A Closer Look at Vocational Rehabilitation College Training Services at the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired

Dual Diagnosis: Does Race Affect Vocational Rehabilitation Outcomes?

Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling ◽

10.1891/0047-2220.39.3.19 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 39 (3) ◽

pp. 19-24 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Mona Robinson ◽

Michael Klein

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Substance Abuse ◽

Vocational Rehabilitation ◽

Dual Diagnosis ◽

Dually Diagnosed ◽

Chi Square ◽

Rehabilitation Outcomes ◽

College Training ◽

Substance Abuse Disorders

The study examined vocational rehabilitation outcomes of persons who were dually diagnosed with mental health and substance abuse disorders. The study sought to examine whether differences existed in vocational rehabilitation outcomes based upon the individuals' race by examining the 2002 RSA-911 database containing successful and unsuccessful closures (status 26 and 28). MANOVA and Chi-square analyses showed that minorities earned lower wages and received less college training than their non-minority counterparts. The results of the study indicated that statistically significant differences existed in vocational rehabilitation outcomes for individuals who are dually diagnosed, with minorities faring worse than their non-minority counterparts.

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Factors Related to the Successful Vocational Rehabilitation of Substance Abusers

Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling ◽

10.1891/0047-2220.24.3.11 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 24 (3) ◽

pp. 11-21 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

A. James Schwab ◽

Diana M. DiNitto

Keyword(s):

Substance Abuse ◽

Vocational Rehabilitation ◽

Substance Abusers ◽

Personal Characteristics ◽

Client Outcomes ◽

Client Characteristics ◽

Criminal Involvement ◽

Service Characteristics ◽

Psychiatric Status ◽

Training Services

This study compared vocational rehabilitation clients with substance abuse disabilities to clients with other disabilities, and it compared successfully and unsuccessfully rehabilitated substance abuse clients in order to identify factors which might further promote successful outcomes. Comparisons suggest that substance abusers may have greater obstacles to employment, such as more criminal involvement. Substance abusers received slightly more services, were nearly as likely to be successfully rehabilitated, were less costly to rehabilitate, and received services for shorter periods than other clients. The personal characteristics of the successfully and unsuccessfully rehabilitated substance abusers were nearly identical, but the successful ones were more costly to serve and received more services, particularly (1) diagnostic and evaluation services and (2) education and training services. While the substance abuse literature indicates that clients' personal characteristics (marital and psychiatric status, etc.) are strong predictors of positive client outcomes, regardless of the treatment received, this vocational rehabilitation study suggests the importance of services. Unlike client characteristics which are relatively fixed, service characteristics can be manipulated to produce better outcomes.

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