Purpose

We applied Barnes’s self-efficacy enhancement approach (e.g., mastery experiences, vicarious learning, verbal persuasion, and perceptions of psychological states) to two separate evaluation studies focused on teaching career counseling to master’s level rehabilitation counselors-in-training and doctoral level counselor educators-in-training.

Methods

Study 1 employed a pre/post, single group design with 24 master’s level rehabilitation counselors-in-training. Study 2 employed a longitudinal, single group design with 13 counselor education doctoral students. Students in each study participated in a 14-week semester-length career counseling course designed using Barnes’s self-efficacy enhancement approach. In both studies, students participated in a mini-practicum, completed several measures of self-efficacy and perceived competence during multiple time points across the semester.

Results

Findings from Study 1 indicated an increase in career counseling self-efficacy and helping skills self-efficacy. Findings from Study 2 indicated an increase in career counseling self-efficacy and perceived counseling skills when working with people with disabilities.

Conclusion

Findings from Study 1 and Study 2 support Barnes’s self-efficacy enhancement approach when teaching career counseling to rehabilitation counselors-in-training and doctoral students in counselor education.

PURPOSE

Understanding the career decision self-efficacy and outcome expectations of college students with disabilities (CSWD) are important to ensure their career-related activities participation and transition into the workforce. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine the influences of disability identity, ethnic identity, perceptions of career barriers, and social supports on the career decision self-efficacy and outcome expectations of CSWD.

METHOD

The study utilized a cross-sectional survey design and the sample consisted of 312 CSWD recruited at two 4-year universities in Midwestern and Southeastern areas. A series of hierarchical regression analyses was used to examine the factors, including disability identity, ethnic identity, social support, perceived career barriers, ethnicity, gender, and disability types affect career decision self-efficacy, and career outcome expectations of CSWD.

RESULTS

The results showed that 30.1% of variability, F(7, 248) = 15.272, p < .001, in career decision self-efficacy was explained by disability identity, ethnic identity, social support, perceived career barriers, ethnicity, gender, and disability type. Social support was the largest contributor to career decision self-efficacy. In addition, 56.1% of variability, F(8, 247) = 39.433, p < .001, in career outcome expectations was explained by disability identity, ethnic identity, social support, perceived career barriers, career decision self-efficacy, ethnicity and gender. Career decision self-efficacy was the largest contributor to career outcome expectations.

CONCLUSIONS

Several implications for rehabilitation professionals, educators, and researchers are provided.

First, the intersection of social identities (i.e., disability identity and ethnicity identity) requires increased attention in the rehabilitation fields. Sociocultural backgrounds and diverse identities are factors that have been identified as influencing career development of CSWD. Rehabilitation counselors and relevant professionals can play critical roles in supporting and empowering CSWD to develop positive disability and ethnic identities within the postsecondary education environments. Second, appropriate social support from family, peers, faculty, and disability service specialists, inclusive campus climate, and career-related development support in postsecondary education are essential for positive career outcomes of CSWD. Lastly, the effective career services could assist underrepresented CSWD building a sense of identity, confidence, and beliefs of competencies for career decisions and career outcomes, also, eliminate perceptions of career barriers attributing to intersecting multiple identities.

Purpose

The purpose of this in-depth case study was to better understand how practices, policies, and structures contributed to a large health care organization’s track record of hiring, training, and retaining persons with disabilities (PWDs).

Method

We conducted in-depth interviews with 63 key informants across four hospitals in the hospital system. Within each site, we recruited participants from multiple-levels of the organization to understand the complexity of employment practices. Content analysis was used to analyze participant response to open-ended questions.

Results

Providing appropriate supports, including clearly defined job roles that are aligned with employee abilities, ongoing coaching and support, and purposeful efforts to integrate PWDs into the broader organization, are important elements of ongoing success. Invested leadership, alignment across organizational structures, and building partnerships with organizations with knowledge and skill in supporting PWDs are additional critical success factors.

Conclusions

Findings indicate that it is imperative for organizations wishing to strengthen their hiring practices for PWDs to develop a culture that embraces a person-first approach. As evidenced here, in an environment where all employees feel supported, valued, and as if there is room for growth, there is opportunity for employees with disabilities to be viewed through a positive, developmental, and generous lens.

Purpose

The present article provides a narrative review of Australia’s approach toward acquired brain injury (ABI) and proposes how Australia and the United States can collaborate to improve service delivery for persons with ABI and their families with epidemiology, healthcare, prevention, research, and training.

Method

A narrative review of journal articles, government documents, and websites was completed to present a broad overview of Australia’s approach toward meeting the needs of persons with ABI.

Results

The narrative review and synthesis of publications were summarized into the following categories: a) overview of ABI in Australia, b) long-term care government programs, c) services and advocacy, d) research and training, and e) recommendations for Australian-U.S. collaborations.

Conclusion

The current time presents an opportunity for Australia and the United States to collaboratively address areas of common ABI need by dialogue, collaboration, and academic engagement, which may lead to better outcomes for persons with ABI by the sharing of research findings, service approaches, advocacy efforts, and rehabilitation counselor training. Rehabilitation counselors in Australia and the United States should lead the process of collaboration and engagement around common areas of ABI need.

Purpose

This article provided a comprehensive overview of the available peer-reviewed and grey literature on the current status of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and small African American-owned technology firms participation in the federal assistive technology research and development (AT-R&D) enterprise.

Method

Authors completed a historical review of the existing literature on HBCUs' participation in STEM academic pathways to AT-R&D; the contextual framework for HBCUs federal R&D barriers; STEM pathways to small African American Technology Entrepreneurship; and small African American-owned technology firms AT-R&D participation barriers.

Results

Overall, the review illuminated participation barriers experienced; exacerbated in part by narrow STEM pathways designed to help African American students successfully matriculate in related disciplines, institutional systematic barriers, a lack of funding priorities within federal research agencies, and the oversight of African American entrepreneurs in AT.

Conclusions

The authors presented recommendations that might be useful for developing proactive academic pipelines to AT-R&D. The literature review is among the first to examine HBCUs' participation in STEM pathways to federally-funded AT-R&D.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore caregiver and family quality of life in families with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To better understand the experience of caregivers and families of children with ASD, a family systems perspective using constructs from a psychosocial adjustment model of disability (i.e., role impact as the independent variable and relationship satisfaction and mastery as mediator variables) was studied to explain caregiver and family quality of life.

Method

Hayes’ PROCESS macro was used to determine the variance of caregiver and family quality of life accounted for by the predictor variables.

Results

The results indicated that the models explained 52.3% of the variance in caregiver quality of life and 44.4% of the variance in family quality of life.

Conclusions

The findings of this study expand the current literature on caregivers of children with ASD, and the important variables to consider related to caregiver quality of life and family quality of life. Implications for rehabilitation research (e.g., increased need for a focus on family variables across research agendas) and practice (e.g., increase need for family-oriented interventions) are discussed.

Background

The purpose of this study was to examine the workplace discrimination experiences of individuals with disabilities residing in the Midwest by exploring their allegations filed under Title I of the ADA from 1992 through 2016.

Objective

The goals of this article are to describe region- and state-level patterns in workplace discrimination and to provide valuable information to stakeholders to better understand and address the issues within their respective areas of practice.

Methods

Using population level data of every available closed discrimination allegation filed under Title I of the ADA from its effectuation (January 26, 1992) through the most recent available data (December 31, 2016), descriptive statistics were obtained for each state within the Midwest for each of the five specific research questions. Data for each state represent the overall frequencies and proportions for each state and are presented in the context of their respective national and regional rankings for comparison purposes.

Results

Results for each state for each variable of consideration (i.e., allegation, CP disability type, prongs allegations, discrimination allegation type, and merit closures) are presented in tables for ease of comparison. Next steps and suggested questions for discussion are presented.

Purpose

This study explored the acceptability and practicality of implementing a Direct Skills Teaching (DST) approach to increase job interview preparation for individuals who were receiving state vocational rehabilitation (VR) services in four states.

Method

Counselors-in-training facilitated a four-session curriculum teaching “Presenting Qualifications” during job interviews to 137 individuals in 25 groups settings. Pre- and post-group 10-item questionnaires of skill acquisition, and a post-group satisfaction survey with open-ended questions were administered. Descriptive statistics and a nonparametric Wilcoxon signed rank test were used for data analyses.

Results

All 10 items of the pre- and post-group questionnaire comparisons yielded significant improvement in the skill of “Presenting Qualifications” after group intervention. The satisfaction survey also indicated the positive experiences of participants.

Conclusions

The findings demonstrate the feasibility of a structured DST curriculum in teaching job interview skills to people with disabilities (including transition age youth) served by state VR agencies.

Purpose

To explore Louisiana Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors’ (VRCs) perceptions and experiences in utilizing career theories suggested by Easter and Gaertner (2009) when providing vocational guidance and career counseling to clients with a criminal record. Results from this research will provide insight to current and prospective VRCs in their practice and heighten educators’ and supervisors’ awareness of VRCs’ experience using career theories.

Methods

Six Louisiana VRCs with at least two years of experience working with clients who had a criminal background were interviewed twice using heuristic inquiry. This qualitative method relies on researchers’ ability to discover and interpret their own experiences while exploring others’ experiences. The data were analyzed by performing both opened-coding and axial-coding.

