An analysis of training and vocational rehabilitation services for individuals with intellectual disability

BACKGROUND: WIOA encourages providers such as Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) to seek higher wages and more than part-time hours for those with disabilities. Previous studies have evaluated the relationship between (VR) and job outcomes for individuals with intellectual disability (ID). OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluated the effect of VR services on wage and hours worked. METHOD: We obtained a national dataset from the Rehabilitation Services Administration to analyze individuals with ID on variables specially related to training and VR services. RESULTS: Results indicated more training resulted in more hours worked, while using more VR services resulted in less hours worked and pay. Differences in hours worked and wage were found within training and VR services. CONCLUSION: Individuals with ID should consider utilizing job counseling with VR agencies and focus on occupational training, as these services may contribute to increased wages and hours worked.

Vocational rehabilitation on the road to Social Security Disability

BACKGROUND: Vocational rehabilitation (VR) can potentially help disability-insured workers stay at work or return to work when they experience a disability. Such assistance could prevent or delay entry into the Social Security Disability (SSD) program. OBJECTIVE: We present descriptive statistics on the extent to which new VR applicants for 1998 through 2005 receive SSD benefits before or after VR application. METHODS: We matched Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA-911) records for the years 1998 through 2009 with the Social Security Administration’s program and earnings files. RESULTS: The analyses show that a substantial number of VR applicants entered SSD in the 60 months following VR application—more than 60,000 (12.3 percent) of the first-time VR applicants in 2002. The analyses also disclose variation in SSD entry across states, with some states accounting for entry percentages twice as high as that of others. We also found a positive relationship between our measure of wait time and entry into SSD. CONCLUSIONS: Although the large number of VR applicants entering SSD after VR application is modest compared to the number receiving an SSD award each year, the potential influence of VR services on later SSD and Medicare expenditures could be in the billions of dollars annually, in either direction.

Examining Vocational Rehabilitation Services Provided to Incarcerated Persons With Disabilities

In the U.S. prison system, incarcerated persons with a disability represent a largely marginalized population with limited or inadequate provision of services in prison. In general, once released, ex-offenders face a number of challenges when they reenter society ranging from access to housing, employment, health care, and substance use services. These challenges are generally exacerbated for incarcerated persons with a disability. Overall, there is a dearth of research on rates of vocational services utilization among incarcerated persons with a disability. Using data from the Rehabilitation Services Administration for 30,170 inmates, the results indicate that inmates with cognitive and physical disabilities have the lowest utilization of vocational services overall and across all types of services (educational, job, disability, and other). Furthermore, vocational service utilization varies based on the nature of the disability suggesting distinct programming needs for each group. Implications for access to vocational rehabilitation services and current reentry programming for incarcerated persons with a disability are discussed.

Factors Related to Employment Outcomes for Vocational Rehabilitation Consumers with Visual Impairments: A Systematic Review

Introduction:The purpose of this article was to conduct a systematic review of peer-reviewed studies on factors related to employment in consumers who are visually impaired using Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA-911) Case Service Report data.Methods:We used database, hand, and ancestral search strategies to systematically identify peer-reviewed studies published between 1990 and August 2018 where researchers used RSA-911 data to address the target question. All included articles were coded by two reviewers for study and participant characteristics, quality indicators, and outcomes.Results:Nine articles consisting of 14 analyses were included. Twelve analyses concerned employment outcomes; two concerned earnings. Researchers in most studies used large samples of 3,000 or more consumers and used multivariable analyses, most commonly multilevel logistic regression. Factors that consistently predicted lower employment across studies included presence of a secondary disability and legal blindness; higher education level consistently predicted higher employment, as did earnings and self-support at vocational rehabilitation application. Few analyses included state- or agency-level variables or specific vocational rehabilitation services.Discussion:These results indicate that certain groups of vocational rehabilitation consumers with visual impairments may be at greater risk of unsuccessful closures; researchers should examine specific strategies that may improve outcomes in these groups. These results also highlight the importance of education in securing employment among people with visual impairments. Researchers should examine state- and agency-level variables that may affect outcomes as well as the effects of specific services on outcomes. Additionally, researchers should analyze factors that may affect employment quality as well as employment outcomes.Implications for practitioners:Practitioners who are working with visually impaired people who do not have a postsecondary degree should encourage and assist their clients in obtaining one; practitioners may also wish to provide more targeted support for consumers from potentially high-risk subpopulations.

Predictors of Competitive Employment of Adults With Deaf-Blindness Following Vocational Rehabilitation

The purpose of this study was to examine employment outcomes for adult vocational rehabilitation clients with deaf-blindness. Specifically, this study examined the relationship between case service provisions, and competitive employment outcomes for individuals with deaf-blindness. The sample was obtained from Rehabilitation Services Administration Case Service Report (RSA-911) data and included 135 cases of individuals with deaf-blindness identified as their primary or secondary disability and whose cases were closed during the fiscal year 2016. The independent variables consisted of vocational rehabilitation case service-related variables. The dependent variable was attainment of competitive employment. Results indicated that three vocational rehabilitation case service variables were associated with client outcomes for those with deaf-blindness seeking and obtaining competitive employment. Implications for improving employment outcomes for clients with deaf-blindness include supporting postsecondary educational attainment opportunities, providing job placement services, and providing job search-related services. Implications for services provided by vocational rehabilitation agencies are discussed.

