Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling Commons^™

Service Provider Promising Practice - Able Opportunities And The Work Independence Network (Washington): Creating An Individual Placement Model Focusing On The Needs Of Both Job Seekers And Employers, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Able Opportunities is a certified vendor for the state of Washington’s Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, Developmental Disabilities Administration, Division of Developmental Disability, and Department of Labor and Industry. The Work Independence Network (WIN) began in 2005 as a partnership between Able Opportunities, Harrison Medical Center, and Kitsap County Developmental Disabilities to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) find jobs. Through WIN, Able Opportunities strives to meet the needs of both job seekers and employers through the use of innovative business model tools, including cost-benefit analysis and production charts. WIN’s goal is to help people with disabilities find meaningful …

The Impact Of Cognitive Behavior Techniques On The Vocational Identity Of Persons With Disabilities Receiving Ssi/Ssdi Benefits, James Joseph Quinn

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the effects of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) on the vocational identity, self-efficacy, and vocational satisfaction of persons with disabilities receiving SSI/SSDI. This study was carefully planned to help persons with disabilities obtain employment. A review of the relevant literature was used to determine the need for the study and to support the study. Forty participants, all were enrolled into a vocational rehabilitation program were selected for the study. Threats to internal and external validity were taken into consideration and controlled for. They received CBT as a treatment intervention to change their beliefs and irrational thoughts about the …

Understanding Turnover Propensity Via Affective Beliefs, Adam Bradshaw

Theses and Dissertations

Three latent variable models examined relationships among neuroticism, situation-specific affective beliefs, and turnover propensity and were evaluated with Structural Equation Modeling to determine model fit. Results provided additional insight into how affective belief systems relate to turnover propensity reinforcing and expanding upon previous research by Binning, Bradshaw, LeBreton, and Scheier (2010) as the Correlated Antecedents and the Mediated Antecedents Models fit the data as proposed. Neuroticism and situation-specific affective beliefs continue to play distinguishable roles in explaining turnover propensity. Research by Binning et al. (2010) and the present study make it increasingly clear that understanding how affective belief systems relate …

Service Provider Promising Practice: Kfi In Maine - Making Mission-Driven Choices About Funding And Service Innovation, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Katahdin Friends, Inc. (KFI), headquartered in the small rural community of Millinocket, Maine, has been a service provider in this community and surrounding regions for the last 54 years. After providing segregated services for its first 20 years, KFI became an early adopter of supported employment. In the 1980s, staff members started attending conferences to learn about better, cheaper ways to serve their customers. They were profoundly influenced by the integration approach to community and employment support espoused by other innovative service providers across the country

Data Note: State Trends In The Vocational Rehabilitation Engagement Of Young Adults With Intellectual Disabilities: 2002-2011, Alberto Migliore, Jean E. Winsor

Data Note Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

Experiencing paid employment during and immediately after high school is a critical step on the path toward economic self-sufficiency in adulthood. Young adults with disabilities interested in gaining employment experiences may seek support from vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs. In this Data Note, we examine the extent to which young adults with intellectual disabilities engage with their state VR programs.

One way for assessing young adult engagement is to look at the number of them who exit the program, which implies that they either applied or were referred to the program. Specifically, we examined the average number of young adults 16 …

Data Note: Shifts In Vr Outcome Trends For Vr Customers With And Without Intellectual Disabilities, Frank A. Smith

Data Note Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

People with intellectual disabilities (ID) aspire to gainful employment1. To assist them with this goal, state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies offer employment services based upon Individualized Plans for Employment (IPEs). A commonly used measure of outcomes is the rehabilitation rate, defined as the percentage of individuals exiting the program who have achieved an employment outcome after receiving services with an IPE. This indicator does not consider that not all eligible consumers progress to receive services after an IPE is developed. This occurs for a variety of individual, service, and systems reasons. Reviewing data for eligible consumers who do not receive …

Data Note: People Served In Community Mental Health Programs And Employment, Stephanie Wallace, Frank A. Smith

Data Note Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

State mental health agencies provide a wide range of supports, including rehabilitation services and vocational and pre-vocational training, as well as supported and competitive employment supports. This Data Note explores how states vary in number and percentage of individuals who are employed among those served in Community Mental Health Programs (CMHPs), i.e., programs with all services provided in the community, rather than in an inpatient setting. It also explores national trends that occurred from 2002 to 2011.