Results

Four major themes were revealed from this qualitative study: (1) expectations, (2) autonomy, (3) counselor development, and (4) fidelity to career theories. Upon further analysis, the emergent theory suggested incongruence of theory and practice amongst participating VRCs. Findings suggest VRCs working with clients with criminal backgrounds do not feel their academic training has prepared them to use career theories with this population effectively.

Conclusion

When the participants apply the career theories suggested by Easter and Gaertner to clients with a criminal record, they perceive them to be ineffective. Therefore, this study serves as a baseline for additional research and suggests additional training may be necessary for VRCs who work with clients with a criminal background.

Purpose

The role of rehabilitation counseling in addressing major public health issues is an emerging area in the field. Despite higher rates of disease burden among currently or formerly incarcerated people, the syndemic effects of incarceration has received little attention. This article outlines how to think of incarceration from a syndemic perspective.

Method

The authors of this article draw upon syndemic theory to 1) describe the social determinants of health that lead to a greater risk of incarceration of people with substance use disorders (SUD), mental illness (MI), and infectious diseases (ID), 2) describe the syndemic impact of incarceration leading to more significant levels of disability for these populations, and 3) discuss implications for rehabilitation counseling professionals.

Results

This article highlights that incarceration may interact synergistically in various syndemics, having an exacerbated health and economic effects on individuals who are/were incarcerated, their families, and communities.

Conclusions

By employing stigma reduction strategies, advocating for prevention and treatment services, and addressing social determinants of health, rehabilitation counseling professionals have a substantial role to play in mitigating the syndemic impact of incarceration on people with SUD, MI, and ID.

Purpose

Despite federal legislation requiring youth engagement in their transition planning, students with disabilities continue to be passive partners in this transition process, under informed about the process and future possibilities, and with goals misaligned with their hopes. Students with specific disabilities and those who are English learners, Black, Indigenous, and from communities of color are even more impacted by the lack of active opportunities to provide direction on their futures.

Method

The authors conducted a scoping literature review of youth engagement in the transition process for students served under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Results

A shift towards active engagement for students in the transition process is critical. Inequitable experiences in that process exist for students based on individual and environmental characteristics. Active engagement will require direct, deliberate instruction and amelioration of structural barriers.

Conclusions

As a bridge between school years and adult environments, vocational rehabilitation counselors have an important role in supporting the engagement of students in transition planning as they learn and practice self-determination and self-advocacy skills to lead planning towards their future.

Background

Emerging adults, the developmental period ranging from the late teens through the 20s, experience chronic pain at an estimated rate of 7.6%–14.3% and report greater pain interference (i.e., pain that disrupts daily life activities) than middle-aged or older adults. Chronic pain can interfere with the completion of developmental tasks associated with biological, psychological, occupational, and social changes necessary to move from emerging adulthood into young adulthood. For these reasons, the impact of chronic pain may be more detrimental for emerging adults than for middle-aged and older adults.

Objective

To investigate the unique characteristics and vocational rehabilitation needs of emerging adults with chronic pain and to identify and implement policies, practices, and interventions that facilitate the achievement of vocational rehabilitation consumer’s self-determined goals.

Methods

The authors reviewed the literature on (a) common conditions that cause chronic pain in emerging adults, (b) the populations most at risk of experiencing chronic pain in emerging adulthood, (c) psychosocial aspects of chronic pain for this population, (d) vocational impact of chronic pain on emerging adults, and (e) the use of the disability centrality model to guide assessment and planning.

Conclusion

This literature review examines best practices related to vocational rehabilitation and emerging adults living with chronic pain. Comprehensive recommendations are provided that inform all phases of the vocational rehabilitation planning process, including services related to outreach and eligibility, counseling and guidance, physical and mental restoration, post-secondary education, job development and placement, and accommodation planning.

Purpose

Americans with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) represent an emerging vocational rehabilitation (VR) clientele.

Method

Following an overview of the etiology, incidence, prevalence, and impact of RA, the authors present strategies to meet the service and support needs of Americans with RA across the phases of the VR process.

Results

The importance of individualized case planning, employer consultation, workplace accommodations, interface with medical and mental health professionals, and adherence to social distancing requirements resulting from the Coronavirus pandemic is emphasized throughout the article.

Conclusions

RA is an emerging disability that can affect people at any age, and rehabilitation counselors must be prepared to meet the service needs of this growing clientele.

Purpose

This study aimed at examining differences in satisfaction with the employment situation between employed and unemployed Latinx with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the United States (N = 148).

Method

Participants in this study responded to a national survey of the employment and community living concerns of people with MS. Multivariate analysis of variance and a follow-up univariate analysis of variance were conducted to compare the group differences.

Results

The analyses revealed statistically significant between-group differences in satisfaction ratings on items pertaining to personal and environmental resources and fair treatment, but no significant between-group differences in response to items related to legal rights.

Conclusion

The findings in this study confirmed our a priori expectation that satisfaction ratings regarding the overall employment situation among Latinx Americans with MS would vary as a function of their workforce participation status. Implications for future research and clinical practice in vocational rehabilitation in the COVID-19 era are discussed.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine whether functional limitations mediate the relation between PTSD symptoms and college life adjustment in student veterans with PTSD symptoms.

Methods

A total of 232 student veterans with PTSD symptoms were recruited for this study. Participants were predominantly male (84.5%; females = 15.5%). Participants’ ages ranged from 18 to 54 years (M = 28.43, SD = 5.42). Correlational analyses were conducted to calculate the relationships among study variables. We also conducted a mediation analysis to examine whether functional limitations mediate the relationship between PTSD symptoms and college life adjustment.

Results

The mediation analysis indicated that the effect of PTSD symptoms on college adjustment can be partially explained by functional limitations.

Conclusion

Our results have potentially important implications for rehabilitation counseling researchers and clinicians in the COVID-19 era.

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to provide rehabilitation counselors an overview of the benefits of the community college system as an option that veterans with service-connected disabilities should consider in helping to make the transition from military to civilian life. We describe veterans with service-connected disabilities, the reasons to consider community colleges instead of 4-year universities, and community college supports for veterans with service-connected disabilities.

Method

Through a narrative review approach, we synthesized a collection of research articles, government reports, and websites to describe the academic and career development needs of veterans with service-connected disabilities and how community colleges are an effective option to meet these needs. Our approach toward analyzing the article's source materials was informed in part by our military/veteran-related lived experiences.

Results

We provide six recommendations for rehabilitation counselors who support veterans with service-connected disabilities with educational goals. These include gaining knowledge of community college options; understanding funding options for veterans; knowledge of military-friendly community college settings; collaborating with institutional colleagues; understanding on-campus supports for disability-related needs; and continuing education on veterans' issues.

Conclusions

We conclude rehabilitation counselors should be familiar with the benefits of the community college setting for veterans with service-connected disabilities to facilitate educational goals and transition to civilian life.

Background

While rehabilitation counseling programs often stress the importance of self-care strategies, which are considered as being both ethically and personally imperative, the integration of direct instruction around these strategies has often been eclipsed by the academic demands of rehabilitation counselor education programs (Tarrasch, 2015), leaving new rehabilitation counselors with the added responsibility of exploring, identifying, and practicing these self-care activities during a time of transition and steep learning curves.

Purpose

This article reviews the literature surrounding the multilayered phenomena of counselor stress and burnout, with particular attention to the field of rehabilitation counseling; it then recommends a new paradigm shift for incorporating self-care into rehabilitation counseling programs, specifically in the areas of programmatic interventions, classroom curriculum and techniques, practicum and internship supervision, and professional identity and postgraduation. The article also discusses applying self-care strategies in individualized and culturally sensitive ways.

Conclusion

It is time to formally integrate self-care training and planning into rehabilitation counselor education programs. Ultimately, the trainee-centered self-care initiatives will positively impact future rehabilitation counselors, the clients they serve, the agencies they work for, and the rehabilitation counseling profession as a whole.

Purpose

The aim of the present study was to develop a Daily Life Education Program for institutionalized individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Method

The system approach-based program development model was used in the study. This model includes three steps: (a) defining the problem, (b) development, and (c) assessment. In the first phase of the study, the members of the program advisory committee were identified, and the problems related to the daily life of the individuals with intellectual disabilities who reside in public care and rehabilitation centers were defined, and a work plan was developed. During the development phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 61 caregivers, professionals, and administrators employed in 10 public care and rehabilitation centers in seven regions in Turkey.

Results

The assessment results demonstrated that content validity was obtained for all 232 program objectives.

Conclusions

This study's main conclusion underline the necessity of a well-designed and well-organized life system that combines structured daily life skills training and leisure time activities for individuals with intellectual disabilities during their adulthood with the supports provided and coordinated by qualified experts and assistant personnel.

Background

Enhancing career self-efficacy and social cognitive career theory factors will improve goal persistence and job place of African American college students with disabilities.

Objective

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Career Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES) in a sample of African American college students with disabilities.

Method

Participants were recruited from a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in a Southern state. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to investigate the measurement structure of the CSES.

Results/Findings

Three-factor solution accounted for 66.85% of the total variance. The three CSES factors were labeled as (a) job performance efficacy, (b) job seeking efficacy, and (c) emotional efficacy. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients for these three factors were high ranging from .82 to .91. Career self-efficacy was positively and significantly associated with career outcome expectations and goal persistence. These findings provide support for the construct validity of the CSES.

