The quality of supported employment implementation scale (2000) | Knowledge Translation for Employment Research Center

Authors:	Bond, G. R., Salyers, M. P., Dincin, J., Drake, R. E., Becker, D. R., Fraser, V. V., & Haines, M.
Year Published	2000
Publication	Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation
Volume	14
Number	1
Pages	201-212
Publisher	IOS Press
Background	Supported employment as an approach to assist individuals with the most severe disabilities, with gaining and maintaining work, has been described in the literature since the nineteen eighties. However, its implementation has been variable in the United States. A scale to measure the quality of supported employment implementation would be beneficial.
Purpose	The purpose of this study was to develop a checklist that could be used by program administrators or state planners to measure the implementation of supported employment programs for individuals with severe mental illness.
Setting	The study sites were 17 supported employment programs located in Kansas and New Jersey.
Sample	A total of 32 supported employment programs participated in the study. Twenty sites were in New Jersey and 12 in Kansas. Between the two states' programs, there was no significant difference in the longevity of the programs, number of employment specialist, number of consumers, staff to consumer ratios. They also did not differ in number of annual admissions.
Data Collection	One and half hour semi structured telephone interviews were conducted with program managers using the Quality of Supported Employment Implementation Scale. The subscales were: vocational staffing, organization and services, from the Individual Placement and Support Fidelity Scale. After the interview, procedures were explained about collecting employment outcome data. Program directors were paid $100 for completing this activity. The data related to employment status of current consumers.
Control	There was no comparison or control condition.
Findings	The inter-interviewer agreement was moderately high. Overall, internal consistency of the total scale was poor, so the researchers subscales. All 33 items on the Quality of Supported Employment Implementation Scale showed some variation. Both states showed high ratings suggesting moderate to full implementation in most of the measured areas. However there were some differences at the subscale and item level. New Jersey had significantly higher implementation of planning and support, while Kansas had higher implementation of integration of mental health.
Conclusions	The Quality of Supported Employment Implementation Scale can be used to describe supported employment programs for individuals with severe mental illness. More research is needed.
URL	http://worksupport.com/Main/downloads/article5.pdf
Disabilities	Emotional disturbance
Populations	Male & Female
Outcomes	Other
NIDILRR Funded	No
Research Design	Qualitative
Peer Reviewed	Yes

Year Published

2000

Publication

Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation

Volume

14

Number

1

Pages

201-212

Publisher

IOS Press

Background

Supported employment as an approach to assist individuals with the most severe disabilities, with gaining and maintaining work, has been described in the literature since the nineteen eighties. However, its implementation has been variable in the United States. A scale to measure the quality of supported employment implementation would be beneficial.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to develop a checklist that could be used by program administrators or state planners to measure the implementation of supported employment programs for individuals with severe mental illness.

Setting

The study sites were 17 supported employment programs located in Kansas and New Jersey.

Sample

A total of 32 supported employment programs participated in the study. Twenty sites were in New Jersey and 12 in Kansas. Between the two states' programs, there was no significant difference in the longevity of the programs, number of employment specialist, number of consumers, staff to consumer ratios. They also did not differ in number of annual admissions.

Data Collection

One and half hour semi structured telephone interviews were conducted with program managers using the Quality of Supported Employment Implementation Scale. The subscales were: vocational staffing, organization and services, from the Individual Placement and Support Fidelity Scale. After the interview, procedures were explained about collecting employment outcome data. Program directors were paid $100 for completing this activity. The data related to employment status of current consumers.

Control

There was no comparison or control condition.

Findings

The inter-interviewer agreement was moderately high. Overall, internal consistency of the total scale was poor, so the researchers subscales. All 33 items on the Quality of Supported Employment Implementation Scale showed some variation. Both states showed high ratings suggesting moderate to full implementation in most of the measured areas. However there were some differences at the subscale and item level. New Jersey had significantly higher implementation of planning and support, while Kansas had higher implementation of integration of mental health.

Conclusions

The Quality of Supported Employment Implementation Scale can be used to describe supported employment programs for individuals with severe mental illness. More research is needed.

URL

http://worksupport.com/Main/downloads/article5.pdf

Disabilities

Emotional disturbance

Populations

Male & Female

Outcomes

Other

NIDILRR Funded

No

Research Design

Qualitative

Peer Reviewed

Yes