Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation - Volume 39, issue 1

Authors: Lindstrom, Lauren | Kahn, Laurie G. | Lindsey, Heather

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Young adults with disabilities in their early career years face limited access to high wage/high skill jobs, barriers in the workplace, and inadequate opportunities for career retention and advancement. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this literature review was to examine the process of career development for young adults with disabilities entering the workforce and document strategies for vocational rehabilitation counselors to facilitate career advancement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature search was conducted using the online databases Academic Search Premier, ERIC, and PsychInfo. Key words for the search included the terms: disabilities, emerging adulthood, young adults, career advancement, vocational development, and …early career. Articles included in this review met the following criteria: (a) published in peer reviewed journals in or after the year 2000, (b) findings addressed either processes, barriers, or strategies for emerging adults with disabilities entering the workforce. RESULTS: Major barriers to career advancement include: a) lack of work experience and restricted aspirations, b) sporadic patterns of early employment, c) limited access to postsecondary education and training, and d) discrimination and prejudice in the workforce. Strategies to enhance early career development included: a) developing individual attributes and skills, b) broadening the range of careers explored, c) creating initial work experience opportunities, d) obtaining postsecondary education/training, e) providing supports to facilitate advancement on the job, and f) advocating for changes in the workplace. CONCLUSIONS: Using an ecological framework to impact individual skills, create training opportunities, and enhance work place environments, rehabilitation counselors can help young adults with disabilities gain equal access to career options and ultimately achieve economic independence and stability. Show more

Keywords: Young adults with disabilities, transition, career advancement, career development

DOI: 10.3233/JVR-130637

Citation: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 1-12, 2013

Authors: Artman, Laura K. | McMahon, Brian T.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Using data from the Job Accommodation Network Information System (JANIS), the utility of self-reported functional limitations was examined in relationship to job maintenance for individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who had returned to work. It was found that memory loss and attention/concentration concerns were the most common functional limitations reported. To further establish which limitations were associated with job maintenance, a binary logistic regression was applied. Results suggested that the presence of medical symptoms and emotional dysregulation were reliably and inversely associated with job maintenance. Implications are provided for further research as well as the practice of rehabilitation counseling.

Keywords: Traumatic brain injury, job maintenance, functional limitations, indicators, employment

DOI: 10.3233/JVR-130638

Citation: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 13-21, 2013

Authors: Heath, Karen L. | Ward, Karen M. | Reed, Danielle L.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Discovery, a key component of the customized employment model, is a method to identify an individual's connections and supports, skills and interests through a series of interviews, conversations, and observations. The purpose of the StartUp Alaska research-demonstration project was to identify promising practices in the self-employment realm. The study included 71 participants with disabilities who were interested in or pursuing self-employment. Of the 71 participants, 33 individuals launched their business during the four-year project. Results based on a self-employment facilitator generated database and survey on individual participants indicated an association between successful business launch and the use of Discovery. While …findings suggest an association, further research on all of the model components, including Discovery, Business Planning, and Virtual Incubator should be conducted. Show more

Keywords: Self-employment for individuals with disabilities, Discovery, customized employment

DOI: 10.3233/JVR-130639

Citation: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 23-27, 2013

Authors: Schindler, Victoria P. | Kientz, Mary

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: This study examined supports and barriers to higher education and employment based on quantitative and qualitative reports of individuals diagnosed with mental illness who were enrolled in a program that addressed higher education and employment goals. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-eight adult participants with various mental health diagnoses. METHODS: A one-group posttest quantitative survey design and qualitative focus groups were used. RESULTS: The mean number of supports for higher education was 9.8 and for employment was 6.2. Quantitative supports with the highest endorsement rates reflected a combination of supports internal and external to the individual. The qualitative data reflected supports primarily external …to the individual. The mean number of barriers for higher education was 4.8 and for employment was 4.25. Barriers common to both higher education and employment in the quantitative and qualitative data reflected internal barriers such as fears and anxieties, lost motivation and inability to concentrate. CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative and qualitative results demonstrate that substantial internal and external supports and barriers exist for individuals diagnosed with mental illness with goals of higher education and employment. Individuals would benefit from an approach that is customized and includes an evaluation of supports and barriers and internal and external resources to address them. Show more

