ERIC Number: ED611380
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 5
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Achieving Best Practice in Employment Supports: Defining Measures of Effectiveness. Bringing Employment First to Scale, Issue No. 4
Institute for Community Inclusion
People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are among the most likely Americans to be unemployed, live in poverty, or rely on public programs. In 2013, only 23% of working-age people with cognitive disabilities--a broad demographic category that includes individuals with IDD--were employed, compared to 72% of people without disabilities. While over 30 states have adopted an Employment First policy (a declaration that employment is the priority outcome for people with disabilities), a key challenge is ensuring that supports meet the standards for best practice. Employment supports are delivered by what we refer to as "employment consultants." We use this term to describe staff who support individuals with disabilities to find and keep an individual integrated job in the community. Other titles may include employment specialist, job developer, or job coach. This brief: Shares what we know about bringing best practice to scale; Introduces a line of research that builds a strategy for an effective workforce for employment supports. [This report was prepared by ThinkWork! at the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston and the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Advancing Employment for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (RRTC), a project of ThinkWork!.]
Descriptors: Intellectual Disability, Developmental Disabilities, Best Practices, Supported Employment, Job Skills, Consultants, Specialists, Employment Qualifications, Job Applicants, Employment Services
Institute for Community Inclusion. University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125. Tel: 617-287-4300; Fax: 617-287-4352; e-mail: ici@umb.edu; Web site: http://www.communityinclusion.org
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) (DHHS/ACL)
Authoring Institution: University of Massachusetts Boston, Institute for Community Inclusion
Grant or Contract Numbers: 90RT50280100