Findings from VRTAC-QE’s Comprehensive Review White Paper formed the basis for its planning and delivery of training and technical assistance and continues to do so currently. The updated Comprehensive Review White Paper now includes eight Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation (JVR) articles in a special series.
The review focused on identifying the needs, priorities, innovative approaches to developing career readiness and quality employment outcomes, existing literature, emerging practices, and manualized interventions to inform and develop its technical assistance programming. It also evaluated a broad array of records using qualitative analysis to identify common themes regarding technical assistance needs, innovative practices, and other common factors related to quality employment.
Learn more about the JVR articles and access them here:
Get an Overview
The VRTAC-QE is an innovative collaboration between experts from public and private entities that brings state-of-the-science into its technical assistance efforts. This article provides an overview of its work to inform and shape practice and research in rehabilitation counseling.
Guest Editorial: Fortune Favors the Bold Special Series of the Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center for Quality Employment by Timothy N. Tansey, Catherine A. Anderson, David Strauser, Malachy Bishop, and Paul Wehman.
The Importance of Paid Work Experiences
The article by Schutz and colleagues reaffirms the importance of paid work experiences to the career engagement of transition-age youth with disabilities. Through recognition of the value of paid work, these young individuals are more likely to work and start work earlier in their adulthood.
Pathways to Paid Work for Youth with Severe Disabilities: Perspectives on Strategies for Success – Michele A. Schutz, M.Ed., Ben Schwartzman, Jessica M. Awsumb, Leah Burgess, Erik W. Carter, & Julie Lounds Taylor
WIOA and Customized Employment
In the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the service of customized employment was recognized as an intervention available to State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies (SVRAs) in their efforts to assist persons with the most significant disabilities obtain and retain competitive, integrated employment. Riesen et al. provide a detailed overview of customized employment research from before the signing of WIOA through the current time period. Through this review, they provide the empirical support of customized employment and the capacity to assist individuals establish and retain meaningful employment.
An Updated Review of the Customized Employment Literature – Tim Riesen, Aubrey Snyder, Rachel Byers, Beth Keeton, & Katherine Inge
The Benefits of Supported Employment
Supported employment has long been recognized as an evidence-based practice in vocational rehabilitation. However, the available literature is limited in provision of case-controlled studies of the effectiveness of this intervention for transition-age youth with intellectual disabilities. Iwanaga and collaborators demonstrate, through propensity score matching, the benefits of supported employment for transition-age youth with disabilities. The findings clearly demonstrate the benefits of this intervention.
Effects of Supported Employment on the Competitive Integrated Employment Outcomes of Transition Age and Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities: A Non- Experimental Causal Comparative Study – Kanako Iwanaga, Jake Hamburg, Jia-Rung Wu, Xiangli Chen, Phillip Rumrill, Paul Wehman, Timothy N. Tansey, & Fong Chan
Technical Assistance Needs of VR Professionals
The VRTAC-QE conducted a national needs assessment of SVRA personnel to determine the areas of greatest importance and limited capacity for implementation. Tansey et al. provide an overview of the methodology and findings from that needs assessment that in turn has provided direction and focus to the technical assistance efforts of this Center. In addition, the needs assessment helped direct the focus of the inquiries included in this special series as observed in the number of articles focused on topics such as customized employment, supported employment, career engagement, and employer relationships.
Vocational Rehabilitation Service Delivery: Technical Assistance Needs of Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals – Timothy N. Tansey, Malachy Bishop, Kanako Iwanaga, Kaiqi Zhou, & Fong Chan
Transition from Subminimum Employment
This article by Taylor et al. provides a timely review of the literature regarding practices and outcomes of subminimum wage employment versus competitive employment. In particular, it article provides a timely evaluation of the existing research and strategies to support individuals in their transition from subminimum wage employment.
The Efficacy of Competitive Integrated Employment Versus Segregated Employment for person with Disabilities: A Systematic Review of Research – Joshua P. Taylor, Lauren Avellone, Paul Wehman, & Valerie Brooke
Investigation of Transportation Services
The article by Bezyak et al. is an empirical investigation using RSA 911 data on transportation services and who benefits, or is vulnerable, in terms of employment at exit, among program participants who receive this service. Regarding SVRA services, a new service, customized employment, was identified under WIOA.
Characteristics of Individuals with Disabilities Receiving Transportation Services in Vocational Rehabilitation – Jill Bezyak, Cahit Kaya, Sharon Hsu, Kanako Iwanaga, Jia- Rung Wu, Beatrice Lee, Madan Kundu, Fong Chan, & Timothy N. Tansey
Customized Employment and Competitive Integrated Employment
Kim et al. explores the use of this service and co-occurring services among the ten states with the highest utilization of customized employment and employment outcomes associated with different service strategies.
Customized Employment as a Pathway to Competitive Integrated Employment: An Analysis of RSA 911 data of State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies with the Highest Use of this Intervention – Jaeyoung Kim, Tim Riesen, Katherine Inge, Beth Keaton, Marcus Weathers, & Timothy N. Tansey
