RISEI Lab Maine Pathways to Partnerships P2P Partners & Services $2.98M Federal Model Demonstration 2023–2028 RISEI Lab Maine Pathways to Partnerships P2P Partners & Services $2.98M Federal Model Demonstration 2023–2028
Live Directory · Maine Pathways to Partnerships

Every Maine kid deserves a clear path from school to career.

Seven state agencies, one coordinated pathway. Click any partner card to flip it over — explore the services, read student stories, and find the exact form you need to get started.

$7.6M
Federal P2P Award
7
Core Partner Agencies
300–500
Youth Served / Cohort
10–24
Age Range
The P2P Model

Five services. One coordinated pathway.

Every P2P student has access to coordinated services across five evidence-based domains, tailored by age. Hover any circle.

Benefits
Counseling
CWIC · SSI/SSDI
Career
Exploration
Interests · Pathways
Financial
Literacy
Budget · ABLE · Credit
Pre-ETS
5 Required Services
Self-
Advocacy
IEP · Voice · Rights
RISEI Evidence Brief · Making Time Count

Where does a typical young Mainer's VR time go?

On average, young Mainers spend ~3 years in VR — but 40% of that time is spent waiting for services, not receiving them. P2P is built to close that gap.

11.6
Avg. quarters in VR
(~3 years)
40%
Of VR time spent waiting for services
42%
Of VR time spent in employment
20%
Of VR time receiving purchased services

Source: Yin, M. & Guerrero, D. Making Time Count in VR. RISEI Policy Brief. Read the full brief →

Core Partners · Click to Flip

Seven agencies. One kid-centered mission.

Click (or hover on desktop) any card to flip it and see services, eligibility, and enrollment links. Survey and consent forms activate as each partner opens its data collection window.

P2P

Maine Department of Education

Office of Special Services

DOE · School Integration

  • Career & Technical Education (CTE) integration
  • IEP/504 alignment with P2P services
  • Pilot schools: RSU 29 & RSU 71
  • Educator PD on transition
  • Training: P2P 101, IDEA & Transition, Apprenticeship

Maine Parent Federation

Empower the Learner · Families

MPF · Family Engagement

  • Empower the Learner (ETL): Access, Engage, Express
  • Student portfolio that grows with the learner
  • Parent Nights & family training
  • Career awareness pilot activities
  • Staff available for grant activities

Disability Rights Maine

Self-Advocacy · Youth Rights

DRM · Self-Advocacy

  • 4-week hybrid curriculum (60–90 min, 2×/week)
  • Wk 1: Disability Isn't a Bad Word
  • Wk 2: Self-Advocacy & Mapping Supporters
  • Wk 3: Student-Led IEP (BINGO & roleplay)
  • Wk 4: Vision Board
  • Crafting Change virtual community (ages 13–22)
Lead Agency

Maine Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

Lead Agency · Maine DOL

DVR · Pre-ETS Lead

  • Job Exploration Counseling
  • Work-Based Learning Experiences
  • Post-Secondary Training Counseling
  • Workplace Readiness Training
  • Self-Advocacy Instruction
  • Eligible: students with disabilities ages 14–22

Alpha One

Center for Independent Living

Alpha One · Independent Living

  • Run by people with disabilities, for people with disabilities
  • Youth Transition program (in development)
  • Peer Support Services · Information & Referral
  • Adaptive Driver Evaluation
  • Powering Education Scholarship
  • Loans & grants for home modifications

MaineHealth Benefits Counseling

CWIC · Work Incentives

MaineHealth · Benefits CWIC

  • Helps Mainers 14+ understand work & disability benefits
  • 8 statewide CWICs · 2 dedicated to P2P
  • Active since 2002 · trusted statewide
  • Multi-family approach (household benefit interactions)
  • Available to any P2P student receiving a public benefit

Division for the Blind & Visually Impaired

Maine DOL · Specialized VR

DBVI · Specialized VR

  • Assistive technology assessment & provision
  • Orientation & mobility training
  • Braille & low-vision reading instruction
  • Pre-ETS tailored for blind / low-vision students
  • Sister agency to DVR within Maine DOL
Evidence · Policy Brief

P2P sits on a national evidence base showing disability employment policy works.

The first national quasi-experimental study of Section 14(c) elimination found no aggregate job loss and meaningful reductions in welfare receipt — the kind of outcomes P2P's integrated services are designed to scale.

0
Aggregate job loss from 14(c) elimination
12.4%
Decline in welfare receipt among workers with disabilities
15
States analyzed (2015–2024)
18
States have now eliminated 14(c)

Source: Yin, Seo & Vu (2026). Labour Economics 100, 102884. See the full dashboard →

Student Voices

What P2P looks like from the inside.

Composite illustrations drawn from early P2P participant experiences. Photos, names, and quotes are placeholders — each will be replaced with a real student story after consent.

Taylor, Age 17

RSU 29 · ETL Portfolio + Pre-ETS
Before P2P, I didn't know how to explain what I needed in class. My Empower the Learner portfolio helped me walk into my IEP meeting and say "this is how I learn best." My teachers listened.
MPF DVR Pre-ETS

Jordan, Age 19

Recent graduate · Benefits + DVR
I was scared that working part-time would mean losing my SSI. My CWIC walked through every scenario with me and my mom. Now I have a job at the hardware store and my benefits are protected.
MaineHealth CWIC DVR

Alex, Age 14

RSU 71 · Self-Advocacy Curriculum
Doing the Vision Board at the end of the DRM class was the first time I got to say out loud what I wanted my life to look like. I put "own my own apartment" on there, and my mom didn't say I couldn't.
DRM Alpha One
Take Action

Enroll a student. Share your voice. Start a conversation.

Four live pathways into Maine P2P. Consent is built into each survey, so no separate form is needed.

For Families & Students

Student & Family Enrollment

Ages 10–24 with a documented disability, IEP, or 504 plan. One-page form to join P2P services.

Open Enrollment Form →

Student Voice Survey

Share your experience. Pick the form for your age — consent is built in.

For Educators & Districts

Service Provider Survey

For educators, counselors, and P2P service providers. Share your perspective on training and service delivery.

Open Survey →

School District Interest

For districts outside the RSU 29/71 pilot exploring a P2P partnership. Email Michelle to start the conversation.

Contact RISEI →
Evidence & Briefs

Research from the Maine P2P evaluation.

Policy briefs and working papers from RISEI Lab's evaluation of Maine P2P.

Making Time Count in Vocational Rehabilitation

How time-to-service affects youth outcomes in VR. RISEI policy brief.

Read the brief →

Maine P2P Project Overview

Full project page: goals, funding, evaluation design, timeline.

Project page →

RISEI Lab

Full portfolio of disability and employment research and briefs.

Visit RISEI →

P2P on Maine.gov

Official state program page maintained by Maine DVR.

maine.gov/pathways →

Evaluation & Technical Assistance

National Evaluator: Mathematica · Maine PI: Michelle Yin, Ph.D., Northwestern University (RISEI Lab) · TA Partners: SVRI, TransCen, University of Maryland CTCI, NTACT:C

Contents developed under grant H421E230028 from the U.S. Department of Education. The Department does not mandate or prescribe practices described and content does not necessarily represent Department policy.