Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation - Volume 50, issue 3

Authors: Salon, Rebecca S. | Boutot, Nancy | Ozols, Keith | Keeton, Beth | Steveley, Janet

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Over the last 15 years, customization has emerged nationally as a powerful job creation strategy for a wide variety of people, including those who experience the most significant disabilities or other barriers to employment. Following the passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA), the state of Oregon partnered with the National Center on Leadership for the Employment and Economic Advancement of People with Disabilities (LEAD Center) to explore a new approach to Customized Employment (CE) called Guided Group Discovery (GGD) (2018) , in which multiple systems/agencies can support youth and adults to achieve an employment …outcome. OBJECTIVE: This paper explores approaches to bring Guided Group Discovery to scale through cross-system partnerships, leveraging Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) and funding to improve employment outcomes for youth. METHODS: During school year 2017-18, Oregon Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) and the LEAD Center created a partnership to modify and implement the LEAD Center’s Guided Group Discovery curriculum, with support from six school districts, to make it more accessible to youth with disabilities that were benefiting from their Pre-Employment Transition Services. This project also leveraged the resources of the workforce system, through partnerships with local American Job Centers (AJCs). RESULTS: The facilitators of GGD in the Oregon pilot sites received unanimous feedback from student participants that the GGD process had real-life impact. Students indicated that they had a better understanding of the myriad of adult service agencies available to them, as well as how to contact and connect with them. They reported that they now felt comfortable with what they have to offer an employer and knew how to communicate that to potential employers. Schools will be continuing to implement GGD, some starting with younger students, and new schools will be initiating GGD pilots in the 2018-2019 school year. CONCLUSIONS: Guided Group Discovery bridges the gap between Customized Employment and Pre-ETS services, providing an efficient process and structure for coordinating transition services. GGD is easily adapted to a school schedule and can be embedded within the framework of existing classes, clubs, afterschool programs, and summer youth employment programs. Students participating in GGD classes not only learn more about themselves, their own skills and conditions for success. They also gain confidence and become familiar with the services and supports available from adult service agencies. Show more

Keywords: Youth employment, customized employment, discovery, competitive integrated employment, transition, pre-employment transition services

DOI: 10.3233/JVR-191013

Citation: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 50, no. 3, pp. 317-323, 2019

Authors: Gunty, Amy | Van Ness, Jody | Nye-Lengerman, Kelly

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: More people with disabilities are living and working in the community than ever before, including many who receive support from provider organizations and state agencies. These organizations play an important role in facilitating community living and employment. Organizational change is necessary as our system continues to shift away from segregating people with disabilities to a society in which people with disabilities are fully engaged and contributing their strengths and talents in their communities. However, there are well-established patterns of thinking, practice, and policy that make organizational change difficult to implement. OBJECTIVE: This paper will describe lessons learned …when working with a large agency to implement organization-wide adoption of person-centered practices (PCPs) using a model of episodic and continuous change (Quinn, 1996). This includes an overview of the episodic/continuous model of organizational change, with detailed information about how to implement each type of change. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing well-balanced organizational change activities and strategies, including elements of episodic and continuous change, is an effective way to work toward lasting change within agencies that support people with disabilities in fully inclusive setting. This can be a useful tool to support increased competitive, integrated employment for people with disabilities. Show more

Keywords: Competitive, integrated employment, intellectual and developmental disabilities, person-centered practices, organizational transformation, communities of practice

DOI: 10.3233/JVR-191014

Citation: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 50, no. 3, pp. 325-329, 2019

Authors: Carpenter, Chris | Daly, Jared

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: With the passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA), and its explicit emphasis on Federal, State, and local collaboration, a need for innovative and effective strategies for effectuating efficacious collaborative methodologies seems apropos. This APSE presentation briefly discusses both old and new methodologies for job development, and displays one collaborative approach that can be utilized in holding fidelity to a dual-customer approach for employment services for individuals with disabilities, and meeting WIOA requirements. OBJECTIVE: Identify the unique ways in which a collaborative network of employment service providers and other key stakeholders servicing the …Northeast Ohio Area developed and improved employment outcomes for both businesses, community partners, and job seekers with disabilities, and identify how the implementation of this type of collaborative partnership can better support a demand-side approach to the business engagement component of job development, and the supply-side matching efficiency of job seekers for the person-centered components of job development. CONCLUSIONS: The collaborative model expressed, and the associated guiding principles, have shown promise and effectiveness in bringing stakeholders from a variety of perspectives together. Further, it has displayed an increase in successful employment outcomes for people with disabilities. Lastly, while the examples put forth have been tailored to serve the unique population and geography of the region identified, the authors assert that implementing a collaborative strategy similar and in congruence with the model would be beneficial to any. Show more

Keywords: Collaboration, employment, business engagement, dual customer model, employment services, employer engagement

DOI: 10.3233/JVR-191015

Citation: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 50, no. 3, pp. 331-338, 2019

Authors: Winsor, Jean E. | Gritz-Swift, Sheila | Pearce, Jan | Darm, David | Murray, Meghan

