The Vocational Rehabilitation Continuum: Maximizing Outcomes through Bridging the Gap from Hospital to Community-Based Services

Abstract

Objective: To describe and examine the effects of a specialized brain injury vocational service delivery model on vocational outcome for individuals with traumatic or other acquired brain injury. Design: A prospective case series was used. Setting: Inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation departments at a large midwest regional trauma center. Participants: Eighty adults with traumatic or other acquired brain injury were residents of the state of Minnesota, did not have a primary psychiatric or substance abuse diagnosis, and did not live in a residential care facility. Main Outcome Measures: Vocational Outcome Scale (VOS), Client Satisfaction Survey, and data on participant's level of independent living, job type and setting, rate of pay, and number of hours worked per week. Results: Through emphasizing early vocational intervention, closely integrating this with medical rehabilitative treatment, and providing a smooth transition from medical to community-based services, 40% of project participants were placed in a job within the first 3 months of project participation; about 70% were placed within 12 months of project participation. Those placed have an average rate of pay of $7.70 per hour and a 90-day job retention rate of 100%. Conclusions: Results indicate that this system of specialized brain injury vocational service delivery is effective.