by Michael West, John Kregel, Ana Hernandez, & Thomas Hock
This article reports findings from a survey of 385 supported employment provider agencies on their use of natural supports in time-limited and extended services. An overwhelming majority of 85% of all respondents reported that natural supports are emphasized by their agency in the delivery of supported employment services and have generally been successful and useful for all individuals on their caseloads. Among the problems identified by the respondents were resistance to natural supports by employers and coworkers, as well as difficulty in locating natural supports at the job site. Results are discussed in terms of the need for quality assurance procedures in supported employment programs.