Conclusion

The CSES is a psychometrically sound instrument that can be used to assess career self-efficacy, an important construct of the Social Cognitive Career Theory, to help African American college students with disabilities to persist in college and find gainful employment.

Purpose

As the disability community holds a larger presence in the United States, the needs become more apparent. Researchers in collaboration with the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation looked to find the most pressing needs of the paralysis community—inclusive of persons with paralysis, family members/caregivers of persons with paralysis, and professionals working with persons with paralysis.

Methods

As part of an online needs assessment survey, respondents were asked to identify which topics were most important to them from 25 issues. Data was received and analyzed from 237 valid and unique responses.

Results

The top ranked issue for each group were as follows: (a) Persons with Paralysis—Public Accessibility, Inclusion, and Universal Design; (b) Family Members/Caregivers—Prevention of Secondary Conditions; and (c) Professionals—Rehabilitation.

Conclusions

It is essential to consider the priority areas from the U.S. paralysis community when embarking on new policy initiatives and when advocating for changes to existing policy.

Purpose

Four African American women with multiple sclerosis (MS) participated in an evaluation of barriers to their continued employment.

Methods

A trained interviewer completed the Work Experience Survey (WES) in teleconsultation sessions with each participant to identify their: (a) barriers to worksite access, (b) difficulties performing essential functions of their positions, (c) concerns regarding continued mastery of their careers, and (d) extent of job satisfaction.

Results

Resulting largely from the physiological, sensory, and cognitive sequelae of their disease, participants reported a wide range of difficulties in performing essential functions of their jobs (15–45) that have the potential to significantly affect their productivity. Career mastery problems reflected issues associated with MS such as “believing that others think I do a good job” and “having the resources (e.g., knowledge, tools, supplies, and equipment) needed to do the job.” Other career mastery concerns reflected idiosyncratic aspects of a specific job setting such as “being able to speak with my supervisor about promotion.” Considering these barriers and relationships with employers, the majority of participants reported low levels of job satisfaction.

Conclusion

The interviewer concluded the WES interview by recommending a job accommodation plan, which included suggestions from Job Accommodation Network (JAN) consultants. The interviewer also offered guidelines for the employee to follow in requesting job modifications and assistive technology.

Purpose

We explored the relationships between positive human traits and positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement (PERMA) the core elements for Seligman's model of happiness and well-being.

Method

Two hundred and five student veterans (147 males and 58 females; 80 with service-related disability) were recruited from several colleges and universities across the United States. Participants completed positive human traits measures on resilience, hope, optimism, attachment, and coping, along with the PERMA Profiler that measures the five core elements of the well-being theory. Correlational techniques and canonical correlation analysis were computed to examine the canonical relationship between positive human traits and PERMA variables.

Results

Overall, the positive human traits set accounted for 37% of the variance in the PERMA set, whereas the PERMA set accounted for 51% of the variance in the positive human traits set.

Conclusions

The research findings suggest that human traits can be conceptualized as building blocks for PERMA, and PERMA are the core elements for happiness and well-being. Importantly, student veterans with disabilities had significantly lower resilience, secure attachment and PERMA scores. Positive psychology interventions to help student veterans, especially students with service-related disabilities, develop character strengths, and PERMA could improve college life adjustment and goal persistence of student veterans.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to explore how the functional impact of Parkinson's disease affects participation and to evaluate whether positive psychological capital (PsyCap) mediates the relationship within the context of the World Health Organization International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health Model.

Method

Survey responses were analyzed from 144 adults with Parkinson's disease using a quantitative, correlational research design employing multiple regression and hierarchical regression analysis to examine hypothesized relationships.

Results

The results of the correlation analysis indicated that there was a statistically significant, moderate-to-strong positive correlation between functioning and PsyCap and participation. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that functioning accounted for 65% of the variance in participation. Although PsyCap was associated with participation, no mediating effect was observed.

Conclusions

The results are consistent with traditional clinical judgment that physical functioning is positively correlated with participation. This study represents the first evaluation of the role of PsyCap in people with Parkinson's disease, and the results of the correlational analysis suggest that continued investigation of these relationships is warranted.

Background

Parkinson's disease results in a variety of motor and non-motor features that frequently result in reduced participation in valued life activities.

Background

Research evidence supports the assertion that healthy employees are happier and more productive. Employers prefer to hire healthy workers to reduce absenteeism. Rehabilitation counselors have started to explore health promotion interventions to help individuals with chronic health conditions and disability improve their physical and mental health as a strategy to increase their employment opportunities.

Purpose

The present study evaluated a self-determination theory (SDT) model of physical activity and exercise in a sample of 218 individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain using structural equation modeling.

Results

The SDT model fit the data well, accounting for 54% of the variance in physical activity and exercise. Relatedness was significantly associated with autonomous motivation for physical activity and exercise. Autonomous motivation was associated with competency. Competency was associated with physical activity and exercise. Autonomous motivation and competency mediated relatedness and physical activity and exercise.

Implications

This study contributes to an emerging body of theory-informed health promotion literature and identifies the specific pathways that will increase the motivation to engage in physical activity and exercise. Findings can be used to design and validate theory-driven health promotion interventions as an employment strategy for people with chronic musculoskeletal pain receiving vocational rehabilitation services.

Purpose

The current study examined the relationships between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and social determinants of health (SDH), which are the individual and structural factors that contribute to health outcomes.

Method

A hierarchical general linear model was used to assess the sequential effect of the SDH on the scores of the Short Form-12 among people living with HIV.

Results

Results show that many psychosocial, medical, demographic, financial, and vocational factors are significant predictors of HRQOL.

Conclusions

Gaining a deeper understanding of the impact of SDH on HRQOL is critical for rehabilitation counselors to develop effective assessments and interventions.

Background

In exploring the matter of sensory loss and job discrimination, the National EEOC ADA Research Project (NEARP) seeks to answer a singular question.

Objective

How do persons with hearing loss (HL) vs. visual loss (VL) experience the nature and scope of workplace discrimination differently, if at all?

Methods

The NEARP team uses an ex post facto, causal comparative quantitative design that includes descriptive and inferential, nonparametric statistics. Closed EEOC files involving ADA allegations of workplace discrimination filed by Americans with Hearing Loss (HL, N = 21,847) and Vision Loss (VL, N = 16,136) were compared in terms of demographics, issues, and investigatory outcomes.

Results

HL and VL groups show Demographic differences to one another and to population statistics of sensory impairment in the areas of Gender and Race/Ethnicity. Regarding Issues, HL and VL groups are different from one another with respect to several prevalent matters (i.e., Discharge, Reasonable Accommodation) and small-scale matters (i.e., Hiring and Terms/Conditions). With respect to the Merit of allegations following EEOC investigation, HL and VL are very similar.

Conclusion

Workplace discrimination is experienced differently for Charging Parties who experience HL vs. VL. Moreover, important differences exist Charging Parties from both sensory impairments vs. those from a General Disability Population.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the measurement structure of a simplified version of the Multiple Sclerosis Self-Management Scale (MSSMS) in a sample of 256 individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods

Exploratory factor analysis was utilized to uncover meaningful and interpretable factors.

Results

The study yielded three factors as both meaningful and interpretable (medication compliance, MS knowledge, and health maintenance behavior). These factors are reliable and correlated with functional disability and community participation in the theoretically expected directions.

Conclusion

Results show the MSSMS to be a promising rehabilitation assessment tool for individuals with MS and rehabilitation counselors to evaluate self-management support needs in the interview, assessment, and rehabilitation planning protocols.

Purpose

Complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) is a multifaceted disorder, and the specific diagnostic criteria developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), which highlight symptoms of CPTSD (i.e., affect dysregulation, negative self-concept, disturbed relationships), that occur along with PTSD symptoms speak to this. Understanding the disorder itself and its ramifications is essential as our society is exposed to seemingly more and more traumatic and long-lasting events, all of which may lead to an increase in the number of overall cases. CPTSD is characterized by changes in three primary areas of the brain – hippocampus, amygdala, and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)– which are usually smaller in individuals with CPTSD, and there are certain subsets of individuals who have an increased likelihood of developing this disorder (e.g., individuals with physical and psychiatric disabilities, children exposed to long-term trauma).

Method

The authors conducted a scoping literature review on CPTSD, treatment approaches for individuals with CPTSD, and rehabilitation implications.

Results

Treatment for CPTSD is generally more extensive than treatment for PTSD and should be made available for those in need. There is a dearth of research on this topic in the rehabilitation literature; however, disability research has consistently shown that employment plays a huge role in successful recovery among individuals with psychiatric disabilities, which includes CPTSD.

Conclusion

In order to ensure client success, rehabilitation counselors, educators, and researchers must understand the complexities associated with CPTSD and then how to best go about incorporating this information into individual plans for employment and our classrooms as well as making research in this area a priority for the field.

Purpose

Coworkers' positive attitudes toward working with people with disabilities is vital for the successful and long-term employment of people with disabilities. The purpose of the present study was to examine the organizational factors associated with working with individuals with disabilities.

Method

This was accomplished by sampling coworkers without disabilities (N = 262) using hierarchical regression analysis.

Results

The perceived benefits of having workers with disabilities in the workforce was found to be the strongest predictor for positive attitude toward working with people with disabilities, followed by good health mission and do good expectations.

