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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Return to work of disability insurance beneficiaries who do and do not access state vocational rehabilitation agency services (O'Neill et al., 2015)

Review Guidelines

Causal Evidence Guidelines

Absence of conflict of interest.

Citation

O'Neill, J., Mamun, A. A., Potamites, E., Chan, F., & da Silva Cordoso, E. (2015). Return to work of disability insurance beneficiaries who do and do not access state vocational rehabilitation agency services. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 26(2), 111–123.

Highlights

  • The study's objective was to examine the impact of State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (SVRA) services on employment and public benefits receipt outcomes. 
  • The study used a nonexperimental design to compare the outcomes of individuals enrolled in SVRA services to a matched comparison group who did not enroll in SVRA services. The study authors conducted statistical models using administrative data. 
  • The study found that individuals who received SVRA services had a significantly higher rate of completing the trial work period and achieving suspension or termination from disability insurance program due to work than the matched comparison group.   
  • This study receives a moderate evidence rating. This means we are somewhat confident that the estimated effects are attributable to State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (SVRA) services, but other factors might also have contributed. 

Intervention Examined

State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (SVRA) Services

Features of the Intervention

State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies (SVRA) help facilitate return to work among Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) beneficiaries who access the services. The program serves about 1 million individuals per year and spends 2.5 billion dollars annually to support individuals with disabilities to achieve independent living and employment goals.  

The study used a nonexperimental design to compare DI beneficiaries enrolled in SVRA services to a matched comparison group of DI beneficiaries who did not enroll in SVRA services. Sample data were obtained from the 2010 Disability Analysis File (DAF) and the U.S. Department of Education Rehabilitation Services Administration Case Service Report. The authors created a comparison group by matching on gender, age, race/ethnicity, education, and primary impairment. The sample included 34,738 DI beneficiaries between the ages of 25 and 54, with 17,369 DI beneficiaries in the treatment group and 17,369 DI beneficiaries in the comparison group. Less than half of the study sample were women (44%), the majority were White non-Hispanic (74%), between 35 and 49 years of age (59%), with at least a 12th grade education (41%), and had a primary impairment of other physical impairment (27%) or affective disorder (19%). The authors used statistical models to compare the outcomes of treatment and comparison group members. 

Findings

Employment 

  • The study found a significant relationship between enrollment in SVRA services and higher rates of trial work period completion over the 10-year period.  

Public benefits receipt

  • The study found a significant relationship between enrollment in SVRA services and higher rates of termination of benefits due to sustained employment over the 10-year period.  

Considerations for Interpreting the Findings

The study authors noted that although the analyses controlled for observed differences in sample characteristics, it is important to caveat that there may be unobserved differences in the samples examined.

Causal Evidence Rating

The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is moderate because it was based on a well-implemented nonexperimental design. This means we are somewhat confident that the estimated effects are attributable to SVRA services, but other factors might also have contributed.

Reviewed by CLEAR

March 2024

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