The transition from adolescence to adulthood is a crucial stage of development in every person's life. The ability to function in adult roles is largely determined by the ability to master the critical life skills and rites of passage during this phase of life; yet Ohio's public mental health system has not done an adequate job in engaging and supporting the transition to adulthood for young adults with severe mental and emotional disorders. The Transition Youth Advocacy Group was formed in 2006 to address the barriers in utilization of services and supports through networking and policy advocacy. During this workshop we will review the history of this collaborative, current barriers, and our action plan for policy change.eir constituents. Although advocates operate with the best of intentions, it is easy to cancel out efforts made by others trying to achieve similar goals. This session will bring together advocates to find common ground and develop strategies to work together to move their agendas forward.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the process for stakeholder consensus building
• Understand the current fiscal and policy barriers to "transforming" the mental health system
• Identify resources for evaluation of mental health policy effectiveness
• Identify the current mechanisms for mental health policy collaboration