Conclusions

The findings of this study will contribute to developing effective interventions to enhance employee's positive attitude toward working with people with disabilities.

Background

Research indicates that transition-age youth with disabilities face several obstacles with regard to finding employment. However, research on the extent to which barriers and facilitators differ across disability types and contexts is lacking.

Objective

The primary purpose of this qualitative study was to understand employment-related challenges encountered by a cross-section of transition-age youth with disabilities across multiple settings. In addition, the study also examined transition-aged youth's knowledge and use of rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Methods

We adopted a focus group strategy to understand the barriers faced by transition-aged youth with disabilities; five focus groups were conducted at five community-based locations in three states (Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia) in Federal Region 3 (i.e., Mid-Atlantic). Participants ranged in age from 16 to 24 (53.5% male; 44.2% White).

Findings

Findings indicated that youth with disabilities faced several barriers in the form of stigma, lack of workplace supports and accommodations, their disability condition, and anxiety. In addition, a very small proportion of the sample were aware about the ADA and their rights under Title I.

Conclusions

Findings highlight the need to develop programs that equip transition-aged youth with disabilities with the necessary skills as they prepare to enter the work force. In addition, efforts should be targeted at addressing the barriers identified in the study, such as stigma, as well as at increase students' knowledge of the ADA by embedding information within secondary and postsecondary academic curricula.

Purpose

The past few decades have witnessed significant growth in the disability sector and the rehabilitation counseling profession has responded by broadening its scope of practice to serve a range of people who experience illness, injury, and social disadvantage. Despite the sector's growth and the profession's flexible response to it, the rehabilitation counseling profession in Australia continues to face challenges in relation to its professional identity. The purpose of this article is to identify these challenges and present solutions by reviewing literature and professionalization responses in Australia and the United States.

Method

In this article, we examine ways of transcending the professional identity challenges faced by the Australian rehabilitation counseling community. This is achieved firstly by defining the characteristics of professions and their application to rehabilitation counseling and second, by suggesting possible actions to advance the profession.

Results

The necessary responses identified include the need for stronger professional governance, further development of the evidence base, and strict professional membership regulations. These goals will require the input of professional bodies and members, universities, rehabilitation regulators, employers, people with disabilities, and their families.

Conclusions

Rehabilitation counseling is a valued allied health and human service profession in the Australian work injury and disability sectors. By drawing on the experience of the profession in the United States, the authors have identified issues and solutions to facilitate the sustainability and advancement of rehabilitation counseling in Australia.

Purpose

The International Classification of Functioning (ICF) provides a framework for understanding and accommodating disability. This study examined predictors and outcomes of ICF familiarity among rehabilitation counselors.

Method

Analysis of variance and hierarchical regression analysis were used to examine research questions related to ICF familiarity.

Results

Rehabilitation counselors with five or fewer years of experience were more familiar with the ICF. Analysis showed familiarity with the ICF positively correlated with greater confidence in recommending work accommodations.

Conclusions

Data supports use of the ICF in rehabilitation counseling. Emphasizing the ICF in specific courses (e.g., medical aspects of disability, career and vocational development) may support improved practice.

Purpose

This study surveyed sources of moral distress within rehabilitation counseling practice.

Method

A mixed-methods approach, the study used both quantitative and qualitative analyses.

Results

Of the 83 participants who completed the survey, the average rating of moral distress was 4.32 (uncomfortable), with 43% reporting a distress rating of 5 (uncomfortable/distressing) or higher. Based on the descriptions, common sources of moral distress involved (a) compromised service delivery, client welfare, and resources, (b) conflicts between client, treatment team, and family, (c) leadership and climate, and (d) organizational policy and practice.

Conclusions

Implications address areas for ongoing discussion, including considerations for how to address moral distress to potentially reduce professional burnout and compassion fatigue with in rehabilitation counseling.

Background

Research on character strengths in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) is lacking. Moreover, measures of character strengths have not been validated in this population, limiting the opportunities for further investigation.

Objective

To investigate the factor structure of the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA)-72 in a sample of individuals with MS.

Methods

This quantitative descriptive study included 624 individuals with MS. The factor structure of the VIA-72 was examined using principal component analysis. The internal consistency reliability and validity were assessed by computing Cronbach's alphas and correlations of the VIA-72 with other psychosocial constructs, respectively.

Findings

The principal component analysis revealed an interpretable four-factor structure of the VIA-72: intellectual and emotional strengths, temperance, transcendence, and interpersonal strengths. The factors significantly correlated with measures of quality of life, resilience, social support, depression, fatigue, and personality traits, indicating good concurrent validity. The four factors did not completely align with Peterson and Seligman's (2004) classification system.

Conclusions

The four-factor structure of the VIA-72 seems to be interpretable, valid, and reliable. Measures like VIA-72 may help rehabilitation professionals learn more about the nature and development of character strengths among persons with MS and suggest ways to cultivate it. Further studies are indicated to confirm the factor structures and psychometric properties of this scale in persons with MS.

Background

Research indicates that transition-age youth with disabilities face several obstacles with regard to finding employment. However, research on the extent to which barriers and facilitators differ across disability types and contexts is lacking. Objective the primary purpose of this qualitative study was to understand employment-related challenges encountered by a cross-section of transition-age youth with disabilities across multiple settings. In addition, the study also examined transition-aged youth’s knowledge and use of rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Methods

We adopted a focus group strategy to understand the barriers faced by transition-aged youth with disabilities; five focus groups were conducted at five community-based locations in three states (Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia) in Federal Region 3 (i.e., Mid-Atlantic). Participants ranged in age from 16 to 24 (53.5% male; 44.2% White).

Findings

Findings indicated that youth with disabilities faced several barriers in the form of stigma, lack of workplace supports and accommodations, their disability condition, and anxiety. In addition, a very small proportion of the sample were aware about the ADA and their rights under Title I.

Conclusions

Findings highlight the need to develop programs that equip transition-aged youth with disabilities with the necessary skills as they prepare to enter the work force. In addition, efforts should be targeted at addressing the barriers identified in the study, such as stigma, as well as at increase students’ knowledge of the ADA by embedding information within secondary and postsecondary academic curricula.

Purpose

The International Classification of Functioning (ICF) provides a framework for understanding and accommodating disability. This study examined predictors and outcomes of ICF familiarity among rehabilitation counselors.

Method

Analysis of variance and hierarchical regression analysis were used to examine research questions related to ICF familiarity.

Results

Rehabilitation counselors with five or fewer years of experience were more familiar with the ICF. Analysis showed familiarity with the ICF positively correlated with greater confidence in recommending work accommodations.

Conclusions

Data supports use of the ICF in rehabilitation counseling. Emphasizing the ICF in specific courses (e.g., medical aspects of disability, career and vocational development) may support improved practice.

Purpose

This study surveyed sources of moral distress within rehabilitation counseling practice.

Method

A mixed-methods approach, the study used both quantitative and qualitative analyses.

Results

Of the 83 participants who completed the survey, the average rating of moral distress was 4.32 (uncomfortable), with 43% reporting a distress rating of 5 (uncomfortable/distressing) or higher. Based on the descriptions, common sources of moral distress involved (a) compromised service delivery, client welfare, and resources, (b) conflicts between client, treatment team, and family, (c) leadership and climate, and (d) organizational policy and practice.

Conclusions

Implications address areas for ongoing discussion, including considerations for how to address moral distress to potentially reduce professional burnout and compassion fatigue with in rehabilitation counseling.

Purpose

Rehabilitation counseling has seen many advances in evidence-based practice in the last decade. The purpose of this study was to provide a review of intervention literature conducted within rehabilitation counseling or related fields from the years 2007–2018.

Method

A systematic review of rehabilitation research was conducted, and a total of 163 intervention studies were included in the final sample. Description and analysis include a summary of where and when manuscripts were published, aspects of the intervention (target population, setting, and desired change), and criteria for evaluation of the intervention.

Results

Findings show an increase in the use of intervention research during the period studied while also highlighting several patterns in rehabilitation research relating to the targeted samples, outcomes pursued, and the design of research.

Conclusions

There is much more intervention research being conducted related to rehabilitation counseling process and outcomes than is demonstrated in rehabilitation counseling journals. This systematic review provides a greater understanding of the progress being made through these international research efforts.

Background

Graduate studies in rehabilitation counseling present a variety of social, academic, and professional demands. To date, previous research has largely neglected the role that relationships among students that can help in addressing these demands.

Objective

The present exploratory study examined how relationships formed during a Master's Rehabilitation Counseling Education (RCE) specialization program enhanced the experience of participants both during their studies and following graduation.

Methods

A total of 33 graduates of a cohort-based, Cognitive Disabilities Certificate (CDC) program were asked to reflect on the impacts of relationship-building on their experiences as students as well as their post-CDC professional development. Results were examined through phenomenological qualitative data analysis.

Results

Participant responses revealed relationships as cohort members formed during graduate studies enhanced their student experience with facilitating camaraderie, enhancing learning, promoting student success, and providing employment leads. With regard to professional development, participants indicated their cohort-based relationships enhanced professional development, provided resources, and facilitated professional collaboration.

Conclusion

The benefits of cohort-based relationship building that began during graduate education extended beyond into the professional careers of participants. More use of cohort-based instruction in RCE programs may be more likely to facilitate productive and supportive relationships.

