Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals Research Articles

Personal Characteristics Associated with Working After Disability Onset for People with Visual Impairments

Introduction: This study utilized data from the 2014 Survey of Disability and Employment (SDE) to examine personal characteristics that influenced employment after disability onset for people who are visually impaired (i.e., those who are blind or have low vision). Method: The selected sample from the SDE data set included 131 individuals who are visually impaired, had disability onset after age 14 years, and worked before their disability onset. Logistic regression was used to examine working after disability onset associated with age at disability onset, years since disability onset, gender, race, education, receipt of government disability benefits, self-reported health, encouragement received to work, additional disabilities, and the interaction between age at disability onset and years since disability onset. Results: Persons who were female, received government benefits, and had multiple disabilities were less likely to work after disability onset; persons who had more sources of encouragement were more likely to work after disability onset. Age at disability onset interacted with time since disability onset; as age increased, odds of working after disability onset increased but only for persons who had their disability for at least 4 years. Discussion: Persons with newly acquired disabilities may need time to adjust to their disability and learn new skills that allow them to continue employment. Information about how employment may influence receipt of government benefits would be helpful to persons evaluating their options regarding continuing employment. Implications for practitioners: A person who has not worked after recent disability onset may be adjusting to life with a disability and may return to work in the future. Encouragement to work from both service providers and family members made a meaningful difference in employment retention after disability onset, and this is an area that vocational rehabilitation professionals can influence.

Using a literacy-based behavioral intervention to teach job interviewing skills to adults with intellectual disability

BACKGROUND: Job interviewing serves a key function in the process of gaining employment. To date, no research has evaluated whether a literacy-based behavioral intervention (LBBI) might be used to improve the essential vocational skill of job interviewing. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of a LBBI for the acquisition of job interviewing skills. METHODS: Using a combined experimental design (non-concurrent multiple probe across participants with an embedded A1B1A2B2 design) three young adults with intellectual disability who received an in-person and remote LBBI were evaluated on their correct and independent performance on a task analysis created for job interviewing. Generalization and maintenance were also assessed. RESULTS: The results showed that all three students mastered job interviewing skills with 100% accuracy and maintained the acquired skills after the intervention was removed. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that LBBI is an effective tool to teach and practice job interviewing skills, and can be implemented face-to-face and virtually. Educators, vocational rehabilitation professionals, and families can use this tool in a wide range of settings.

Early Vocational Rehabilitation After Serious Injury or Illness: A Systematic Review

The aim of this systematic review was to compile the evidence for early vocational rehabilitation interventions for people with major injury or illness. Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Medline, CINAHL, and Psycinfo databases were searched. Five hundred abstracts were reviewed for eligibility. Full-text review of 125 studies revealed a total of 25 published studies that met the eligibility criteria to be included in this review evaluating early approaches to vocational rehabilitation and return to work. Findings suggest that intervening early with respect to an individual’s vocational goals is imperative, although the definition of “early” varies. Programs achieve better vocational outcomes when specifically employing comprehensive vocational interventions, including vocational assessment, individualized planning, and follow-up support, to ensure a person’s return to employment is timely and sustained. Integration of vocational rehabilitation professionals within a multidisciplinary team and access to advocacy services were shown to be effective inclusions in early vocational rehabilitation programs for people with a serious injury or illness.

Reframing workplace inclusion through the lens of universal design: Considerations for vocational rehabilitation professionals in the wake of COVID-19

BACKGROUND: The experience of disability and of how work is conducted in the American economy is undergoing new shifts in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This unique space in time provides an opportunity to re-examine the importance of universal design (UD) as a way to respond to a workforce that is growing more diverse and living longer with disabilities. UD is a set of strategies that creates places and resources that are accessible to all and considers the needs and wants of people from the outset. Through the use of UD, work environments can be more accessible and useable to all employees. OBJECTIVE: This article describes the changes in the experience of disability within the context of COVID-19 and defines UD and UD for learning principles. We then consider how UD reduces stigma and reduces the need for individual accommodations while promoting inclusivity and improving productivity in the workplace. CONCLUSION: We offer strategies for embedding UD into vocational rehabilitation from pre-professional training to practice, all with a new sense of urgency and opportunity that is present as a result of COVID-19.