Funding Health-Related Vr Services: The Potential Impact Of The Affordable Care Act On The Use Of Private Health Insurance And Medicaid To Pay For Health-Related Vr Services, Robert Silverstein

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

One of the myriad of issues affecting the administration of the vocational rehabilitation (VR) program by State VR agencies under Title I of the Rehabilitation Act is how to maximize access to and use of all available funding sources to pay for VR services and supports for VR applicants and clients. In March 2010, Congress passed and the President signed into law the "Affordable Care Act" (ACA). 1 On June 28, 2012, the United States Supreme Court upheld all of the provisions of the ACA, with the exception of provisions mandating Medicaid expansion. The Supreme Court held that if a …

Indicators For Improving Educational, Employment, And Economic Outcomes For Youth And Young Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities: A National Report On Existing Data Sources, Jennifer Sullivan Sulewski, Agnieszka Zalewska, John Butterworth

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

The following report summarizes available national data on educational, employment and economic outcomes for youth and young adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) over the years 2000-2010. These data can be used to benchmark progress in improving these outcomes for young adult population across the country and within individual states. Data is reported separately for two age groups of young adults (16-21 and 22-30) in order to capture possible differences between youth likely to still be receiving school services (through age 21) and those who have moved on from the education system.

Relationships Between Vocabulary Size, Working Memory, And Phonological Awareness In Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners, Brenda K. Gorman

Speech Pathology and Audiology Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose: The goals of this study were to evaluate the impact of short-term phonological awareness (PA) instruction presented in children's first language (L1; Spanish) on gains in their L1 and second language (L2; English) and to determine whether relationships exist between vocabulary size, verbal working memory, and PA in Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs).

Method: Participants included 25 kindergartners who received PA instruction and 10 controls. A 2-way within-subjects repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to evaluate gains. Relationships between PA gains, Spanish and English vocabulary, and memory, as measured using nonword repetition and experimental …

Data Note: Prevalence Of Youth With Autism Who Received Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Alberto Migliore, Agnieszka Zalewska

Data Note Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

In 2002, about six children aged eight years per every 1000 people in the general population received a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The corresponding figure in 2008 was about 11 children, a 78% increase in just six years¹.

To better understand how the increasing population of people with autism may impact adult programs, we examined the number of youth with autism served by state vocational rehabilitation programs in 2010. To account for the states' general population sizes, we reported the number of youth with autism served per 100,000 in the state general population (prevalence).

As Figure …

Gender Equity And Differences In Support In The Vocational Rehabilitation System, Jennifer Faye Featherston

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Women with disabilities have different vocational rehabilitation (VR) experiences than men with disabilities. When they enter the VR system, they tend to be older, divorced, primary caregivers, more dependent on public assistance, and have less education and less work experience than their male counterparts. Given these differences, women may need to receive different treatment than men, yet the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Pub.L. 88-352, 78 Stat. 241, July 2, 1964) and the Equal Protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment state that men and women must be treated equally within the state-federal vocational rehabilitation system. Because they have been out …

A Model For Enhancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, And Belonging In A Speech Pathology And Audiology Program, Elizabeth R Oommen R. Oommen, Peggy Goetz, Brian M. Kreisman, Megan Nickelson, Morgan Bykerk

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Purpose: The SPAUD department at Calvin University recognized the need for initiatives that focused on intentionally enfolding and supporting Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), international, and third culture students in a competitive major like communication sciences and disorders (CSD). These initiatives focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) practices, specifically: (1) to support retention and empowerment of students through peer mentoring and small group meetings; and (2) to equip the department to empower faculty and students to thrive together in the program and in their vocation through capacitybuilding.

