Abstract
Multi-Phase Veteran Engagement to Develop a Spinal Cord Injury Employment Survey Denise C. Fyffe, PhD, Bridget A. Cotner, PhD, Lisa Ottomanelli, PhD, Ashleigh Quinn, BS, Deveney Ching, MA, Conner T. Clark, BA, Paul J. Tobin, MSW, and John O'Neill, PhD What Is the Purpose of this Study/Review? • To adapt an employment survey for veterans living with spinal cord injury (SCI). • To describe the process and outcomes of actively engaging veterans living with SCI in the revision of an employment survey. What Is the Problem? • Seeking, obtaining, and maintaining employment are some of the most difficult economic challenges reported by persons living with an SCI. • Few SCI employment studies have examined striving to work strategies used by veterans with SCI to overcome employment barriers. • Although there are employment surveys for people living with disabilities, none exist for veterans living with an SCI. • This project will adapt an existing employment survey to better understand the employment experiences of veterans living with SCI who are striving to work. What Are the Findings? • Veterans described the following barriers looking for and at work: 1) concern about losing government assistance or benefits; 2) employers assumed you cannot do the job because of your disability; and 3) negative attitudes on the part of supervisors and co-workers. • Veterans described the following ways to overcome barriers: 1) strong social networks; 2) supportive supervisors and co-workers; and 3) strategies to manage and prevent medical complications. • Engaging veterans in multiple phases informed the revisions of an employment survey about the lived experience of veterans seeking, obtaining, and maintaining employment after a SCI. Who Should Care Most? • Veterans living with a SCI. • Employers of veterans living with SCI. • Vocational rehabilitation service employees. • Rehabilitation researchers and clinicians interested in using a veteran-centered approach to improve employment outcomes of veterans living with SCI. [End Page e3] Recommendations for Action • Engage veterans living with SCI throughout the research process, from planning to disseminating, to improve survey tools and other outcomes. • The strategies used in this study to engage veterans living with SCI may be applied to research with other disability groups: 1) involve existing stakeholder groups, 2) create a study-specific engagement group, and 3) collaborate with participants to inform study procedures and materials. [End Page e4] Denise C. Fyffe Kessler Foundation New Jersey Medical School Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey Bridget A. Cotner James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital and Clinics Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida Lisa Ottomanelli James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital and Clinics Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling Program, Department of Child and Family Studies, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, University of South Florida Ashleigh Quinn Kessler Foundation Deveney Ching James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital and Clinics Conner T. Clark Kessler Foundation Paul J. Tobin Quality of Life Advisors John O'Neill Kessler Foundation New Jersey Medical School Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey Copyright © 2023 Johns Hopkins University Press
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