Background

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health includes important considerations of environmental context in understanding disability, but the environmental impact is often difficult to measure.

Purpose

Demonstrates the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in rehabilitation research in assessing accessibility and participation; describes how to use these methods, and presents several considerations in using GIS and GPS in research.

Method

Using methods from public health and medical geography, this article describes how to apply GIS and GPS technologies to rehabilitation research to measure community participation and accessibility to resources.

Findings

Directions for using ArcGIS functions and case examples joining these mapping technologies with rehabilitation measures are provided.

Conclusions

Together with traditional measures, these technologies may provide rehabilitation researchers a more comprehensive approach to assessing accessibility and participation.

Purpose

This study investigated clients' willingness to incorporate religion/spirituality in their counseling sessions.

Methods

Descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and test of moderation were utilized in this study's data analyses.

Results

Clients in general were willing to incorporate religion/spirituality in counseling sessions. Non-Christians were more willing than Christians. The relationship between clients' religion and their willingness occurred only in clients with a high level of spirituality.

Conclusion

Rehabilitation educators should consider infusing religion/spirituality in their courses/curricula and encourage students to gain knowledge of various religion/spiritual beliefs in ways that provide a springboard for incorporating religion/spirituality in counseling.

Purpose

Evidence shows that region of country is a critical factor in understanding diabetes-related health disparities. The purpose of this study was to examine whether geographic location (southern states vs. other states) attenuate or strengthen the relationship between state diabetes rates and (a) race/ethnicity, (b) income, and (c) percentage of physical inactivity.

Method

The state-level data was extracted from multiple public websites. Descriptive statistics and moderation analyses were conducted to test research questions.

Results

Results revealed that the magnitudes of relationship between state diabetes rate and (a) income and (b) percentage of Black/African American were affected by geographic location (southern states vs other states).

Conclusions

Given Southern states have substantial health disparities compared to non-Southern states, key stakeholders and the public health system should emphasize the importance of developing and evaluating effective public health policies based on income, physical activity, and race/ethnicity.

Purpose

As many as half of all college students meet DSM-5 criteria for a mental illness; less than 5% report the ability to successfully navigate and complete their degrees. This is in part due to the lack of knowledge of reasonable accommodations for psychiatric disabilities.

Method

In the current study, we conducted qualitative interviews with students and faculty to identify types of reasonable accommodations students receive for their mental illness and factors that influence their ability to avail these accommodations.

Results

Factors included lack of awareness of accommodations, achieving fairness between students, and using accommodations as a disclosure tool.

Conclusions

Higher education institutions should better support the awareness training on accommodations for both faculty and staff. Self-advocacy training is recommended to help students in disclosing mental illness, requesting accommodations, and managing negative social reactions. Perhaps in vivo coaching is a promising tool to accommodate emotional and interpersonal disabilities.

Background

Marijuana as an alternative treatment for chronic illnesses has gained popularity over the past several years, and researchers continue to report positive outcomes for a growing number of disorders.

Objective

To address the increasing number of individuals with disabilities using medicinal marijuana, this study sought to ascertain how rehabilitation professionals (RPs) respond when working with individuals who use this form of treatment. for chronic health conditions.

Methods

RPs were presented with two case scenarios depicting clients who were either currently using or considering using marijuana and were asked what steps they would take when working with this individual. Options included (a) dismiss the client; (b) counsel the client against using; (c) refer client to a mental health professional; (d) meet with the employer; (e) consult with the physician who would recommend medical marijuana for your client; (f) consult your supervisor; (g) consult your agency's policy on drug use; and (h) review the code of ethics for your profession.

Findings

No significant results were noted in scenario 1, however, participants were more likely to consult those who could increase their understanding of medicinal marijuana andthose who could help support their work with these clients In scenario 2, participants were significantly more likely to select meeting with the clients' employer, which speaks to the primary focus of RPs' work—-helping clients obtain and maintain employment.

Conclusion

There are far reaching implications for our work as RPs, including serving as valuable resources for clients who do not typically seek out vocational rehabilitation services.

Purpose

Focused instruction in cognitive disabilities addresses a need for training with populations growing in prevalence and public awareness in the United States. This is especially relevant in rehabilitation counseling given the poor employment outcomes found among persons with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, specific learning disability, and acquired brain injury. This study focused on the perceived career impacts of participation in a Cognitive Disabilities Certificate (CDC) specialization program.

Method

A total of 33 graduates of a CDC program were asked to reflect on the career impacts of their specialized training in cognitive disabilities. Results were examined through phenomenological qualitative data analysis.

Results

Findings suggest participants had specific motivations for joining the CDC. Participants were able to achieve the goals set forth when applying such as skill development and expanding career options. Participants were able to achieve career outcomes they directly attributed to their CDC training.

Conclusions

Providing students with an opportunity to specialize in an area of professional and personal interest not only enhanced their rehabilitation counseling training, it benefited their careers and clients. Implications for rehabilitation counselor education are discussed.

Purpose

The profession of rehabilitation counseling has long been responsive to emerging disabilities. To date, however, the profession's attention and response to the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States has been incommensurate with the scope and detriment of opioids and opioid use disorder (OUD) on Americans with disabilities. The opioid crisis, including the overuse, abuse, and overdose rates associated with prescription and illegal opioids, affects people of all ages and backgrounds. However, people with disabilities are at increased risk for developing OUDs, and they experience greater barriers to OUD treatment than people without disabilities.

Method

This article describes the origins and development of this crisis, the relationship between disability and increased risk for OUD, and the barriers to treatment that exist. We then evaluate the role of rehabilitation counseling, including the need for further action in advocacy, research, education, and policy.

Results and Conclusions

Throughout this article, we encourage a more urgent and concerted response than seems to be the case presently.

Purpose

This study was a pilot of a brief psychological capital (PsyCap) intervention with a sample of transition age youth with disabilities (N = 24) in a school setting. Substantial evidence supports the relationship between PsyCap and employment outcomes. Transition age youth with disabilities are an important target for pre-employment counseling interventions due to a lack of parity in postsecondary outcomes. Researchers have successfully boosted PsyCap in adult samples using brief interventions.

Methods

PsyCap and vocational outcome expectancy (VOE) were compared in a repeated measures design.

Results

PsyCap and VOE, and PsyCap and school performance were significantly correlated in our sample, but no differences were observed in PsyCap or VOE postintervention.

Conclusion

As the first known effort to develop a PsyCap driven pre-employment intervention for transition age youth with disabilities, our experience and findings provide several implications for practice and future research. Aspects of the intervention to be modified for future efforts are presented.

Purpose

This article compares disability-related social justice, inclusion, and psychiatric rehabilitation recovery model principles with the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP, 2016) counseling curriculum standards in order to clearly articulate areas in the current standards that need revisions.

Method

We conducted a structured analysis of the CACREP curriculum standards in light of the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association's 12 principles and values.

Results

Sections of the CACREP curriculum standards are very beneficial for RC education, such as the additional emphasis on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5 (DSM-5) diagnoses, human development theories, crisis intervention, trauma-informed strategies, and the use of evidence-based counseling practices. Standards emphasizing the importance of client autonomy and respect, quality of life, community inclusion, advocacy, access, and evidence-based recovery model approaches need to be strengthened. The term “disability” does not currently appear in the eight core curriculum standards.

Conclusions

The authors offer specific course materials and activities that rehabilitation counselor (RC) educators can begin to incorporate into the design of their curriculum in order to better infuse ethical, social justice, disability inclusion, and recovery model principles into required coursework. Recommendations for changes to the CACREP curriculum standards are discussed.

Purpose

The present study examined patterns of demographic characteristics that are predictive of people's automatic preference for people without disabilities over people with disabilities.

Method

Predictions of automatic preference for people without disabilities were investigated among 41,789 individuals who volunteered to complete the Disability Implicit Association Test (D-IAT) at the Project Implicit website (https://implicit.harvard.edu/).

Results

Results indicate that men over 55 without a disability, who scored neutral or high on explicit preference for people without disabilities, who are religious and conservative, are likely to have higher automatic and explicit preference for people without disabilities.

Conclusions

Results of the present study provide support for the use of implicit association measures to assess latent attitudes toward people with and without disabilities.

Purpose

To explore exercise experiences and beliefs related to barriers among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods

Seventy-four participants were recruited from a hospital, an independent living center, and online support groups. The Exercise Experiences and Spinal Cord Injury (EESCI) instrument included three scales to assess beliefs and experiences related to exercise participation.

Results

Our study found 80% of participants do not currently engage in competitive exercise or sports, however 48.6% do participate in noncompetitive sports. Most participants found it difficult to gather up motivation and allocate time to exercise. Also, 52% of participants who visited fitness centers reported no availability of accessible exercise equipment and access for wheelchair users. T-tests and ANOVA analyses were conducted to compare group means between demographic variables. Results indicated the perceived barriers among persons with SCI regarding lack of personal resources/finances, beliefs about fitness center accessibility regarding equipment, and perceived negative attitudes held by fitness center employees and customers.

Conclusion

Recommendations regarding how rehabilitation counselors can best work with clients on these issues including advocacy, counseling strategies, and future research directions are discussed.

Purpose

This correlational study examined relationships among (a) health and function factors, (b) work environmental factors, and (c) perceived psychological stress among employed people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Method

Based on responses to a national survey by 523 employed people with MS, this study used a hierarchical multiple regression analysis.

