Analyzing vocational outcomes of individuals with psychiatric disabilities who received state vocational rehabilitation services: A data mining approach | Knowledge Translation for Employment Research Center

Authors:	Roush, S.
Year Published	2007
Publication	International Journal of Social Psychiatry
Volume	53
Number	4
Pages	357-368
Publisher	Sage
Background	Poor vocational rehabilitation outcomes are seen for those with psychiatric disabilities; 80% to 85% are unemployed nationally. The authors claim that a lack of research into vocational rehabilitation services and outcomes is the cause for the high unemployment rates.
Purpose	The purpose of the study is to examine factors that affect vocational outcomes in the vocational rehabilitation process for people with psychiatric disabilities who received state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services.
Setting	The Rehabilitation Services Administration FY 2001 Case Service Report (RSA-911)was analyzed using data mining. This study included individuals with psychiatric disabilities served by multiple vocational rehabilitation agencies in various settings.
Sample	Participants in the study included only individuals who had a status code of 26 (working) or status code of 28 (not working).
Data Collection	The Exhaustive Chi-Square Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) data mining technique was used. The technique requires the use of categorical values; therefore, age and education (continuous variables) were recoded into categories. Decision trees "were used to generate rules for the classification of this dataset" (p. 360). SPSS AnswerTree 2.0 statistical software was used for the data analysis.
Control	The dependent variable included were the status codes 26 or 28.
Findings	Those who were receiving job placement and counseling services, did not receive any government benefits, attended special education in high school, graduated from high school or had college experience, and received comprehensive assessment and vocational training were the most likely to be employed. Those who did not receive job placement services but did receive counseling, restorative and transportation services, and government benefits were the most likely to remain unemployed.
Conclusions	An increase in the number of persons diagnosed with a psychiatric disability is expected as services are provided by public rehabilitation services rather than community-based services. Rehabilitation professionals should be made aware of the unique challenges and trained in the use of the Individual Placement and Support model.
URL	http://www.worksupport.com/kter/documents/pdf/AnalyzingVocationalOutcomes.pdf
Disabilities	Emotional disturbance
Populations	Male & Female
Outcomes	Employment acquisition
NIDILRR Funded	No
Research Design	Observational
Peer Reviewed	Yes

Year Published

2007

Publication

International Journal of Social Psychiatry

Volume

53

Number

4

Pages

357-368

Publisher

Sage

Background

Poor vocational rehabilitation outcomes are seen for those with psychiatric disabilities; 80% to 85% are unemployed nationally. The authors claim that a lack of research into vocational rehabilitation services and outcomes is the cause for the high unemployment rates.

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to examine factors that affect vocational outcomes in the vocational rehabilitation process for people with psychiatric disabilities who received state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services.

Setting

The Rehabilitation Services Administration FY 2001 Case Service Report (RSA-911)was analyzed using data mining. This study included individuals with psychiatric disabilities served by multiple vocational rehabilitation agencies in various settings.

Sample

Participants in the study included only individuals who had a status code of 26 (working) or status code of 28 (not working).

Data Collection

The Exhaustive Chi-Square Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) data mining technique was used. The technique requires the use of categorical values; therefore, age and education (continuous variables) were recoded into categories. Decision trees "were used to generate rules for the classification of this dataset" (p. 360). SPSS AnswerTree 2.0 statistical software was used for the data analysis.

Control

The dependent variable included were the status codes 26 or 28.

Findings

Those who were receiving job placement and counseling services, did not receive any government benefits, attended special education in high school, graduated from high school or had college experience, and received comprehensive assessment and vocational training were the most likely to be employed. Those who did not receive job placement services but did receive counseling, restorative and transportation services, and government benefits were the most likely to remain unemployed.

Conclusions

An increase in the number of persons diagnosed with a psychiatric disability is expected as services are provided by public rehabilitation services rather than community-based services. Rehabilitation professionals should be made aware of the unique challenges and trained in the use of the Individual Placement and Support model.

URL

http://www.worksupport.com/kter/documents/pdf/AnalyzingVocationalOutcomes.pdf

Disabilities

Emotional disturbance

Populations

Male & Female

Outcomes

Employment acquisition

NIDILRR Funded

No

Research Design

Observational

Peer Reviewed

Yes