Empowering Successful Healthcare Transitions: Key Roles and Strategies for Social Work (Non-CE)

Overview

With the advancement of medicine, many children and youth with special healthcare needs (CYSHCN) are living into adulthood. The transition from pediatric to adult healthcare for young adults with special healthcare needs is an intricate process that requires careful planning and organization. Research has confirmed that patients are at a heightened risk of losing their connection to medical care during the transition phase. The transition of young people with chronic conditions is associated with a considerable risk of declining care adherence and worsening health status.

A successful transition to adulthood—whether for youth with or without complex health needs—relies on social workers, teachers, and clinicians. This presentation will provide social workers with essential knowledge and practical strategies to support youth with and without complex health needs as they transition to adulthood.

Objectives

1. Strengthening Foundational Knowledge – Social workers will gain a deeper understanding of key transition areas, including healthcare, education, and independent living, allowing them to better assist youth at different developmental stages.
2. Enhancing Guidance and Advocacy Skills – It will equip social workers with the tools to educate and empower youth and families on critical issues such as self-management, insurance changes, program eligibility, and legal rights regarding privacy and decision-making.
3. Promoting Positive Outcomes – By applying best practices in transition planning, social workers can help youth build confidence and access necessary resources.

Registration and CE Information

• This listing is for those not needing CEs.
• Please see the CE version if you need CEs for this event
• The live webinar will be held October 3, 2025, from 10:00am - 11:30am
• Once registered, you will be able to access the course site to complete the Zoom registration to receive the link for the webinar.

Presenter: Claire Cook

Claire Cook is the Title V Transition Specialist at UIC: Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC). Claire's role at DSCC is to help youth with special healthcare needs make a smooth and successful transition to all aspects of adult life. Claire works to provide transition-focused support to DSCC care coordination teams and outside healthcare, school, and social service providers. Before joining the Transition Team, she was a Care Coordinator at DSCC for several years. Claire received her master's in social work in 2019 from the University of Illinois. She has previously worked in mental health, substance abuse, and child welfare as a social worker.

Presenter: Courtney Kerfoot

Courtney Kerfoot serves as DSCC’s Integrated Program Support Specialist for UIC’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC). She has been with DSCC since 2015. Prior to coming to DSCC, her background was in child and adolescent outpatient therapy. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Human Development Counseling. Courtney’s work at DSCC is dedicated to collaborating with teams to ensure quality service delivery, assisting with initiatives aimed at transitioning CYSHCN to adulthood, and contributing to a variety of projects aimed at enhancing the quality of services provided to individuals and families and improving the system of care.