Results

The final model explained 30% of the variability in participants' perceived stress scores. Participants who perceived better overall health, who experienced less severe cognitive impairment, who expressed higher levels of job satisfaction, and who did not receive accommodations at work reported lower stress scores than did other participants.

Implications

The important role of stress in employment and career decision-making underscores the value of tailored psychosocial, medical, and vocational interventions for employed people with MS.

Objective

To evaluate the measurement structure of the Job Satisfaction of Persons with Disabilities Scale (JSPDS) in a sample of employed U.S. Americans with disabilities.

Design

A quantitative descriptive design using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and correlational analysis.

Participants

Two hundred and fifty-nine individuals with disabilities who were employed at least 10 hours per week.

Results

The EFA indicated a two-factor structure accounting for 42.99% of the total variance. The internal consistency reliability coefficients for the Integrated Work Environment and Job Quality factors were .87 and .74 respectively. Both factors correlated with selected employment and well-being variables in logical directions.

Conclusion

The two-factor measurement structure of the JSPDS appears to be valid and interpretable, and can be used in research and clinical settings in order to develop effective strategies for long-term employment success of people with disabilities.

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to show how the client-focused considering work model (CFCWM) can be adapted to persons with aphasia as a way to provide a framework for rehabilitation counselors to use when helping persons with aphasia assess their readiness to work.

Method

This article first provides a basic overview of aphasia and the communication challenges that persons with aphasia experience. We then provide a review the CFCWM as well as a rationale for extending it to persons with aphasia. Finally, we present a case study that walks through the barriers and facilitators to returning to work for persons with aphasia, framed within the CFCWM.

Results

Extending the CFCWM to persons with aphasia provides much needed guidelines for professionals working with this population, creates opportunities for education among stakeholders, and provides a theoretical foundation for needed research aimed at understanding and better addressing the vocational needs of persons with aphasia.

Conclusions

This article shows how the CFCWM can be extended to the population of persons with aphasia and highlights how vocational counselors and speech-language pathologists can work together to better serve this population.

Background

Participation is one of the most important interdisciplinary outcome variables in biopsychosocial conceptions of health and disability. While the literature surrounding social and community participation in persons with disabilities indicates that participation is a highly subjective construct, there are few known psychometrically validated instruments designed to measure participation in a way that captures the subjective nature of the concept. The present study aimed to develop and test a measure of participation in a way that prioritizes roles that are subjectively meaningful to the individual.

Objective

To establish the psychometric properties of the Meaningful Role Functioning Questionnaire (MRFQ) a new life role participation scale intended to measure life role functioning in a way that weighs life roles that are more important to the individual more heavily than those that are less important to the individual.

Methods

229 women with fibromyalgia took an online survey measuring the following biopsychosocial constructs: meaningful role functioning, participation in society, perceived social support, core self-evaluations, fibromyalgia severity, and life satisfaction.

Findings

The 4-week test-retest reliability coefficient for the MRFQ was .74, indicating acceptable reliability for this measure of life role functioning. The MRFQ was significantly correlated in the expected directions with several external correlates, establishing its construct validity.

Conclusions

The MRFQ is a reliable and valid subjective measure of life role functioning in women with fibromyalgia. Future research should seek to validate the scale in a wider range of disability populations and the general public.

Background

Social and environmental participation endeavors are theorized to shape one's general satisfaction with the overall employment situation facing people with MS.

Objective

Responding to a national survey of the employment concerns of Americans with multiple sclerosis (MS), this study examined the extent to which factors at the demographic, disease-related, and social and environmental participation levels contribute to the predictability power for general satisfaction with the employment situation for people with MS.

Method

Participants in this study consisted of 1,149 members of nine National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) chapters representing 21 states and Washington, DC. In a hierarchical multiple regression analysis, participants were mostly older (average age of 50 years) White (74%) individuals, nearly half of whom were unemployed (47%) but well educated (98% were high school graduates, 45% were college graduates).

Findings

Findings underscore the complexity involved in predicting how satisfied people with MS are with their overall employment situation.

Conclusions

Younger, less educated individuals with higher levels of perceived quality of life who were employed full-time and experiencing no or lower levels of cognitive impairment were more likely than other participants to be satisfied with 17 high-priority employment concerns.

Background

Rehabilitation counselors are becoming more adept at providing distance services.

Objective

Focused on the ethical use of digital technology, the purpose of this article is to highlight ethical considerations when using digital technologies professionally.

Methods

Reviewing the ethical standards of the 2017 Code of Professional Ethics for Rehabilitation Counselors, this article examines the current ethical standards governing the use of technology, distance counseling, and social media.

Findings

It is critical for rehabilitation counselors to understand how affordances and constraints of technology will continue to mediate the professional practice of rehabilitation counseling.

Conclusion

The professional practice of rehabilitation counseling will increasingly involve digital technology.

Purpose

The purpose of this quantitative study was to evaluate the influences of self-care, support, and organizational factors (program locations, injury rates, intensity of services) on the job satisfaction of 154 nonprofit residential mental health workers.

Methods

Hierarchical multiple linear regression was utilized in order to determine which group of variables explained the most variation in the outcome variable.

Results

Based upon the results of the three models of hierarchical linear regression, the hypothesis that higher self-care ratings are related to higher levels of job satisfaction and higher staff team support ratings are related to higher overall worker satisfaction scores was supported.

Conclusion

Agencies, supervisors, and professionals can utilize these findings to inform policies and practices aimed at increasing worker satisfaction.

Background

Rehabilitation Counseling programs often require that the curriculum include education about basic community resource and entitlement programs for people with disabilities. The fact-based nature of this content can make it challenging for students to engage with in a meaningful way, especially in the online learning environment. Storytelling holds promise as a means to bring this content to life in online courses; however, little is known about how students interact with digital storytelling assignments.

Objective

Podcasts may be a more convenient way to deliver the audio to the students, as use of the technology as well as overall smartphone usage has exploded in recent years.

Methods

This article examines the results a survey of 44 students who reported their listening preferences for a weekly storytelling assignment.

Findings

Results confirm previous findings in the literature about how students interact with academic podcasts.

Conclusions

Despite their proliferation, students appear to approach podcast assignments similarly to how they would any other online learning task.

Purpose

Supervision plays a critical role in the development of rehabilitation counselors. Research and accreditation standards have long called for the appropriate training of rehabilitation counseling supervisors but have offered little in the way of topical suggestions for such trainings.

Methods

The present study used the Delphi method. A panel of 33 subject matter experts participated in three rounds of data collection to establish supervision topics that would be both beneficial and of a high priority to site supervisors working with counselor education programs.

Findings

Results were grouped according to high, moderate, and low priority with participants. Items identified by participants were grouped into one of six themes: supervision resources, supervision activities, supports provided by the institution, and aspects of supervision broken down according to the Tripartite Model of Supervision proposed by Schultz (2008).

Conclusions

Findings can help educators consider the type of supervision training and delivery method most appropriate for their site supervisors.

Background

The hiring of persons with disabilities continues to lag relative to the employment outcomes of persons without disabilities.

Objective

The goal of this descriptive study was to examine human resources (HR) professionals' perceived needs and development considerations related to the use of a community of practice (CoP) to improve the hiring and retention of people with disabilities within the context of the technology acceptance model (TAM).

Methods

Participants were 190 HR professionals who were recruited through email invitations distributed by HR professional organizations in the Rocky Mountain region. The survey was comprised of items assessing beliefs regarding the usefulness, ease of use, and barriers to engaging in a CoP. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive and t-test analyses.

Findings

Findings supported that 43.6% of HR professionals were unfamiliar with the term CoP, while 40.6% were familiar with the term CoP. A series paired-samples t-test revealed that LinkedIn was rated as the preferred social media platform. Moreover, resource libraries were identified as the most valuable feature, followed by frequently asked questions and answers, external links, webinar/live chat, continuing education credits, electronic newsletter, just in time information access, and virtual conferences.

Conclusions

The findings from this study indicate CoPs could be a viable option as a knowledge translation mechanism and useful in disseminating information and providing a network that allows the exchange of information between practitioners and researchers.

Purpose

This study aimed to explore the health literacy profile of individuals attending a metropolitan community rehabilitation center in Victoria, Australia.

Methods

295 consecutive attendees of a community rehabilitation program between January and August 2015 were invited to complete the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ), a 44-item questionnaire comprising nine independent scales of health literacy, and provide demographic data. Exclusion criteria were having severe dementia and inability to communicate to complete the HLQ. Participants and nonparticipants were compared using descriptive analysis. Mean scores were calculated for each of the nine health literacy scales. Linear regression was used to establish associations between demographic variables and HLQ scale scores.

Results

149 individuals participated in the study (response rate 50.5%). Several demographic characteristics were associated with lower scores in one or more health literacy scales. Largest differences were observed for participants who spoke a language other than English at home.

Conclusions

This study describes the health literacy profile of individuals attending a community rehabilitation program. These data can facilitate generation of ideas and opportunities to address the needs of this population.

Background

The utility of single-subject designs as a practical methodology for rehabilitation professionals working in the field and one that allows researchers the flexibility to identify or change treatments in the event their participant or client is not responding has been established for nearly a century (Dixon, 2002). However, a content analysis of the presence of single-subject research in rehabilitation research has been absent from the rehabilitation literature.

