Building an Evidence-Based, Holistic Approach to Advancing Integrated Employment

Abstract

Since the introduction of supported employment in the Developmental Disabilities Act of 1984 and the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1986, there has been continued development and refinement of best practices in employment services and supports. Progress includes creative outcomes for individuals with significant support needs including customized jobs and self-employment, community rehabilitation providers that have shifted emphasis to integrated employment, and states that have made a substantial investment in Employment First policy and strategy. Despite these achievements, the promise of integrated employment remains elusive for the majority of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The number of individuals supported in integrated employment by state agencies has remained stagnant for the past 15 years, participation in nonwork services has grown rapidly, and individual employment supports have not been implemented with fidelity. This article presents preliminary findings from activities completed by the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Advancing Employment for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and discusses a framework for organizing state and federal investments in research, practice, and systems change.

Assessing the role of women in tourism related sectors in the Caribbean

“…This is not to downplay the importance of tourism when, as in the Caribbean, there are few alternative sources of employment for women. This study also supports earlier research which finds that tourism has potential to empower women in many countries by providing a source of employment, as discussed by, for example, Hall et al (2018).…”

Preparing Job Coaches to Implement Systematic Instructional Strategies to Teach Vocational Tasks

“…Students with IDD deserve the most appropriate and high-quality vocational skills instruction and preparation available, and job coaches deserve to be given the appropriate tools and training to provide that instruction. Given the lack of training that is currently provided to most newly hired job coaches (Hall et al, 2018), the procedures and findings of this study provide a feasible option for those who hire and train job coaches. Although the training sessions in this study were fairly long (1–2 hr across 3–5 sessions for each strategy), the implications of providing job coaches with effective instructional strategies may mitigate the intensive training provided up front.…”

“…Despite the efficacy and use of task analysis and response prompting (including simultaneous prompting and the system of least prompts) to teach vocational tasks to students with IDD, job coaches rarely receive any meaningful degree of training in implementing instructional strategies, nor do they receive proper oversight and support (Gilson et al, 2017, 2021; Hall et al, 2018; Rogan & Held, 1999; Wehman, Schall, et al, 2014). This lack of training and oversight can limit the ability of job coaches to provide vocational skills instruction and effective support to students with IDD, thereby impacting vocational skill acquisition and opportunities for independent employment after high school.…”

More than memes: Embracing social media for 21st century supported employment

“…Specifically, they are the professionals that assist individuals with disabilities in obtaining and maintaining gainful, meaningful employment. These professionals are expected to provide a wide range of individualized services (Cox & Land, 2018) while managing large caseloads, scheduling issues, administrative tasks, uncoordinated systems communication, and tedious documentation requirements (Hall et al, 2018). Research shows that supported ologies to the norms of the field, business, and stakeholders for the benefit of the supported job First, 2016).…”