Employment retention and career movement among individuals with mental retardation working in supported employment.

Results of a 24-month analysis of employment retention and replacement needs of a sample of 302 individuals placed into supported employment were reported. Supported employees experienced regular movement in and out of the labor market. Approximately 30% of them were still employed in their original employment situation 24 months following initial placement. An additional 20% were employed in subsequent employment situations, and over 31% had lost their employment and were returned to a referral pool to await replacement. Implications for future supported employment service delivery and funding were discussed.

Supported employment: an alternative model for vocational rehabilitation of persons with severe neurologic, psychiatric, or physical disability.

Participation in paid work in competitive industry through placement in supported employment is compared and analyzed for 278 severely disabled persons. Differential outcomes are described for persons with chronic mental illness, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, and dual diagnosis of chronic mental illness and mental retardation. Results indicated that supported employment appears to be an effective means of assisting these historically unemployable individuals to acquire and retain work. Cross-disability group differences were found in areas such as hourly wages, type of employment, services provided by employment specialists, and job retention. The results represent a baseline from which to evaluate future efforts at competitive work placement for persons with severe disabilities, using the supported-employment model.

The effects of consumer characteristics and type of employment model on individual outcomes in supported employment.

Although recent federal legislation has led to a proliferation of supported employment programs throughout the country, little information is available that documents the success of these programs. In the present study, we examined the effect of different consumer characteristics and alternative supported employment service delivery models on key employment outcomes including hourly wage, hours worked per week, increase in earnings after supported employment participation, and level of integration on the job. The employment outcomes of a sample of 1,550 individuals receiving supported employment services through 96 local programs in eight states were analyzed to determine the effects of the key independent variables of primary disability and type of employment model. Results indicate that all groups of individuals, regardless of their primary disability, benefited significantly from supported employment participation. Further, data indicate that the individual placement model generated employment outcomes superior to those resulting from group employment options, particularly work crews. Implications of the results for future program development activities are discussed.

Analysis of employment specialist intervention time in supported competitive employment.

Results of an initial analysis of the employment specialist intervention time provided to consumers in supported competitive employment programs operated by the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) at Virginia Commonwealth University over 8 years was described. Analyses focused on the amount of staff intervention time provided as a percentage of the total number of hours worked by a consumer each week and a comparison of the amount of intervention time provided to two subsamples. Results indicated that consumers previously classified moderately or severely mentally retarded did not require a significantly greater amount of intervention time than those previously classified as borderline or mildly retarded during the first year of employment.

An analysis of employer evaluations of workers with mental retardation.

A critical component of supported competitive employment is the provision of long-term consumer assessment and systematic follow-along services. To date, there is a paucity of information that describes or validates the process of ongoing consumer assessment. In this article, written employer evaluations of workers with mental retardation were analyzed regarding their relationship to employment retention. Three factors were identified which related to employment retention: (a) workers' attendance, (b) punctuality patterns, and (c) consistency in task performance. These findings are discussed in light of their implications for curriculum design and habilitation efforts for persons with mental retardation.

Benefit-cost analysis of supported competitive employment for persons with mental retardation.

A review of the literature on unemployment rates among adults with mental retardation is presented and the societal impact of the number of adults with mental retardation who remain unemployed is discussed. The supported competitive employment model is presented as illustrative of a habilitation program allowing greater monetary returns to society than traditional adult service programs. A benefit-cost analysis of our supported competitive employment program, occurring during the period from 1978 to 1986, is presented from two perspectives: that of the consumer (i.e., the adult with severe disabilities) and that of the taxpayer. Results of the benefit-cost analysis indicate that supported competitive employment is a financially prosperous venture from both perspectives. That is, from the consumers' perspective, for every $1.00 relinquished in taxes, supplemental security income (SSI), and forgone workshop earnings, $1.97 was received in increased income; the net benefit per year was $3,894 consumer. From the taxpayers' perspective, for every $1.00 expended for the funding of supported competitive employment programs and in lost tax revenues realized by the provision of targeted jobs tax credits, $1.87 was accumulated in benefits; the net yearly benefit to the taxpayer was $4,063 per consumer. The authors conclude that supported competitive employment is a financially profitable venture for both consumers and taxpayers.