The employment impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Americans with MS: Preliminary analysis

BACKGROUND: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been associated with unprecedented social and economic impacts in the United States, including significant cuts to the labor force, beginning in the spring of 2020. OBJECTIVE: In this study we examined the employment effects of the pandemic on Americans with multiple sclerosis (MS), a population that has historically experienced low rates of employment relative to the general population. METHODS: Based on a survey of a convenience sample of 69 members of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, we examined employment, health, and economic experiences between May and August, 2020. RESULTS: The results suggest potentially significant job loss. Specifically, in the present sample approximately 20% of participants who were previously employed reported losing employment as a result of the pandemic, and approximately 40% reported other work changes. At elevated risk for job loss were those with lower levels of education, African American workers, and workers reporting Hispanic, Latinx, or Spanish origin. Almost two-thirds of the participants reported that the pandemic had affected their financial status and over half (53.6%) reported that the pandemic had affected their ability to access their MS healthcare. CONCLUSION: We discuss the implications and potentially lasting effects of the current, complex employment situation faced by Americans living with MS, and the broader considerations for vocational rehabilitation professionals.

Comorbid Traumatic Brain Injury and Visual Impairment: Vocational Rehabilitation Service Provision and Agency-Level Outcomes

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate how services are provided to state–federal vocational rehabilitation consumers with comorbid traumatic brain injury (TBI) and visual impairment and the prevalence of and competitive employment rates for this population. Methods: We utilized a mixed-methods approach by incorporating interview data from 51 vocational rehabilitation agency administrators (to identify strategies used to serve these consumers) and case service data (to identify prevalence and competitive employment rates at the agency level). We combined the data to examine the relationship between strategies used and the prevalence of and employment outcomes for this population. A modified grounded theory approach was used for qualitative data analysis and descriptive statistics, and analyses of variance were used for quantitative data analyses. Results: Strategies used to serve these consumers included collaboration between counselors, involvement of external organizations, specialized TBI units or caseloads, staff training in TBI, and personnel with dual expertise in TBI and visual impairment. Over a third of agency administrators reported that they did not do anything special or different to serve this population. The average percentage of consumers with visual impairments who also had TBIs being served by agencies was 2.1%. Their average competitive employment rate by agency was 43.2%. Employing staff with dual expertise in TBI and visual impairment was associated with serving a greater percentage of consumers and having a higher competitive employment rate. Discussion: No agencies had a unique service delivery program or method to serve this population, perhaps due to its low prevalence. Agencies had substantial variability in the proportion of consumers with TBI and visual impairment served and their competitive employment rates. Implications for practitioners: Training vocational rehabilitation professionals to develop expertise in both TBIs and visual impairments may help agencies better serve these consumers.

The Impact of a Brief Meeting on Employer Attitudes, Knowledge, and Intent to Hire

We evaluated the ability of an intervention that consisted of a one-on-one meeting between a vocational rehabilitation (VR) professional and an employer to improve employer attitudes, knowledge, and intent to hire people who are blind or visually impaired. We evaluated the relative effectiveness of two approaches (dual customer vs. educational) and the impact of the VR professionals’ vision status (blind or sighted) on our primary outcome measures and on interest in follow-up. Participants were 59 hiring managers employed by a large company who completed measures at three time points: pre, post, and 4-month follow-up. We found that, regardless of approach used or vision status of the VR professional, the intervention was successful at improving employers’ attitudes, knowledge, and intent to hire. The educational approach resulted in increases in knowledge that were retained at follow-up, while the dual customer approach did not. Improvements in intent to hire were not retained at follow-up, suggesting that ongoing contact with employers will be beneficial to positively impact the hiring of people who are blind or visually impaired. These findings are particularly relevant given the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act’s focus on employer engagement for VR agencies.

