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One-year Follow-up of Illinois State Vocational Rehabilitation Clients with Psychiatric Disabilities following Successful Closure into Community Employment
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Cook, J. (2003). One-year follow-up of Illinois state vocational rehabilitation clients with psychiatric disabilities following successful closure into community employment. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 18(1), 25-32.
Article Summary
Despite increases in competitive employment for individuals with mental
retardation, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy between 1985 and 1995, the author
states that the federal-state vocational rehabilitation (VR) system has failed
to adequately serve individuals with psychiatric disabilities. Cook cites
studies that show fewer rehabilitation dollars being spent, returns to
competitive employment, and successful closures when compared to other
categories of disability. The purpose of the current study was to identify the
proportion and scope of employment one year after successful VR closure for
individuals with psychiatric disabilities. Cook also wanted to determine the
range of services that these employees received in the year following VR
closure.
The Illinois Department of Rehabilitation Services (IL-DORS) identified the 315
respondents as having severe psychiatric disabilities. They were all
competitively employed when their cases were closed, were an average of 37 years
old, and had an average of 12.7 years of education. Interviews were conducted to
collect demographic information which included receipt of benefits through
Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
programs. Comprehensive employment histories were compiled and verified by
previous employers. Respondents also completed the Thresholds Work Attitudes
Scale which provided self-reports of worker attitudes and abilities.
One year after their VR cases had been closed, 71% of the respondents were
employed, Of those still employed, 63% held the same job as one year before.
These figures compared to 84% of individuals with psychiatric disabilities who
were employed one year later and 74% on the same job at the national level.
The Illinois residents were earning an average
hourly wage of $6.31 (compared to $4.68 for those on the national level) and
working an average of 30 hours per week (compared to 22 hours per week for those
on the national level). While the hourly wage for both groups increased, neither
group showed a significant change in the number of hours worked by the end of
their first year of competitive employment.
Receiving family support and participating in self-help groups correlated
positively with employment. Medical and mental health care as well as disability
income were the most frequent services received by individuals with psychiatric
disabilities during the 12-month period following VR case closure. As expected,
those who were eligible for SSI/SSDI incomes were less likely to be employed
after a year. While this could be a function of the relative severity of the
psychiatric disability, the author attributed this to the fact that those who
were not eligible for these benefits had the most to gain and the least to lose
by successful employment.
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