Black / African American

An independent retrospective evaluation of the SEE employment outcomes was conducted. In addition, the SEE program fidelity was assessed using the IPS Fidelity scale.
Data was selected from three major sources. Demographics, days in program, number of jobs held previously and self rating of "work readiness were collected from the SEE program records. The SEEIS database provided data related to each job obtained (i.e.. start and end date, hours worked, wages etc...) and services received (i.e.. benefits counseling, assistance with job related problems and workplace supports, disclosure of disability etc.... Behavioral health program records provided treatment plan information, clinical contact hours and diagnosis. The case management services client tracking system had information about the person's level of functioning at program exit.

Data on individuals receiving vocational rehabilitation services were obtained from the US Department of Education‚ Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. This included demographic variables, impairment cause, types and cost of services paid for by the Rehabilitation Services Administration, reasons for closure, and competitive employment status. There were three dependent variables. The first indicating whether the case was closed because the rehabilitation service provider believed that the individual‚ disability was too significant to benefit from services. The second was the total dollar amount the state VR agency spent on services. The third was whether individuals
achieved competitive employment by the time of case closure. Bivariate associations between impairment cause and all other variables were estimated using means, medians and ANOVA for expenditure data, and frequencies and chi square tests for all other variables.

Individuals were randomly assigned to DPA or IPS. Afterwards they were followed for two years. Objective data related to paid employment outcomes was collected through quarterly participant interviews. Data pertaining to the predictor variable, working alliance were collected by participant interviews every 6 months for individuals who were working at the time.
Demographic variables were measured by the Uniform Client Data Inventory and work history by the Employment and Income Review at baseline. Psychiatric symptoms were assessed at baseline and semiannual periods using the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale. Employment outcomes included total duration of paid work and mean paid job tenure. A scale was developed to measure working alliance. It included items related to emotional support, instrumental/informational support, frequency of performance feedback, stressfulness of the relationship, how critical the vocational worker was to the client and the person's overall satisfaction with the relationship.
Fidelity to the IPS or DPA model tenants were assessed every 6 months for both sites where individuals received services.
Stepwise hierarchical multiple regression analysis were run to determine relationships between the working alliance and employment outcomes. Baseline variables were controlled for and were entered into the regression model. Related to the number of days of paid work and job tenure applicable covariates were entered.
The working alliance variable was added in the second step of the regression analysis. Zero order correlates were also run. Independent t test was used to determine differences between IPS and DPA on working alliance.

Assessment was conducted a minimum number of four times: at enrollment, three months after entry, and every three months thereafter until attempted entry to post-secondary education or employment. In addition, each mentor and mentee completed a questionnaire which documented satisfaction with the relationship. Finally, the program used standardized assessments to include the Disability Rating Scale to include Employability and Level of Functioning, the Participation Index of the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory, version 4, the Supervision Rating Scale, the Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique Short Form, and the Diener Satisfaction with Life Scale. A successful transition was as the individual remained in the post-secondary education or employment environment.

Data were collected by mentors and project staff. Formal assessments were collected by trained research assistants. Mentors submitted meeting logs documenting when, where, and topics discussed. Data were stored in an Access database and descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted using SPSS. Pre and post test program scores on standardized outcome measures were compared by paired T-tests.

The following techniques were used t-tests, chi-square, logistic regression, and repeated measures ANOVA to analyze the data. Alpha for significance was set at p < .05, and all tests were two-tailed. Cohen's d effect sizes to provide estimates of the magnitude of effects was also calculated.

All participants were classified as working (including volunteering) at any point in the study or nonworking for the analyses. Three IPS subjects and three DOR subjects decided not to pursue work and dropped out of the prospective study, but these subjects were included in the analyses. We used analysis of variance, [chi]2, and logistic regression techniques to analyze the data. All variables were distributed normally. The [alpha] for significance was set at p < 0.05, and all tests were two-tailed.

Demographic and impairment data were collected at baseline. Information on engagement in productive activities (either employment, education, or volunteering) was collected at three, six, and nine months following completion of the ESD or standard treatment.

Data analysis consisted of first comparing the two groups to determine if they differed on baseline variables. Then, chi-square analyses were used to compare employment status at the three, six, and nine-month checkpoints.

Data were collected at intake for age, education, military history, training, employment history, earnings, disability, disability compensation, substance use, and living situation. Employment data were collected following program exit and at three-month follow-up.

Data were collected on individuals who used supported employment services to assist them with gaining and maintaining work anytime between 1985 to 1999.Data about each participant's length of employment, wages, and costs associated with service delivery were collected by the employment specialist assigned to serve the person. For those individuals who had been employed in more than one job over the years, data on length of employment and cost of service delivery were combined. Analyses were performed to examine the costs of supported employment, employment characteristics (e.g., wages, length of employment), and benefit-cost ratios of supported employment for individuals with TBI. Descriptive statistics were calculated for length of employment, costs associated with supported employment services, and wages earned. Subgroup comparisons were also performed to examine the influence of length of employment on wages and supported employment costs. Calculations were based on individual clients, not job placements. Therefore, employment and billing data were combined and averaged for individuals who worked in more than 1 job over the study period.

Employment specialist traced actual time spent either directly or indirectly working for the person with ASD across various types of supported employment interventions. This included developing a vocational profile about the person served, developing a job, job site training, and long term supports to enhance job retention. All data were stored in password protected database. The employment specialist's intervention time and participant outcomes were aggregated across the group of participants and over time.