A Second Look at Factors Associated with Employer Hiring Behavior Regarding People Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision

Introduction: Although negative employer attitudes and reasons that employers do not hire people with disabilities have both been investigated, little research has focused on why employers do hire people with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors associated with employer hiring behavior regarding people with visual impairments, including the opportunity to hire (i.e., application receipt). Method: Participants were a national sample of 388 hiring managers who completed an online survey that assessed their hiring experiences concerning people with visual impairments. Two logistic regression models were analyzed, one that included nine independent variables thought to be associated with hiring (Model 1) and one that included these nine variables plus application receipt (Model 2). Results: Variables that were significantly associated with hiring behavior in Model 1 were prior communication with vocational rehabilitation (VR) professionals, employer attitudes, company size, company policy, and personal relationship with someone with a visual impairment. Significant variables in Model 2 were received application, employer attitudes, and personal relationship. Discussion: As expected, application receipt was the most important predictor of hiring behavior, with odds of hiring increasing by more than 40 with receipt of an application. Despite this exceptionally strong relationship, employer attitudes and having a personal relationship remained significant predictors, indicating the robustness of attitudes as a determinant of why employers hire and the importance of personal connections to hiring behavior. Implications for practice: Employers cannot hire unless given the opportunity, and the first step to being hired is typically submitting an application. VR professionals should both encourage consumers to submit applications, providing support in this process as needed, and communicate with employers to encourage their consideration of these applications.

Managing absence and dropout in vocational rehabilitation – a mixed-methods analysis of practices and perspectives among vocational rehabilitation companies in Norway

Purpose: While absence and dropout represent challenges to the implementation of vocational rehabilitation programs in Norway, sanctions are rarely used in practice. The purpose of the article was to investigate the extent to which vocational rehabilitation managers and professionals experience that the absence regulations support a viable implementation of vocational rehabilitation programs.Methods: An open-ended question, asking vocational rehabilitation managers about their experiences in handling absence, was presented as part of an electronic questionnaire sent to all vocational rehabilitation companies in Norway. 72 managers (59%) responded to the open-ended question, and a qualitative content analysis was conducted. Insight from ten focus group interviews were included as part of the analyses.Results: Five thematic categories were created, which in their various ways demonstrate challenges associated with absence management in vocational rehabilitation programs: (i) failure of the Labour and welfare administration to react against unfounded absence; (ii) difficulties in distinguishing valid from nonvalid absence; (iii) uncertainty concerning the role of the general practitioner and medical documentation in the rehabilitation process; (iv) the prevalence of diffuse disorders and symptoms, and (v) lack of incentives and motivation among participants.Conclusions: Sound absence management requires a clarification of the role of the general practitioner in the vocational rehabilitation process and closer cooperation between general practitioners and vocational rehabilitation companies, to reduce unnecessary breaks in the process due to hasty issuing of sicknotes. Further, as absence management appears to be most difficult in relation to those with mental and social problems, a comprehensive view on disability and follow-up is needed, where physical, mental, social and contextual factors are seen together.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONAbsence and dropout represent challenges to the implementation of vocational rehabilitation programs in Norway,While a sound regulation of absence could impact positively on both the work-related and rehabilitation outcomes of vocational rehabilitation programs, evidence suggest that absence management is scarce, and that it becomes particularly difficult in relation to participants with mental health problems and social challenges.Clarification of the role of the general practitioner and the medical certificates they issue and strengthening the dialog between vocational rehabilitation companies and general practitioners to prevent unnecessary sick-listing and interruptions in the vocational rehabilitation process, could improve the follow-up of absence.Moreover, a flexible and sensible approach is needed, where absence management is seen in conjunction with the overall follow-up that is provided, and where awareness to individual challenges and needs should be in focus.

