Policy Context for Transitions to Adulthood Experienced by Young People with Complex Support Needs: Australian Federal and State Perspectives

Young people with disability and complex support needs are often marginalized and have poor post-school outcomes. These youth often experience disability combined with mental health and behavioral issues, family dysfunction, and involvement with out-of-home care and/or juvenile justice. They often have difficulty accessing support services, such as primary health, mental health, and disability services. These difficulties are likely to increase as they transition to adulthood, potentially resulting in significant social and economic costs. Supported transition planning to adulthood that considers the interaction and relationships a young person has with all of their environments and support services has been shown to increase the likelihood of positive adult outcomes. The current policy mapping study aimed to examine how multisystemic transitions for young people with complex support needs are addressed in current Australian policy. National and state policies were located and qualitatively analyzed. The analysis identified a need for clarity around the terms transition and complex support needs, as well as greater awareness and action in the area of transition planning for young people with complex support needs.