide them with developmentally-appropriate, non-stigmatizing, culturally-competent, and appealing services and supports; and c) involve them and their families and other informal key players in a process that prepares and facilitates them in their movement toward greater self-sufficiency and successful achievement of their goals related to relevant transition domains -- employment/career, educational opportunities, living situation, personal effectiveness and wellbeing, and community-life functioning.

The TIP system is operationalized through seven guidelines and their associated core practices that drive the activities with the young people and provide the framework for the program and community system to support these functions.

TIP System Guidelines

1. Engage young people through relationship development, person-centered planning, and a focus on their futures.

2. Tailor services and supports to be accessible, coordinated, appealing, non-stigmatizing, developmentally-appropriate, and build on strengths to enable the young people to pursue their goals across all transition domains.

3. Acknowledge and develop personal choice and social responsibility with young people.

4. Ensure a safety-net of support by involving a young person's parents, family members, and other informal and formal key players.

5. Enhance young persons competencies to assist them in achieving greater self-sufficiency and confidence.

6. Maintain an outcome focus in the TIP system at the young person, program, and community levels.

7. Involve young people, parents, and other community partners in the TIP system at the practice, program, and community levels.

Theory and Research Underpinnings for the TIP Model

The TIP model is considered to be an evidence-supported practice based on six published studies that demonstrate improvement in real-life outcomes for youth and young adults with emotional/behavioral difficulties (EBD). If you want to learn more regarding these research findings, please refer to the Theory and Research section of this web site.

Purveyor of the TIP model

The National Network on Youth Transition for Behavioral Health (NNYT) serves as the Purveyor of the TIP model to assist agencies, counties, and states with the implementation of the TIP system in their communities. For more information on these types of consultative services, please refer to the How can we help? button on this TIP model website.

The Transition Handbook

The Transition Handbook (2009) contains the fully updated TIP System Development and Operations Manual as Chapter 2.

• The Operations Manual describes the entire Transition to Independence Process (TIP) Model and illustrates the guidelines and practices that enable Transition Facilitators to work effectively with the youth and young adults and their families.
• The Operations Manual is now presented as: Navigating the Obstacle Course: An Evidence-Supported Community Transition System (Chapter 2) - Hewitt B. "Rusty" Clark & Karen Hart.

The Transition Handbook:

• Clark, H.B., & Unruh, D.K. (2009). Transition of youth and young adults with emotional or behavioral difficulties: An evidence-supported handbook. Baltimore: Brookes Publishing.
• Brookes Publishing Company web site: http://www.brookespublishing.com/clark