Affiliations: [a] VA HSR&D Center of Innovation on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA
| [b] Department of Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| [c] Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA, USA
| [d] Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Lisa Ottomanelli, PhD, James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, 8900 Grand Oak Circle, Tampa, FL 33637, USA. Tel.: +1 817 798 3364; E-mail: lisa.ottomanelli-slone@va.gov.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE:To examine factors associated with employment outcomes of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Supported Employment (SE) among participants with spinal cord injury (SCI). METHOD:A secondary analysis of data from a 24-month study of IPS participants with SCI was conducted. Factors from three broad domains of sociodemographic, clinical, and supports were examined for potential impact on employment outcomes. Regression analysis was used to model the probability of obtaining employment. RESULTS:Univariate models showed significant predictors by domain as follows: Sociodemographic – college education, employment at time of SCI, and post-SCI work experience; Clinical – tetraplegia, number of inpatient days, and traumatic brain injury history; Supports – transportation and motor function/mobility. In the multivariate model, only number of inpatient hospital days during IPS and post-SCI work experience remained significant. CONCLUSION:Longer hospital admissions were associated with a reduced likelihood for IPS participants to obtain employment. Full participation in IPS leading to job acquisition is most likely to occur when health is optimized and prolonged hospitalization is minimized. To understand how past experience working with a SCI influences participation in IPS services and employment outcomes, including job sustainability, further examination is needed.
Keywords: Disability, individual placement and support (IPS), outcomes, predictors, spinal cord injury, supported employment, veterans, vocational rehabilitation
