Improving Collaboration Between Schools and Vocational Rehabilitation : Stakeholder Identified Barriers and Strategies

More Alike than Different? Comparison of Formerly Incarcerated Youth with and Without Disabilities

“…Of the 21 predictor variables considered in the initial pool of predictor variables, only 6 met our lenient statistical criteria for inclusion in the final pool of variables and only 3 variables were retained in the final logistic regression model-suggesting more similarities than differences the two groups. This finding should be considered in light of the fact that although youth with disabilities in the TRACS project performed poorer than youth without disabilities on key indices of community outcomes, both groups performed far poorer than youth with LD or ED in a statewide system of public school transition programs in Oregon (Benz, Lindstrom, & Latta, 1999). In that project, between 75 and 85% of the participants were engaged after leaving public school, rates more than double the 35% overall engagement rate found for the total TRACS sample.…”

Motivational enhancement career intervention for youth with disabilities

“…YTP serves high school juniors and seniors, and provides postsecondary follow-up services for one year after program exit (Benz, Lindstrom, & Latta, 1999). Typically the students are referred to the program due to a diagnosed disability in conjunction with additional barriers such as risk of dropping out of school, limited or negative vocational experiences, teenage parenting responsibilities, or unstable living environments (Benz, Lindstrom, & Yovanoff, 2000).…”

“…The program consists of work experiences as well as instruction in academic skills, money management, time management, effective communication, independent living skills, self-determination, and self-advocacy (Izzo & Lamb, 2003). Moreover, since YTP is operated in partnership with vocational rehabilitation (VR), YTP participants receive VR services after graduating high school (Benz, Lindstrom, & Latta, 1999). …”

“…At the same time, unlike some other intervention studies, MEGI used fewer sessions and specifically targeted high school students with disabilities. Moreover, MEGI combined the effective components of secondary special education and transition interventions (e.g., Benz, Lindstrom & Latta, 1999;Doren, et. al., 2003;Murray & Doren, 2012;Wehmeyer, et al, , 2013) with the effective components of vocational psychology interventions (e.g., McWhirter, Rasheed, & Crothers, 2000;Chronister & McWhirter, 2006;Diemer & Blustein, 2006) and behavior change interventions, in particular, motivational interviewing (e.g., Jensen, et al, 2011;Heckman, et.…”

Community-based work experiences for students with significant disabilities: Real-world work equals real-world success

“…This, in turn, should bolster the nation's diverse workforce (11). Aside from the community benefits that are yielded by partners in work transition programs, human service providers increasingly recognize the importance of quality of life outcomes for individuals with disabilities and the importance of employment in achieving these outcomes.…”