Absence of conflict of interest.
Citation
Highlights
- The study's objective was to examine the impact of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services on employment outcomes.
- The study used a nonexperimental design to determine whether the number of VR services received predicted employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. The authors conducted statistical models using the U.S. Department of Education Rehabilitation Service Administration Case Service Report (RSA-911).
- The study found that the number of VR services received was significantly related to being employed at case closure.
- This study receives a low causal evidence rating. This means we are not confident that any estimated effects are attributable to Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services; other factors are likely to have contributed.
Intervention Examined
Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services
Features of the Intervention
State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) programs, implemented by the U.S. Department of Education Rehabilitation Services Administration, aim to provide services and trainings to individuals with disabilities to help them become employed. The state VR programs offer a variety of employment support services to help individuals with disabilities to overcome the barriers to employment. Some VR services include university training, job search assistance, job placement assistance, on-the-job supports, benefits counseling, and maintenance, among others. These services can be tailored to the individual's needs, including their disability type. The state VR programs serve individuals with disabilities that seek assistance obtaining and maintaining employment.
Features of the Study
The study used a nonexperimental design to examine whether the number of VR services received predicted employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. The authors used a sample of 1,202,074 VR program participants from a national data set. Sample data were obtained from the U.S. Department of Education Rehabilitation Services Administration Case Service Report (RSA-911) for the years 2015, 2016, and 2017. The authors selected participants who had an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) initiated and their case closed by December 31, 2017. The study sample was mostly White (75%), over half were male (56%), and the largest proportion had a mental impairment (64%). The authors used statistical models to predict whether VR participants would be employed at the time of case closure.
Findings
Employment
- The study found that the number of VR services received was significantly related to being employed at case closure, with the highest odds for participants who received three VR services.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
The authors conducted statistical models to examine the impact of the number of VR service received on employment, controlling for gender, race/ethnicity, and primary impairment in their models. However, they did not control for age as required by the study protocol. 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 causal evidence presented in this report is low because the authors did not control for age in the analyses. This means we are not confident that the estimated effects are attributable to VR services; other factors are likely to have contributed.