An interdisciplinary approach to job matching: developing an occupation-specific job matching tool for reintegrating persons with spinal cord injury into the labor market

Purpose: To develop and pretest a comprehensive occupation- and health condition-specific job matching tool for vocational rehabilitation of persons with spinal cord injury.Materials and methods: The study design involved qualitative and quantitative steps. First, an interdisciplinary scoping review covering return-to-work, organizational and vocational psychology research was conducted to devise a conceptual job matching framework. Then, the occupation- and health condition-specific tool content was determined based on a database analysis of jobs performed by persons with spinal cord injury and focus groups with affected persons. Finally, a tool prototype was developed and pretested in a simulation exercise with vocational rehabilitation professionals.Results: The study yielded a tool prototype with matching profiles that structure the demands and characteristics of 415 occupations as well as spinal cord injury-related needs and limitations into a stable, a modifiable, and a needs-supplies dimension of person-job match. Vocational rehabilitation professionals perceived the prototype as helpful for determining target jobs for vocational retraining and for goal-oriented intervention planning.Conclusions: By comprehensively assessing the person-job match of individuals with spinal cord injury, the tool facilitates determining suitable target jobs and interdisciplinary intervention planning in vocational rehabilitation and is thus likely to promote sustainable return to work.Implications for rehabilitationJob matching is crucial for a sustainable work reintegration of persons with disabilities. However, the majority of existing job matching tools lack applicability for return to work because they are (1) not occupation-specific or rely on outdated occupational information, (2) not health condition-specific, and (3) not comprehensive with regard to the relevant aspects for determining a person-job match.Persons with spinal cord injury are a case in point for the need of job matching tools that comprehensively address occupation- and health condition-specific information.The present study responded to the shortcomings of existing job matching tools and uses vocational rehabilitation of persons with spinal cord injury as a case in point for developing a job matching tool that is both occupation- and health condition-specific at the same time.The developed tool was perceived as promising for determining suitable target jobs for vocational retraining of persons with spinal cord injury and for goal-oriented intervention planning in an interdisciplinary vocational rehabilitation setting. The tool’s underlying conceptual framework may also serve as a blueprint for developing job matching tools for other types of disabilities.

Mental health literacy among vocational rehabilitation professionals and their perception of employers in the return-to-work process

BACKGROUND: Individuals with mental health problems often need support from vocational rehabilitation professionals in their return-To-work (RTW) process. Research has shown that this support can be deficient, with vocational rehabilitation professionals lacking relevant knowledge and an underlying belief in the individual's ability to resume a working life. More understanding is therefore needed of professionals' mental health literacy and their perception of and influence on employer roles in the RTW process. OBJECTIVE: To explore the mental health literacy of Swedish vocational rehabilitation professionals and their perception of employers in the RTW process. METHOD: Qualitative grounded theory study which included 22 interviews of vocational rehabilitation professionals working with individuals with mental health problems in their RTW process. RESULTS: Three categories emerged: holding a position of power in the RTW process, viewing and believing in individuals' work ability plays a central role, and recognizing the employer's role as a key factor for realizing employment. CONCLUSION: Increasing the mental health literacy of vocational rehabilitation professionals is crucial since they have a decisive role with both clients and employers in the RTW process. (Less)

A Study on the Job Satisfaction of Wage Workers with Disabilities: Focusing on the Paths of Job Engagement