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to describe the usability of single study designs as a research tool that contributes to the identification of Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) in rehabilitation counseling.

Methods

Through manual and electronic searches of the literature, the authors identified journals and subsequently articles that clearly stated the use of single-subject design as their method of data collection and analysis.

Results

Between 2001 to 2016, there have been a total of eight articles published that have either utilized single-subject experimental designs or provided an overview of the methods.

Conclusions

A critical review of the rehabilitation literature indicated that single-subject methodologies have been recognized as contributing to the identification of EBPs, yet studies utilizing a single-subject methodology continue to be rare. The paucity of single-subject design may be the result of a lack of training opportunities, lack of models in the rehabilitation literature, and assumptions that single-subject design utility is limited to behavioral research.

Background

Despite the increasing reliance in counselor education on online teaching and learning, the efficacy is not well documented.

Objective

To investigate learning outcomes for master's-level rehabilitation and mental health counseling students.

Methods

This study compared on-campus and online learning course delivery methods with pre-and post-tests using 41 participants across four courses.

Findings

Significant differences were found within both groups between the pre- and post-test, indicating significant gains in knowledge acquisition. No significant differences were found between group modalities in the magnitude of improvement in test scores.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that no differences exist in these learning outcomes when online and on-campus teaching modalities are compared and that both modalities produce positive learning outcomes. Continued research is needed to address additional questions in this area.

Background

Little research has evaluated what types of factors contribute to successful field experiences among undergraduate rehabilitation students.

Objective

This study evaluated undergraduate rehabilitation student perspectives on (a) factors that contributed to student success during field experience placements, (b) the relevancy of rehabilitation coursework to the field experience, (c) how field experiences influence student career preferences and goals.

Methods

Field experience essays from 98 students were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis approach.

Findings

Students identified a variety of factors that had a positive impact on their field experiences and offered several recommendations for how future students might have successful field experiences. Students provided a description of the frequency at which their field experiences influenced their long-term career goals as well.

Conclusions

The findings of the current study provide rehabilitation education stakeholders with an understanding of the nature and value of the undergraduate rehabilitation field experience. It is clear that student volition is a key predictor of internship satisfaction and success. Furthermore, it was apparent that a variety of different factors may influence one's experience. Future research should explore how such experiences may be enhanced in order to identify best practices for training.

Background

The KVI-R was developed by a team of researchers in collaboration with the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) as a measurement instrument to assess training needs of rehabilitation counselors. The KVI-R includes 92 items measured on two dimensions: importance to the rehabilitation counseling field and degree of preparedness to work in that area.

Objective

The objective for this study was to assess and compare training needs reported by private sector and public sector rehabilitation counselors via the KVI-R.

Methods

Participant data for this study was compiled from two previous studies examining rehabilitation counselors working the public sector and a second study examining the private sector. A sample of 442 public sector rehabilitation counselors were recruited from the state-federal Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies within the federal Mid-Atlantic Region III (DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV). A sample of 423 private sector rehabilitation counselors across the United States were recruited through the George Washington University's Forensic Rehabilitation Counseling Certificate Program marketing email list for a total sample of N = 865 Participants responded to two pre- and post- survey questions along with the Knowledge Validation Inventory–Revised (KVI-R) instrument which is used to measure training needs of rehabilitation professionals.

Findings

There were no statistically significant differences shown between the two groups' overall training need or for any KVI-R domain specific need. Both groups indicated that time spent in training was unnecessarily emphasized in areas of group counseling practices and interventions, group counseling theories, and historical philosophical foundations of rehabilitation counseling. Comparing qualitative responses between rehabilitation counselors in the private and the public sector, there were several areas of differences in reported training needs. Those who worked in the public sector reported significantly higher perceived benefits from further training for persons with disabilities (p = .001). Additionally, demographic differences were found between overall years practicing, with private sector counselors having about twice the clinical experience on average compared to the public sector counselors. In addition, private sector counselors had significantly more professional credentials compared to public sector rehabilitation counselors.

Background and Objective

This article compares the policy, care systems, and legislation surrounding acquired brain injury (ABI) in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US). Consistent with their shared histories, many similarities in terms of culture, language, and politics, and their history of cooperative relations in military and diplomatic efforts, the US and UK have taken similar approaches toward meeting the needs of persons with ABI and their family caregivers. However, important distinctions exist.

Method and Findings

Through a comprehensive narrative review, the article describes both common as well as distinct aspects of the system of ABI services from acute care through to long-term community rehabilitation.

Conclusions

The article concludes by discussing areas of potential collaboration in research, services, policy, and training to advance best practice approaches in both nations.

Background

Work-based learning strategies are often used in secondary transition settings to identify a student's strengths and interest related to competitive integrated employment. Transition professional must not only understand evidence-based practices for creating and supporting work-based learning, they must also understand specific statutory provisions outlined in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Objective

This article provides a targeted review of the FLSA to highlight specific provisions that transition professionals must understand when facilitating work-based learning activities in secondary transition settings.

Conclusions

The article will conclude with specific recommendations about how to implement and supervise work-based learning in compliance with the FLSA.

Background

Over the last 40 years advances in the field of rehabilitation counseling continue to play a major role in the professional identity, skills, and competencies of rehabilitation counselors. While advances have developed in several areas (e.g., multiculturalism, ethics) within the scope of rehabilitation counseling research and practice, there are research gaps for vocational evaluation and the psychometric properties of instruments utilized for assessment.

Objective

This study sought to investigate what psychometric instruments rehabilitation counselors utilize for assessment. Primarily, our goal was to seek major details in how practicing rehabilitation counselors utilize psychometric assessments in their work environments and any ethical concerns involved with their use. We sought to investigate the presence of what assessment tools are commonly used by rehabilitation counseling practitioners and the frequency with which they are used.

Methods

Data from 228 participants was analyzed using a mixed-methods research design with a goal of obtaining both quantitative and qualitative data simultaneously. We sought to determine if there were any statistically significant differences on whether demographic variables affected the selection and use of psychometric assessments.

Findings

Average use of psychometric instruments for assessment use for the entire sample was low, at .66 (between “never” and “sometimes”). Average assessment use for the five subgroups ranged from .37 (body system function) to .99 (interests). Average use for individual assessments ranged from .08 to 2.07. There was a significant effect for education, (R² = .039 F(1) = 8.82, p = .003).

Conclusions

Results indicate higher education levels were associated with increased utilization of psychometric instruments. In addition, collaboration between psychometric assessments and clinical judgment have proven to be valuable in overall quality of rehabilitation services provided.

Background

Rehabilitation counselors can anticipate providing services to growing numbers of individuals who have disabilities that were acquired in (or exacerbated by) severe weather events. The impact of these events on individuals’ psychosocial and vocational functioning is an important factor to address in holistic rehabilitation assessment and planning.

Objectives

The objectives of this article are to (a) provide an overview of how severe weather events contribute to the onset and exacerbation of chronic illnesses and disabilities, (b) identify populations most at risk of experiencing the negative consequences of severe weather events, and (c) consider implications for rehabilitation counseling policy and practice.

Methods

We reviewed literature on severe weather events and their impact on human health and functioning to better understand the impact of these events on affected individuals.

Results

The review revealed that severe weather events have increased in frequency, intensity, and length, and this trend is expected to continue into the foreseeable future. Severe weather events are an emerging cause of disability that requires unique assessment and planning considerations for rehabilitation counselors.

Conclusions

The increase in recent decades of severe weather events as a cause or contributor to disability has numerous implications for rehabilitation counseling practice that are discussed in this article.

Background

The expectation to remain in the labor force is a powerful indicator of long-term employment outcomes for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and it is determined in part by perceived current job performance.

Objective

This study identified correlates of perceived job performance among working adults with MS.

Method

Participants included 611 members of nine National Multiple Sclerosis Society chapters representing 21 states and Washington, DC. Participants were employed, and primarily female (81%), older (average age of 48 years), and White (77%).

Results

Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that males, Whites, people without or with low levels of cognitive impairment, and those who reported stronger job/person matches and higher levels of job satisfaction were more likely than other participants to positively evaluate their own job performance. The aggregated predictors explained 20% of the variability in participants’ job performance self-ratings.

Implications

Findings show the complexity in predicting how satisfied employed people with MS are with their overall job performance, which in turn shapes their expectations and intentions about staying in or disengaging from the workforce. The implications of the findings for rehabilitation counseling interventions and for identifying adults with MS who would benefit from early intervention are discussed.

Background

This article introduces the concept of emerging disabilities as it applies to rehabilitation counseling practice, research, policy, and education.

Definition

Emerging disabilities are those that are either new to medical science or becoming more prevalent in specified subpopulations of people. A case study of a person with an emerging disability (diabetes mellitus) is presented.

Implications

Implications of emerging disabilities for the field of rehabilitation counseling are discussed.

Purpose

Little is known about the employment-related decisions made by people with Parkinson's disease (PD). This study investigated the extent to which individuals diagnosed with PD would prefer to continue working or, if currently unemployed, reenter the workforce.

Method

This quantitative survey research design consisted of a purposive sample of people with PD. A total of 80 surveys were completed and returned and, after eliminating those not meeting the inclusion criteria, 58 usable surveys were included in the final analysis.