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Nearly every state has adopted Employment First as a set of guiding principles and practices that target employment in typical work settings as the priority for state-funded services and supports for individuals with disabilities. However, naming employment as the state’s first priority is only one step to ensuring that every individual who wants a job has a job. OBJECTIVE: Stakeholders in Florida have worked towards improving employment opportunities for all Floridians with disabilities. Using the High-Performing States Model to structure systems change actions, state agencies and organizations developed and implemented a state-level interagency coalition, interagency cooperative agreement, …and interagency plan to ensure the long-term commitment to employment across key state agencies. CONCLUSION: Working together to identify challenges and gaps in both disability employment services and between available workers and labor market needs, Florida built upon its existing disability and employment infrastructure to develop joint plans of action that address both inter-and intra-agency goals to ensure that any Floridian with a disability who wants a job is able to become economically self-sufficient. Show more

Keywords: Employment First, intergancy, integrated employment

DOI: 10.3233/JVR-191016

Citation: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 50, no. 3, pp. 339-346, 2019

Authors: DeGoias, Elsa | Cruz, Laurie | Freilich, Eric

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The Hospitality Training Program of the Palm Beaches was developed to teach the fundamentals of hotel and lodging operations, soft skills, and job readiness methods to individuals with disabilities. The program blends classroom-based and hands-on instruction to create an engaging and interactive learning environment for participants. Graduates earn industry certifications from The American Hotel and Lodging Association in areas that include Guest Service, Guestroom Attendant, and Maintenance. OBJECTIVE: The article describes CareerSource Palm Beach County’s launch, growth, and success of the Hospitality Training Program of the Palm Beaches to meet the demands and needs of employers in …the Hospitality industry, one of the county’s most in-demand employers. Show more

Keywords: Hospitality, vocational training, career readiness, disabilities

DOI: 10.3233/JVR-191017

Citation: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 50, no. 3, pp. 347-351, 2019

Authors: Nicholas, David | Mitchell, Wendy | Zulla, Rosslynn | Dudley, Carolyn

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Personal and organizational benefits are incurred when individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are employed. However, employment rates among adults with ASD remain unacceptably low. It appears that inclusive employment requires greater community and employer awareness, and a range of strategies and actions that foster employment opportunity. There is limited research addressing employer experiences and perspectives relative to hiring, supporting and supervising persons with ASD. Further knowledge is needed to better understand employer perspectives, and guide employer capacity for engaging and supporting individuals with ASD in the workplace. OBJECTIVE: This paper explores the experiences and perspectives of …employers who engaged with individuals with ASD in a workplace sampling opportunity. In doing so, results aim to ascertain strategies and barriers to nurturing greater engagement of individuals with ASD in employment. METHODS: Based on secondary review of program evaluation data, survey administration and qualitative interview data were analyzed. Findings identified perspectives of employers who had engaged with youth and young adults with ASD in employment settings. Specifically, the sample was drawn from employers who participated in a 12-week employment preparedness program for youth and young adults with ASD and employers. RESULTS: Findings highlight factors that foster and impede employer engagement and support for youth and young adults with ASD relative to inclusive employment. Employer participation in this job readiness initiative nurtured knowledge gain and pro-inclusion attitudinal shifts and intention to hire individuals with ASD, based on relationship formation and knowledge gain. Employers reported numerous positive experiences and benefits from working with individuals on the autism spectrum. Benefits included workplace productivity, greater recognition of the contributions of individuals with ASD, and improved quality of work which in turn was viewed to improve employer amenity for inclusive hiring. Yet, continued reticence to employ was noted as an ongoing barrier to widespread inclusive hiring of individuals with ASD. CONCLUSION: Generally, employer capacity building and engagement with individuals with ASD appear to have a positive influence on employer intention to inclusively hire. Overall, employers gained awareness about the competence of individuals with ASD in employment settings. Implications include guidance for engaging employers in capacity building in the aim of greater employment opportunity for youth and young adults with ASD. Show more

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder, employment, employers, job readiness, inclusive hiring

DOI: 10.3233/JVR-191018

Citation: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 50, no. 3, pp. 353-364, 2019

Authors: Valentini, Brian | Carter, Erik W. | Bumble, Jennifer L. | Hill, Elizabeth

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Although school-business partnerships are essential elements of high-quality, community-based transition experiences, little is known about the perspective of employers on their work with schools and students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). OBJECTIVE: We conducted in-depth interviews with 13 diverse businesses providing community-based work experiences to local transition students. METHOD: We examined the perspectives and recommendations of employers regarding their partnerships with local community-based transition programs. RESULTS: Employers identified key factors leading them to participate, described the benefits they experienced, and highlighted challenges they encountered. They also offered advice for other employers and …educators pursuing similar partnerships. CONCLUSION: We offer recommendations for future research and practice aimed at strengthening the quality and impact of school-business partnerships. Show more

Keywords: Transition, school-to-work, collaboration, community-based, employment, intellectual and developmental disability

DOI: 10.3233/JVR-191019

Citation: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 50, no. 3, pp. 365-377, 2019