There is a growing urgency to equip transition-age students with intellectual and developmental disabilities for competitive, integrated employment. Prior research demonstrates the positive effects of job coaching, yet no known training exists for educators to learn how to provide appropriate employment-related supports to promote student…

This brief is the third in a series focusing on Employment First implementation as it relates to one of the seven elements within the High-Performing States in Integrated Employment model. It examines the background of circumstances under which Employment First efforts began in seven states, and introduces each state's values, mission, and goals…

Young adults with disabilities face multiple challenges in obtaining successful post-school employment outcomes. This situation has remained relatively unchanged despite nearly 25 years of federal attention to the issue, including mandated transition services and a series of additional significant legislative responses. KentuckyWorks is a…

The purpose of this exploratory study was to survey community rehabilitation providers (CRPs) to determine their perceptions of the skills, experiences, and information that transitioning youth with developmental disabilities (DD) and their families need to access supported employment (SE) services. Supervisors of SE from 12 CRPs across one state…

The Social Security Administration is funding a random assignment evaluation of six demonstration projects to improve employment and other outcomes for youth ages 14 to 25 who are either receiving disability benefits or are at high risk of receiving them in the future. This report reviews the Youth Transition Demonstration (YTD) projects, located…

Background: Australia has few policies to support the transition of older people with intellectual disability from employment to retirement. This study aimed to identify the possibilities and barriers to retirement for older employees in supported employment services. Method: Five distinct participant groups discussed retirement in 6 separate…

This study examined the activities of employment specialists and nontraditional support providers in a supported employment program for transition-age youth with significant disabilities. Results are detailed for employment characteristics, types of supports needed or desired, identifying and arranging sources of support, support providers, and…

This paper describes transitional programs developed by Black Hills Special Services Cooperative (BHSSC) to meet the needs of disabled students in rural areas. In cooperation with other public and private agencies, BHSSC provides comprehensive vocational rehabilitation services and community living programs to help individuals with severe…

Many public programs providing employment services and support to developmentally disabled adults foster dependency and work disincentives and fail to provide adequate vocational service. Programs should be better coordinated, focus on transitional and supported work activities, and provide incentives to motivate clients to attain the most…

Ways that 17 Massachusetts schools and 16 adult agencies promoted natural supports in employment of people with severe disabilities are discussed, along with the barriers they experienced. Results indicate wide use of some practices and confusion about the concept of natural supports and the role of service providers in facilitating involvement.…

Sheltered workshops for severely disabled persons should be reformed to emphasize job placement, transition to more independent work environments, and retraining and replacement of workshop staff. A national policy on the employment of disabled persons focusing on supported employment, least restrictive work environments, and career development is…

The emergence of supported employment programs in the United States has substantially raised expectations concerning the viability of employment in promoting the integration, productivity, and independence of persons with severe disabilities. Frank R. Rusch and David Braddock, in their article "Adult Day Programs Versus Supported Employment…

This report contains selected preliminary findings from the Longitudinal Study of the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Service Program. The study, initiated in fall 1992, will produce a series of interim reports that address key policy questions. This third interim report presents data collected from VR consumers and their VR case files in 37 local…

This report is the first in a series of four final reports that present the findings of the Longitudinal Study of the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Program. Initiated in fall 1992, the study has tracked VR participation and post-VR experiences of applicants to and consumers of VR services (n=8,500) for up to 3 years following exit from…

This document presents guidelines and examples of good practices for supporting learning-disabled adults in the United Kingdom as they make the jump from education into employment. The guidelines and resource materials presented in this staff resource pack were developed during the Making the Jump project, which was undertaken to address the…