Study design/methodology/approach: This is a case study paper outlining …

The Impact Of Teacher Collaboration In A Professional Learning Community On Teacher Job Satisfaction, Donna V. Ackerman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A dilemma in some local educational institutions is the lack of a supportive teacher community which could lead to decreased teacher job satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to describe to what extent teacher collaboration in a professional learning community (PLC) impacts teacher job satisfaction. Theoretical foundations by DuFour, Eaker and DuFour supported the relationships between PLC and teacher collaboration. Herzberg's theory of motivation and Maslow's hierarchy also served as frameworks in this study. An interpretive, qualitative research design was used to explore potential connections between collaboration and job satisfaction. Research questions addressed how scheduled school day collaborative time …

Vipassana Meditation And Teacher Decision-Making, Jeffrey Ronald Glogowski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to build a theory about the process and function teachers construct around the effect Vipassana meditation has on stress, teaching, and decision-making. This study addressed the problem of how teachers respond to daily tasks and demands that can negatively impact their longevity in the profession. The starting point was the conceptual framework, including resolving cognitive dissonance, choice theory, mindfulness, and the perspective of Vipassana meditation. The research questions addressed how Vipassana meditation influences a teacher's daily routine, decision-making, classroom management, general procedures, and stressful situations. The data collection was done in 2 …

Roles Of Internal Locus Of Control And Self-Efficacy On Managing Job Stressors And Ryff's Six Scales Of Psychological Well-Being, William A. Howatt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles internal locus of control and self-efficacy play in moderating how employees manage their perceived work stress and positively engage in the behaviors that facilitate autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, self-acceptance, positive relations with others, and purpose in life. Investigators have documented the relationship between perceived workplace stress and strain and showed that how employees cope with perceived stress influences their psychological and physical health. However, there is less information available about the relationship between how employees cope with perceived workplace stress and engage in behaviors that facilitate their psychological well-being. …

The Relationship Between The Associated Symptoms Of First Nation Peoples' Historical Losses And Organizational Commitment In The Canadian Workplace, Justin W. Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have found that minorities suffering from traumatic stress report increased levels of stress in the absence of supportive and committed work environments; however, a paucity of empirical research exists for First Nations Peoples (FNP). The purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to examine the nature of the relationship between FNP's associated symptoms of historical loss, assessed by the Historical Loss and Associated Symptoms Scale, and organizational commitment, as measured by the Three Component Employee Commitment Survey. A total of 118 residential school survivors completed surveys. Correlation analysis was used to determine the significance of historical loss in relation …

Transformational Leadership Influence On Rapid Organizational Change In Procter And Gamble Global Manufacturing Operation, Timothy M. Williams Sr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Most companies lack the ability to implement organizational change; over 70% of Organization Change Initiatives (OCIs) fail. This inability has negative economic and survival implications for companies. OCIs must be effective and rapid to match the high pace of change in the business environment. Transformational leadership (TL) has been linked to successful OCIs through its positive influence on employee commitment and reduced resistance to change, yet little research has been done to identify its association with OCI implementation speed. This study tested TL and change theory and their association with change implementation. It sought to determine if a relationship exists …

The Relationship Between Top Leaders' Observed Narcissistic Behaviors And Workplace Bullying, Deborah A. Regnaud

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Workplace bullying is a global problem that leaves workers emotionally harmed and organizations financially strapped; yet in many cases, business leaders fail to adequately address the problem. The purpose of this research was to determine if the top leader had a direct impact on the presence of bullying within the workplace. Based on personality trait theory as a theoretical foundation, the key issue this study explored was the relationship between the presence of workplace bullying and observed narcissistic behaviors exhibited by the top leader. Participants consisted of 84 human resources professionals reporting directly to the CEO/president of companies located in …

Effect Of Political Skill On Perception Of Organizational Politics And Work Withdrawal Among Community College Employees, David John Ross

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Community college student support services are an important aspect of success among community college students. Theoretical and empirical models of organizational politics and withdrawal guided the expectation that community college employees who perceive their organizations as political may withdrawal from their organization, diminishing the services delivered to students at the institution. A multisite cross-sectional survey design was utilized to gather quantitative data via Survey Monkey from national professional organizations. Two-hundred seventeen usable surveys from community college administrators (executive, mid-level managers, and administrators) were gathered. Data were analyzed via correlation and regression models to examine if political skill reduced or moderated …