Results

Over 82% of participants reported leaving work as a direct result of symptoms associated with PD, with the most common being inability to keep up with the physical demands (17.9%), fatigue (12.5%), psychological or cognitive issues (10.7%), and tremors (7.1%). The majority of respondents (64.3%) responded that they were moderately-to-very interested in returning to work if given the right conditions and supports.

Conclusions

The results indicated that individuals with PD would, in the right situation, prefer to reenter the workforce. Rehabilitation counselors need to be adequately equipped with information and resources to assist those with PD in determining potential employment options and ensuring that acceptable accommodations are provided. Implications for rehabilitation counseling practice, research, policy, and education are presented.

Background

TBI is a leading cause of disability among veterans and active duty military personnel, and presents an obstacle to community reintegration. Prior studies examining adult survivors of TBI pursuing postsecondary education have methodological flaws that limit the understanding the scope and severity of sequelae experienced by persons with TBI who attend college.

Objective

To describe (a) physical and cognitive functioning, and (b) postconcussion and mental health symptoms in veterans and military personnel (V/M) with traumatic brain injury (TBI) enrolled in postsecondary education programs after discharge from rehabilitation.

Method

Cross-sectional study. Participants were recruited from five Veterans Affairs (VA) Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers, enrolled in the VA TBI Model Systems parent study, and attending school during follow-up (N = 155). Outcome measures included the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI), Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist-Civilian version (PCL-C), Patient Health Questionnaire-Depression (PHQ-9), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7).

Findings

Participants were mostly male (92.9%) and White (81.4%), with mild (40.0%), moderate (11.5%), severe (34.5%), or very severe TBI (23.0%). Depression, anxiety, PTSD, and postconcussion symptoms were lowest in participants with very severe TBI and highest in those with mild TBI. There were no significant differences in FIM across TBI severity levels.

Conclusion

This study supports the need for rehabilitation counselors, educators, and administrators to prepare future practitioners to deliver tailored services to student V/M with TBI. These services can facilitate successful community reintegration and transition into civilian school settings. Symptom profiling may inform personalized cognitive interventions to enhance these students’ academic success.

Background

Many emerging disabilities that affect today's rehabilitation consumers are linked to lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, smoking, substance use, and obesity. Lifestyle-related disabilities have dramatically increased in incidence and prevalence over the past two decades. Rehabilitation counselors play an important role in addressing the unique challenges and opportunities that face people with emerging lifestyle-related disabilities.

Objective

The goals of this article are to (a) examine lifestyle factors that have changed the constellation of the American and global disability communities over the past 20–30 years; (b) examine the health, psychosocial, and vocational implications of several emerging lifestyle-related disabilities; and (c) describe the changing role of rehabilitation counselors in addressing the growing needs of consumers with these disabilities.

Method

A review of the literature on lifestyle-related disabilities and rehabilitation implications indicated new service delivery considerations for working with this growing clientele.

Results

Diabetes mellitus, asthma, heart disease, human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), emphysema, stroke, and certain types of cancer were found to be among the most significant emerging lifestyle-related disabilities. New interventions are required to meet the rehabilitation needs of this growing clientele.

Conclusions

The increased presence of lifestyle-related disabilities has numerous implications for rehabilitation practice that are discussed in this article.

Background

Opioid use has reached epidemic proportions in rural communities in the United States and injection of drugs is commonly used. As a result of shared or reusing needles and syringes, the risk for contracting blood-borne diseases is significantly increased. Rural areas face many social and attitudinal barriers regarding syringe exchange programs (SEPs).

Objective

This article describes national trends for drug injection problems in rural areas and discusses effectiveness of needle and SEPs as a harm reduction healthcare policy. Ethical and practical considerations in the implementation of SEPs are also presented.

Method

The rehabilitation literature was reviewed on trends in substance abuse and intravenous (IV) drug use in rural areas to identify the status and need for SEPs to address risk factors of infectious diseases resulting from needle sharing and reusing of needles.

Findings

IV drug use in rural communities has reached epidemic proportions with resulting dramatic increases in hepatitis C and B and incidence of HIV. Yet, many rural communities continue to object to the implementation of SEPs due to fears that such programs will increase drug use and crime in the community.

Conclusion

IV drug use is a critical public health issue for users and non-IV users in rural communities, and is increasingly becoming an issue about which rural rehabilitation counselors will need to be informed. For the sake of public health, SEPs should be recognized as an economical, ethical, and effective factor in the larger response to the epidemic of IV drug use in rural America.

Background/Purpose

Autism spectrum disorders encompass a group of neurodevelopmental disorders whose defining features include deficits in social communication across multiple contexts (American Psychological Association, 2011). The prevalence of autism has been increasing at an alarming rate stemming from changes in diagnostic criteria, genetic risk factors, and growing awareness of the condition.

Objective

This primary objective of this article is to provide an overview of a customized transition program, The Learning Academy (TLA), for students with autism.

Method

Pretest/posttest survey tool.

Findings

Fifty-eight percent (n=15) of respondents reported employment after attending TLA. Of these individuals, 80% (n=12) report they are currently working. Data from a prior survey year captured information from a larger percentage of TLA graduates (85% response rate; n=51) with a total of 63% (n=32) reporting that they had obtained competitive or self-employment.

Conclusions

Preliminary evidence indicates that the TLA program is effective in improving postsecondary education and employment rates in graduates. Implications for rehabilitation counseling research, policy, and education are presented.

Background/Purpose

Military veterans experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and increased rates of unemployment compared to civilian populations. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is identified as a key outcome of long-term health and well-being. The purpose of this article is to (a) explore how employment concerns of veterans with deployment-related (DR) PTSD are associated with HRQOL outcomes, and (b) discuss implications for rehabilitation research, policy, and education.

Objective

To (a) explore how employment concerns of veterans with deployment-related (DR) PTSD are associated with HRQOL outcomes and (b) discuss implications for rehabilitation research, policy and education.

Setting

Three Veterans Health Administration Centers (VHAs).

Design/Method

Descriptive qualitative study examining employment-related domains identified through focus groups.

Findings

Sample consisted of 58 veterans with DR-PTSD (N = 9). Veterans report that HRQOL is affected by PTSD and unemployment. Specifically, themes emerged in the areas of anger, social roles/relationships, task performance, avoidance/isolation, hypervigilance, control over the environment, violence/aggression, and sleep interference.

Conclusion

Currently, there are limited measures of HRQOL and employment in veterans with DR-PTSD. This understanding may contribute to development of a more relevant and sensitive measure of DR-PTSD HRQOL, which may facilitate improved research, program evaluation, and clinical practice. Rehabilitation counselors are well positioned to provide services to veterans, but may lack the educational foundation and training needed to support this unique population. Development of military-specific training and curriculum is needed.

Background

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a short form of the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) in people with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods

The sample consisted of 274 individuals with SCI. Measures administered were the PSQ-20, Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale, and Rand Short-Form 36 General Health Scale.

Results

Results showed that after selecting two items from each subscale of the PSQ-20, factor analysis results supported a unidimensional measure for the PSQ-8. The PSQ-8 total score demonstrated a high correlation with the PSQ-20 total score. The reliability of the PSQ-8 was adequate and similar to the PSQ-20. The PSQ-8 measurement correlated well with the external correlates of depression and health status. The mediation analysis indicated depression as a partial mediator for the relationship between perceived stress and health status, indicating people with higher levels of perceived stress had poorer health outcome in this study.

Conclusions

This study provides evidence to support the psychometric properties of PSQ-8 in people with SCI. The PSQ-8 is a brief, reliable, unidimensional, and psychometrically sound measure of perceived stress that can be used in clinical rehabilitation and mental health counseling research and practice.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the supply of and demand for PhD-level rehabilitation counseling educators and researchers.

Method

A national study was conducted using online survey to collect data. The participants comprised 128 educators and researchers. The analytical techniques included t-tests, measures of central tendency, and correlational analyses.

Results

The findings show that 54.4% participants believed there is a shortage of PhD-level educators and researchers; however, only 14.3% felt optimistic regarding the employment outlook for future PhD graduates. From the supply-side perspective, 141 doctorates were awarded during the four academic years from 2011–2012 through 2014–2015. Over the same period, there was a demand to fill 418 openings, albeit most not tenured or tenure-track positions.

Conclusion

The tenuous link between supply and demand makes predicting this job market a challenge. The potential glut of PhD graduates is of concern and needs to be addressed.

Objective

Assertive community treatment (ACT) is an evidence-based practice that increases community integration for people living with serious mental illness. Additionally, the multidisciplinary ACT model contains a vocational component. The current study will assess whether work-related self-efficacy is predictive of ACT consumers engaging in career-oriented activities.

Methods

Sixty-eight participants enrolled in ACT met with research staff. Demographic information and data on their level of work-related self-efficacy, psychiatric symptoms, their current employment status, and whether they were enrolled in an educational or training program were collected.

Results

Nineteen participants or 19% were engaged in career-oriented activities. Additionally, the findings showed that work-related self-efficacy was a significant predictor of career-oriented activities, Wald χ² = 5.9, p = .016, with a Nagelkerke r²= .23, while psychiatric symptoms were not a significant predictor.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that the SCCT variable work-related self-efficacy is predictive of career-oriented activities among a sample of ACT participants who have a range of interest in pursuing employment and other career-related activities.