Findings from an analysis of the characteristics and services of community rehabilitation providers (CRPs) in the early years of the 21st century are presented. Services provided by CRPs can be categorized along two dimensions: purpose (work, nonwork) and setting (facility-based, community). The number of individuals with disabilities present provides a third perspective for analysis. The majority of CRPs provided both work and nonwork services, and the majority of those that provide employment services offered both integrated and facility-based employment. Individuals with developmental disabilities were most likely to be supported in facility-based work (41%), followed by nonwork services (33%), and integrated employment (26%). Despite some changes in CRP characteristics, the goal of community membership has not yet been widely achieved.
This paper provides a current snapshot of employment outcomes for individuals with developmental disabilities who had recently entered integrated employment (individual and group supported jobs) with the support of a community rehabilitation provider. Individual outcomes are based on an analysis of the National Survey of Community Rehabilitation Providers conducted between 2004 and 2005 by the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. Survey results show that the majority of respondents with developmental disabilities worked part-time in individual jobs, predominantly in the entry-level service industry; earned above federal minimum wage; and received paid time off. Differences in employment outcomes by type of integrated employment model are discussed. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of the findings.
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