Keywords: Supports, barriers, supported education, work, psychiatric disorders

DOI: 10.3233/JVR-130640

Citation: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 29-41, 2013

Authors: Rudstam, Hannah | Hittleman, Margo | Pi, Sukyeong | Gower, Wendy Strobel

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Despite significant program efforts since the ADA was passed in 1990, the employment rates of people with disabilities have changed little. While the causes behind these disappointing outcomes are multi-facetted and complex, it is clear that a knowing-doing gap has limited the effectiveness of efforts to change these disappointing statistics. That is, though employers have a basic knowledge of the ADA, this knowledge is largely not being translated into actions or practices. Approaches are needed that go beyond merely disseminating information to actively engage employers in bringing about organizational change. We designed, implemented and researched a program aiming to bridge …the knowing-doing gap. This program was based on a blended learning approach designed to build organizational change strategies and partnerships. A comprehensive program research effort included both a measure of immediate program impact (using the BIAT – a researcher-developed and validated tool) and longer-term impact (using a grounded theory, open-ended interviewing protocol). Implications for further research and practice are discussed using findings from both the short-term and long-term studies. Show more

Keywords: Americans with Disabilities Act, employers, employment, intervention assessment, employment programming

DOI: 10.3233/JVR-130641

Citation: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 43-60, 2013

Authors: Harris, Sarah Parker | Owen, Randall | Jones, Robin | Caldwell, Kate

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Policymakers in the United States continue to face challenges in implementing effective strategies to encourage people with disabilities receiving disability benefits to participate in the labor market. Ticket to Work is one such strategy that has undergone considerable scrutiny. However, the experience of people with disabilities within welfare reform is an area that has been under-researched. OBJECTIVE: To explore how this contentious issue affects the provision of Vocational Rehabilitation services. Following the implementation of Ticket to Work, does workfare policy allow people with disabilities to pursue full and equal participation in the labor market, and do they have equality …of opportunity to achieve employment? METHODS: This research takes a qualitative approach to social policy, using empirical data from focus groups with people with disabilities and interviews with policymakers, employment service providers and employers. RESULTS: Three themes emerged from an analysis of data framed within the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in relation to disability rights and workfare policy: the rights of people with disabilities; the expectations of people with disabilities; and the practices associated with policy reform. The findings suggest that a collaboration of government actors, community organizations and the business community is necessary in order to achieve human rights. Show more

Keywords: Policy, human rights, labor market, Ticket to Work

DOI: 10.3233/JVR-130642

Citation: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 61-73, 2013

Authors: Graham, Carolyn | Inge, Katherine | Wehman, Paul | Murphy, Kathleen | Revell, William G. | West, Michael

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The objective of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators to the use of evidence by professional staff of state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies. Data were collected via an online survey administered to 355 staff at three state VR departments. Over half of respondents could locate and comprehend research findings. Evidence-based practice (EBP) was not widely encouraged, but there was a positive relationship between the agency having sufficient funds and its support for EBP (r = 0.27, p = 0.001). The top two sources of information respondents used on the job were professional collaboration and the Internet, but not …social media. State VR agencies tend not to expect that counselors will use EBP and provide limited incentives for them to do so. While VR staff value research and are open to trying new strategies based on research, translating evidence into usable and accessible products and developing efficient delivery strategies present challenges that the authors intend to investigate further in upcoming research. Knowledge translation strategies need to be developed for this audience. Show more

Keywords: Vocational rehabilitation, vocational rehabilitation counselors, evidence-based research, knowledge translation, employment, people with disabilities

DOI: 10.3233/JVR-130643

Citation: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 75-81, 2013