A Preliminary Investigation of the Intersection of Race and Disabilities among Inmates in the U.S. State Prison System

The American prison system is overcrowded with minorities in general, and African Americans, in particular. The Department of Justice notes that more than 50% of the prison population have some type of mental disability. In this study, we examine the intersection between race and disabilities in the U.S. State prison system. Using the Rehabilitation Services Administration data set, the study highlights the prevalence and type of disabilities in the prison inmate population. Results demonstrate that African American inmates are overrepresented among inmates with disabilities, are more likely to have mental disabilities relative to physical disabilities, and these results hold for various types of mental disabilities including cognitive, psychosocial, and other mental disabilities. Study limitations and directions for future research are also discussed.

Employment, Income, and SSI Effects of Postsecondary Education for People With Intellectual Disability

The low employment rates of individuals with intellectual disability (ID) are a major concern. This study examined the effect of postsecondary education on employment atrnd earnings for individuals with ID and the effect of state variation on those outcomes. Rehabilitation Services Administration 911 (RSA-911) files for 2008–2013 were analyzed (n = 11,280 individuals with ID). Multilevel modeling techniques were used to understand state variation, such as various economic and programmatic features that influence outcomes. Postsecondary education was associated with increased employment, increased weekly earnings, decreased reliance on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. Policy implications are discussed.

Predictors of Earnings Enabling Likely Roll Departure for SSDI Beneficiaries With Visual Impairments in Vocational Rehabilitation

We examined individual, socioeconomic, disability, service, and state-level factors predicting vocational rehabilitation (VR) closure earnings exceeding substantial gainful activity for Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) beneficiaries in VR who were blind or visually impaired (BVI). We used 2011 RSA-911 (Rehabilitation Services Administration) data from 3,505 individuals exiting VR. Using multilevel modeling, we found positive relationships for beneficiaries who were male, younger, African American; held higher education levels; were without additional disabilities; had higher earnings and DI benefits at application; received services related to job placement and on-the-job supports; did not receive “work basics” (job-readiness) training; received training/support services in rehabilitation technology and other supports; and resided in states with lower unemployment rates. Interactions with VR agency structure revealed compensatory effects—negative relationships for being female and for being older were overcome by receiving services in a blind (rather than combined) agency. We concluded that prior work experience of a DI-beneficiary consumer contributes substantially to high earnings likely to lead to benefits termination due to work for the BVI consumer exiting VR and may serve to level race/ethnicity differences in outcome. Policy recommendations include retaining separate VR agencies for BVI consumers and strongly encouraging work experiences for consumers in VR.

VR Online in Rehabilitation Counseling Preparation: An Integrative Pilot Initiative

This collaboration involves VR Online research at Wright State (WSU) and the Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling (VRC) Long-term Training Project at University of Southern Maine (USM). The NIDILRR-funded VR Online research team developed and piloted online resources for vocational rehabilitation (VR) consumers and counselors using an online portal to meet consumers via videoconference. To address VRC shortages in state VRs and community rehabilitation providers, the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) funded Northern New England VRC project which provides graduate education to VR employees in order to increase the number of qualified VRCs throughout the rural northeast. This article will examine a partnership of these two projects to provide training and technical assistance to VRC students during internships, which includes: use of tele-rehabilitation technology in delivering VR services; integration of video conference technology into rehabilitation counselor education (RCE) graduate level curriculum during internship; trainee supervision and preparation applying HIPPA compliant, webbased, video-conference technology; and assessing benefits and limitations using advanced technologies in internship experiences and process considerations to improve VR Online application in practice.

Employment Outcomes and Job Quality of Vocational Rehabilitation Consumers With Deaf-Blindness

The purpose of this study was to investigate employment outcomes for vocational rehabilitation (VR) consumers with deaf-blindness, a population that has received no attention in the literature. The sample was obtained from Rehabilitation Services Administration Case Service Report (RSA-911) data and included 1,382 consumers with deaf-blindness identified as their primary or secondary disability whose cases were closed during fiscal years 2013, 2014, and 2015. Independent variables consisted of consumer personal characteristics and VR service-related variables. Two measures of employment outcomes were used: obtainment of competitive employment and a composite measure of job quality. Overall, the results indicate that several VR service-related factors are associated with whether deaf-blind consumers obtain competitive employment, but consumers’ personal characteristics are much more important in determining job quality. Implications for improving employment outcomes for consumers who are deaf-blind include providing job-related services, supporting educational advancement, and providing counseling and guidance. Results also support the importance of accounting for employment status at application in RSA-911 analyses and the efficacy of service provision by separate agencies for the blind.