Overview
Make Things Happen is a training program about helping youth with special health care needs (YSHCN) prepare for adult life. It's intended for care coordinators, case managers, social workers and others who work with YSHCN and their families. Participants learn to Make Things Happen through:

• Maximized Community Involvement
• Thoughtful Planning
• Healthy Living

Workshops
The one-day training program was delivered in three regional workshops in 2007, in Framingham, Holyoke and Shrewsbury, MA. Ninety-six individuals were trained. There are no additional workshops planned at this time.

Curriculum
Make Things Happen emphasizes concrete and practical strategies to assist youth and their families. The primary focus is on health care, healthy living, education, employment, and independent living. Additional topics include public benefits and legal issues. Participants come away with practical information and resources important to ensuring a physically and emotionally healthy adulthood for youth with special health care needs. Review or download the curriculum.

Transition Checklist
The Make Things Happen Transition Checklist is helpful for talking with youth and families about planning for the future. It helps identify critical questions and guide planning related to activities of daily living; secondary education; postsecondary education and employment; health care and healthy living;
benefits, housing, legal and financial concerns; and recreation and companionship. It is included in the curriculum (see Appendix B) and is also available here. Review or download the checklist.

Additional Resources
At the 2007 workshops, participants were given a binder of resource materials related to transition.  While we are unable to post its contents, a list of those materials is included in the curriculum (see Appendix G). In addition, the links list in the Transition to Adulthood section of our Resource Center has been expanded and reorganized according to the topics covered in Make Things Happen.

Support
Make Things Happen is a collaboration of the Consortium and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and is supported by the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration.