National Survey of State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency and Veterans Affairs Interagency Collaborations: An Emerging Conceptual Framework for Co-Serving Veterans of Color with Disabilities

Abstract

This national study examined the perceptions of state vocational rehabilitation agency (SVRA) administrators (N = 39) about SVRA and United States Department of Veterans Affairs Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VA-VR&E) Program co-service practices that could facilitate improved employment outcomes among veterans of color (i.e., African Americans, Native Americans or Alaskan Natives, Latinos, and Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders) with disabilities. The investigators collected data using a survey of promising co-service practices and collaborations, and their subsequent analysis yielded 11 key themes that were catalogued into the following five domains; job placement services, referral services, cultural diversity, co-service agreements, and co-agency procedures. Generated findings informed the development of an emerging conceptual framework for a new “SVRA and VA-VR&E Co- Service Model” presented herein that could be considered for future evaluation and adoption by these agencies.