This article presents case examples that illustrate strategies for promoting natural job supports for employees with disabilities. Strategies include, among others, collaborating with work-site personnel to develop modifications and providing general consultation on person-environment factors that promote the success of the supported employee and…

Study of a sample of 93 individuals with disabilities participating in supported employment programs in Connecticut found that monthly wages and levels of integration increased significantly when compared to working situations prior to supported employment placement. (JDD)

Evaluation of 120 participants in a supported employment program suggests that successful program implementation led to on-going employment in community work sites, increased wages, and ongoing opportunities for interaction with nondisabled peers. Important procedural components included development of comprehensive Individualized Program Plans…

Major ongoing supported employment studies conducted at the Rehabilitation Research Training Center at Virginia Commonwealth University are profiled in this newsletter. The training center involves individuals with disabilities in the design, implementation, and interpretation of the research. The first research study examined the opinions of 110…

Because of their consistent presence in the work environment, co-workers have been identified as a potentially powerful resource available to provide support to employees with disabilities in supported employment programs. The "Co-worker Involvement Instrument" allows employment training specialists and job supervisors to estimate…

This booklet gathers and discusses best practices for supported employment in rehabilitative facilities. The first chapter reviews the need to identify best practices and examines such issues as jobs, integration, and quality of life. The second chapter describes eight programs chosen as exemplary, providing data on program goals, average wage and…

This paper describes a successful model of supported employment developed by a single small agency previously providing services as a segregated day activity center. Included is discussion of the service agency, program methodology, barriers to successful community-based employment, manner in which barriers were overcome, program outcomes, and…

The Dispersed Heterogeneous Placement (DHP) supported employment project involved dispersal of three to five consumers across several departments/areas in a larger business or across several businesses in close proximity. The individuals placed had a wide range of talents and disability severity levels. Typically, a four-person site might have one…