Absence of conflict of interest.
Citation
Highlights
- The study's objective was to examine the impact of the State-Federal Vocational Rehabilitation (SFVR) Program on successful employment for individuals who are hard-of-hearing.
- The study used statistical models to investigate the effects SFVR program services on successful employment. The authors obtained data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Service Administration Case Service Report.
- The study found that several SFVR program services were significantly related to successful employment among people who are hard-of-hearing.
- This study receives a low evidence rating. This means we are not confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the State-Federal Vocational Rehabilitation (SFVR) Program; other factors are likely to have contributed.
Intervention Examined
State-Federal Vocational Rehabilitation (SFVR)
Features of the Intervention
The U.S. Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration implemented the State-Federal Vocational Rehabilitation (SFVR) Program which provides services to people with disabilities to help them attain competitive employment. The SFVR program provides a broad range of counseling and employment support services to individuals with disabilities and was designed to serve individuals with disabilities seeking assistance with securing employment. Program services include assessments, diagnosis and treatment of impairments, information and referral services, junior and community college training, job search and placement assistance, vocational rehabilitation counseling and guidance, job readiness training, rehabilitation technology, and interpreter services, among others. Certain services are unique to people that are hard-of-hearing as the service delivery can employ different procedures or devices specifically for this population.
Features of the Study
The study used a nonexperimental design to examine the effects of the SFVR program services on the attainment of successful employment for individuals who are hard-of-hearing. The study used a sample of 24,983 individuals from a national data set from the SFVR program. Sample data were obtained from the U.S. Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration Case Service Report for fiscal year 2014. This report includes data on SFVR program participants' demographic characteristics, type of disability, services provided, and case outcomes. The study sample was mostly non-Hispanic White (76.7%), age 25 or older (87.6%), with an equal percentage of men and women. Almost half of the sample had no formal schooling or attained some level of education not exceeding a high school diploma or GED (47.8%), while 42.2% had some level of post-secondary education. The authors used a statistical model to estimate the effects of different types of SFVR program services on successful employment. Successful employment was defined as SFVR participants who were accepted to receive services, developed and signed an individualized plan for employment, and acquired and maintained employment for a minimum of 90 days.
Findings
Employment
- The study found that ten SFVR services were significantly related to successful employment for individuals who are hard-of-hearing: assessment, diagnosis and treatment of impairments, vocational rehabilitation counseling and guidance, rehabilitation technology, information and referral services, job search assistance, job placement assistance, transportation, maintenance, and other services.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
While the study authors statistically controlled for baseline characteristics such as gender, race and ethnicity, age, education, and secondary disability, they did not control for baseline employment outcomes as required by the protocol. These preexisting differences between the participants—and not the SFVR program—could explain the observed differences in outcomes. Additionally, the study only analyzed individuals classified as “hard-of-hearing”, not “deaf”, which may result in an over or underrepresentation of the target population due to individuals’ different definitions of hearing loss. Therefore, the study is not eligible for a moderate causal evidence rating, the highest rating available for nonexperimental designs.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of the causal evidence presented in this report is low, because the authors did not include required control variables as outlined in the protocol. This means we are not confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the State-Federal Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Program; other factors are likely to have contributed.