	January 2014

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Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Evidence-Based Practice in Vocational Rehabilitation (RRTC-EBP-VR)

We develop evidence-based knowledge and tools for VR practitioners that will improve employment rates, and quality of employment, for people with disabilities.

Visit http://research2vrpractice.org/to learn more about us.

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VR Promising Practices: Research Findings

The RRTC, using a multi-level design, looked at the Rehabilitation Services Administration's (RSA) 911 data across a 3-year timeframe (FY 2007-2009) and arrived at these findings:

Consumers most likely to achieve quality employment outcomes through VR possess the following characteristics:

Male
Higher educational attainment
Sensory disability (followed by physical and psychiatric disability, then by developmental disability)
- Non-significant disability
- Not receiving disability benefits

Individual and Environmental Factors Matter
- Individual and disability-related characteristics have a stronger influence on both employment quality and outcomes than do the economy and state VR agency characteristics.
- VR services reduced the effect of individual characteristics on employment quality.

Specific factors result in higher quality of employment (measured by wage, number of hours worked, and benefits received) for consumers:
- Supported employment services
- Job placement assistance
- Educational change during VR

Most state agencies provide a similar pattern of services to VR consumers based on type of disability.

For more in-depth information on the RRTC's research findings,

click here:

Join us for our State of the Science Conference

On April 8 and 9, 2014 in Bethesda, MD!

Click here for more information.

Resources for Practitioners

Is telecommunication such as email, chat, or videoconferencing an appropriate way to communicate and develop a counseling relationship with consumers? What are the risks and benefits?

The Telecom Toolbox, developed by RTC-Rural, may help you assess how appropriate telecommunication is for you and your individual consumers. It was designed to help VR counselors maintain certain standard of practice, including client choice, confidentiality, and counseling quality, and to facilitate effective online communication.

Additional resources related to EBP can be found at

http://research2vrpractice.org/resources

Interventions to Facilitate Increased Community Participation and Life Satisfaction in Consumers

Snyder's Hope Theory proposes that "hope" is open to change and can be taught. By strengthening consumers' resilience, sense of perceived control, belief in cause and effect, and experience of hope, practitioners could significantly impact consumers' level of community participation and sense of well being.

Click here to learn specific interventions to facilitate growth of these key traits.

Technical Assistance and Training

The RRTC-eBP-VR is your resource on evidence-based practices in vocational rehabilitation. To contact us, call 855-820-3929, or send us an email via

http://research2vrpractice.org/contact/

We are your resource on evidence-based practices in vocational rehabiliation. Contact us!

research2vrpractice.org or 888-820-3929