본 연구는 장애인 임금근로자의 생활만족도를 높이기 위한 방안을 마련하고자 직무적합, 직무만족, 직무몰입이 생활만족도에 미치는 영향을 살펴보고, 생활만족도와의 인과적 관계에 대해 경로분석을 통해 검증한다. 본 연구는 장애인고용패널 8차년도 데이터를 사용하였고, 임금근로자 805명을 대상으로 분석했다. 연구결과, 첫째, 직무적합은 생활만족도에 있어 인간관계만족도와 물질환경만족도 요인에 직접적인 영향을 미치지 않았지만, 직무만족과 직무몰입은 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 둘째, 직무만족이 인간관계만족도와 물질환경만족도에 이르는 경로에서 직무몰입이 부분 매개효과가 있는 것으로 나타났다. 셋째, 직무적합이 인간관계만족도와 물질환경만족도에 이르는 경로에서 직무만족과 직무몰입은 완전 매개효과가 있는 것으로 나타났다. 그리고 이 경로에서 직무만족과 직무몰입이 이중 매개효과를 보이는 것으로 확인되었다. 이러한 결과를 가지고 직업재활상담의 방향성과 실천적 방안들을 논의하였다.The purpose of this study was to verify the causal relations among related factors of job and life satisfaction among 805 wage workers with disabilities. The study conducted a path analysis using the 8th Panel survey of Employment for the Disabled data. The results are as follows. Firstly, the life satisfaction scale was categorized into the human relationship satisfaction and the material environment satisfaction by an explorative factor analysis. These two satisfactions are directly affected by Job Satisfaction (JS) and Job Involvement (JI), not directly affected by Job Engagement (JE). Secondly, JS and JI have a complete mediated effect on the path from JE to these two satisfactions. Thirdly, an indirect effect in the path reaching JS was shown to be significant in a dual mediating effect through JS and JI. Based on this study, it is recommended the way of vocational rehabilitation counseling and the related supporting strategies and programs devise toward a JS of wage workers with disabilities, vocational rehabilitation field practitioners and professionals should consider properly intervening job factors.

Providing supportive transition services to individuals with autism spectrum disorder: Considerations for vocational rehabilitation professionals

Providing supportive transition services to individuals with autism spectrum disorder: Considerations for vocational rehabilitation professionals

Pilot Testing a Digital Career Literacy Training for Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals

Digital career literacy encompasses the skills needed to find and maintain employment in the modern job market. Unfortunately, many state vocational rehabilitation (VR) professionals report feeling unprepared to help their consumers with digital career literacy tasks. To address this gap, we developed and tested five training webinars with VR professionals in Montana, Alabama, and Washington. We randomly assigned VR offices to intervention or control group. VR professionals in the intervention group received access to the training webinars. We collected survey data at baseline and 4 months after the intervention’s conclusion ( n = 136). A repeated measures ANOVA showed significant group by factor effects in counselor preparedness to use online tools during the VR process (intervention group: M1 = 24.41, SD1 = 7.62; M2 = 28.76, SD2 = 7.27; control group: M1 = 25.94, SD1 = 8.64; M2 = 27.21, SD2 = 9.14); F(1, 124) = 5.957, p = .016. A McNemar nonparametric test indicated that more VR professionals in the intervention group reported using LinkedIn at the 4-month follow-up, as compared with the control group ( p = .039). There were no significant changes in use of other online tools. This may relate to administrative policies that do not provide clear guidelines for using online tools in the counseling process.

The importance of career development in constructing vocational rehabilitation transition policies and practices

BACKGROUND: To address prevailing gaps in employment rates between working-age people with disabilities and those without, vocational rehabilitation professionals can use targeted career development initiatives for their consumers as they progress through school and into the professional world. With education at the core, vocational rehabilitation counselors are poised to collaborate with teachers, employers, and policymakers to promote work experience and self-advocacy among their transition-age consumers, which has been shown to increase employment rates. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to present a synthesis focusing on the intersection of the career development and secondary transition literature to provide guidance for the evaluation and development of policy, to contribute to a needed area of knowledge generation in vocational rehabilitation, and to underscore the application of research-based practices in transition services. METHODS: The literature search, identification, and synthesis were guided by the overarching question, how can rehabilitation professionals use what is known about career development to assist with secondary transition preparation and planning through the services and resources they provide? RESULTS: The search resulted in the identification of 20 articles specific to the intersection of career development, secondary transition preparation and planning, and improving postsecondary outcomes. CONCLUSION: Suggestions for practices and further research are presented in the context of U.S. national rehabilitation law, specifically the recent (2014) Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. © 2017-IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved.

