Analysis of the interrelationship of employment services and supported employment program outcomes

This study investigated the interrelationship of implemented employment services and selected program outcomes. Employment services were defined by the Degree of Implementation (DOI), a program evaluation instrument. Outcomes selected for this analysis were monthly wages earned, hours worked monthly, and level of consumer served (as determined by IQ scores). Six of the 28 possible employment services on the DOI were identified as prevalent (i.e., 75% of the programs implemented the service). Chi-square analysis revealed that programs utilizing the mobile work crew placement model implemented different employment services than program utilizing the individual, dispersed enclave, or clustered enclave placement models. No significant differences were found between programs utilizing the latter three placement models. Consumers were assigned to high, middle, and low implementation groups based on DOI program data. Analysis of variance identified no consistent differences among employment services and the selected outcomes for these three groups across three rounds of data collection. Visual inspection of the graphs of selected outcomes for the three groups across rounds of data collection seemed to indicate that the high implementation group consistently served consumers with the lowest IQ scores. There also appeared to be an optimal level for consumer outcomes according to the consumer IQ level and implementation of employment services. Thus, consumers with the lowest IQ scores received the most amount of employment services and attained higher wages and worked more hours than similar consumers who received services from middle or low implementation programs. Low implemented programs attained the highest wage and hours worked when they served consumers with the highest IQ scores. The middle implementation group functioned optimally between the consumers with lowest IQ scores and the highest IQ scores. No program implemented only the most prevalent employment services. This seemed to indicate that no minimal set of employment services could replace consumer determined employment services. The results of this study must be qualified because the population was restricted to only those programs receiving state funding as part of the Illinois Supported Employment Initiative. The results were somewhat comprised due to the small size of some cells.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2011

Author dc:creator

• Trach, John S.

• Education, Special
• Education, Vocational

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 1989 Trach, John Stefan

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

AAI9011056
(UMI)AAI9011056

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/23463