The discovery fidelity scale (DFS) is a 15-item instrument used to determine fidelity to systems and services level discovery best practices. Fidelity scale development is typically guided by an iterative, three-part process that includes identifying and specifying the fidelity structure and content, measuring and confirming the content, and assessing the internal consistency and reliability of the scale. This study is the initiation of the third step of the fidelity process to determine if items on the DFS accurately and reliably measure the discovery construct (internal consistency). The study also examined outcomes for individuals engaged in the discovery process. The results of the study suggest that both the systems and services components appear to measure their respective constructs and the overall discovery construct appears to have acceptable internal consistency.
BACKGROUND: There is clear federal priority to develop effective strategies to mitigate the continued disparity in employment opportunities and outcomes for people with significant disabilities. At the same time, ongoing, there are calls for rehabilitation practitioners to understand, utilize, and implement evidence-based practices (EBP) with fidelity to improve rehabilitation outcomes, such as competitive integrated employment. Customized employment (CE) emerged as a promising practice that promotes improved employment outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this manuscript is to examine published literature on CE and to make recommendations on the best methods for establishing CE as an evidence-based practice. METHOD: We included 10 articles classified as “data-based” articles from a review of the literature on CE conducted by Riesen et al. We also conducted an electronic search of articles on CE published between 2015 and 2021. RESULTS: Existing CE research literature consists predominately of descriptive studies and consists primarily of three types including model description and project evaluation, perceptions of CE, and essential structure and competency. These studies suggest that CE produces quality employment outcomes for people with disabilities. CONCLUSION: While research on CE has expanded, future research on CE should use more robust indicators including (a) quality descriptions of the participants, (b) quality descriptions of settings and conditions, (c) descriptions of the independent variables, (d) descriptions of fidelity to procedures, and (e) quality descriptions of social validity measures. Researchers should also focus on using correlational research to establish Customized employment as an evidence-based practice.
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