A Study of Job Analysis of Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals at Community Rehabilitation Centers Using the DACUM Method

A Study of Job Analysis of Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals at Community Rehabilitation Centers Using the DACUM Method

Disabling accommodation barriers: A study exploring how to better accommodate government employees with anxiety disorders.

Accommodating mental health in the workplace is challenging. Despite policy efforts to encourage the availability of mental health accommodations in the workplace, employees experiencing mental illness are missing out on accommodations that they need. To inform vocational rehabilitation professionals and managers in the public service of best practice accommodations for government employees with anxiety disorders. Thematic analysis was applied to data collected from the online Accommodating Government Employees with Anxiety Disorders Survey undertaken by 71 Australian public service employees diagnosed with at least one anxiety disorder. Our research results include theme and sub-theme representations of accommodations received, accommodations reported as missing, accommodations that study participants felt they couldn't request, along with rejected accommodations. From the study participants' accounts, three key findings supporting desirable vocational outcomes become apparent. First, that the availability of 'standard' flexible work arrangements, along with personalised accommodations, can assist persons with anxiety disorders (where needed) to reach and retain government positions. Second, the chief barriers reported to making accommodation requests revolve around fears of being stigmatised and penalised. Finally, there is a need for managerial decision-makers to remain open-minded, particularly when assessing requests for accommodations that may break from government norms.

Assessing Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals’ Competencies in Taiwan

Rehabilitation counselor skills, knowledge, and training are significant predictors of quality of employment outcome. In the past decade, vocational rehabilitation (VR) and placement-related work settings in Taiwan have gone through a tremendous amount of change to reflect changing policies, types of disabilities, and global factors. VR professionals’ competencies also need to be addressed to keep pace with this transformation. The purpose of this study was to validate the Taiwanese version of the Systems Approach to Placement: Self-Assessment for Students and Counselors (SAP-SASC), designed to identify critical areas of knowledge, skills, and competencies possessed by practicing VR professionals. A total of 116 participants completed the instrument. The participants represent (a) rehabilitation counseling master’s students from National Changhua University of Education, National Kaohsiung Normal University, and National Taiwan Normal University and (b) job coaches, VR case managers, and other VR professionals from the Council of Labor Affairs in Taichung, Changhua, Nantou, and Taipei counties. Multi-trait scaling analysis revealed eight components of VR professionals’ competence (client, health, education, family, social, employer, placement, and funding). The respondents expressed the highest level of competence in providing job seeking and social skills training, addressing job modification needs, performing job analysis, and referring clients of community-based support services.

How Vocational Rehabilitation Transition Specialists Influence Curricula for Students With Severe Disabilities

According to decades of research on secondary transition for individuals with disabilities, cross-agency collaboration with adult service providers is an integral element of positive post-school outcomes. While much has been written about the general functions of vocational rehabilitation (VR) professionals and their part in the transition planning process, limited research has explored the role these professionals play in curriculum decisions, particularly for students with the most significant disabilities. Through the use of semi-structured, face-to-face interviews, the authors explain the work of six transition specialists in a midwestern state who are jointly funded by VR and the respective local education agencies with which they work. Specifically, their influence on the development and implementation of transition-related curricula for students with severe disabilities is addressed. Participating VR transition specialists reported that they influence curricula through a collaborative approach, and focus on resource and knowledge sharing. These professionals also reported delivering several direct-service activities to students inside and outside of the school environment.

The Effects of the Intellectually Disabled’s Job Maintenance Recognized by Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals

The Effects of the Intellectually Disabled’s Job Maintenance Recognized by Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals