Developmental Disability, Intellectual Disability
Conditions
Keywords
Employment Specialist, Job Coaches
Brief summary
Currently, there are no national pre-requisites for training to become or to be hired as an ES (Employment Specialist). Staff providing employment services have a broad range of educational and training backgrounds. Some individuals have a masters and have completed an ACRE approved course to earn a ACRE (Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators) Basic Employment Certificate in Employment Services while others may have a high school diploma and have not received any additional training. The first phases of the study were important in identifying if the currently identified ACRE competencies are relevant and if the ACRE approved online training course does impact knowledge.
Detailed description
The final phase of the study aims to identify if the addition of technical assistance to the current course not only impacts knowledge of participants but also their self-reported engagement in skills that are outputs of their knowledge acquisition. Additionally, the third phase will link participation in the course and TA (technical assistance) to employment outcomes of individuals with ID/DD (individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disability). These additions address large gaps in the extant literature and research on employment specialists, training, and its impact on employment outcomes. While, evidence-based practices in SE (Supported Employment) exist, research indicates that these practices are not often put into practice. Furthermore, of the few studies that have explored ES(Employment Specialist) training and its effectiveness, very few have identified if training impacts the employment outcomes of individuals with disabilities. Employment specialists and their skill directly impact the successful employment of individuals with ID/DD. Despite the introduction of SE into the field over four decades ago as well as legislative support, employment outcomes of individuals with remain dismally low. It is necessary to begin to gather evidence of the impact of training as well as feasibility and dosage in order to identify how to prepare employment service providers to better support individuals with disabilities to access employment.
Interventions
OTHERVCU-RRTC Online Course
Approved by ACRE as its accrediting body and has been offered virtually through the VCU RRTC for over 15 years. The course currently entails: i. Six modules ii. Six online discussion boards iii. Assignments in each module iv. One quiz per module v. Final assignment
OTHERZoom Technical Assistance Sessions (6 total)
Technical Assistance sessions will be provided to small groups of participants of 5-7 via Zoom technology. There will be one virtual TA session for each of the six modules that will last for 1 hour. The TA sessions will be provided by a trained SE expert/ mentor. The TA sessions will have instructional plans so that they are delivered consistently and will align with the associated module's content and will entail application and discussion that facilitates implementation and reflection of the material.
Sponsors
National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research
Virginia Commonwealth University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
The proposed study will be a randomized control trial, participants will be recruited for the study and once consented they will be randomly assigned to the Control group which entails accessing the current VCU-RRTC online course or the intervention group which will receive the VCU-RRTC course plus TA. TA activities and outlines are attached. Participants who are assigned to the control group will have the opportunity to opt in to the TA sessions after the completion of the third data collection time period. The decision to use an RCT is a natural evolution of the initial two phases of the study and will help provide a comparison of the impact and benefit of additional TA. The addition of the additional two measures that will ask participants to self-report on their employment skills and employment outcomes will also provide important information for future studies.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Use the VCU RRTC listserv * Residing or working in the United States * 18 and older * have not participated in ACRe training * Currently providing or will be providing employment services to individuals with ID/DD
Exclusion criteria
* Unable to consent * Under 18 * Pregnant women * Prisoners
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Impact of VCU ACRE on skills and knowledge | after study completed-9 months | Identify if VCU ACRE Online Course impact skills and knowledge of employment profession The VCU Supported Employment Online Course is designed to provide knowledge and skill development in competitive integrated employment to include supported and customized employment. The 40-hour training is presented in six modules. Each module is posted for two weeks for a total of twelve weeks. Course content is delivered through an online course format with recorded audio and video presentations, required reading, practical activities, and online discussions covering the following topics: Module 1: Overview and Introduction to Employment First Module 2: Customer Profile and Discovery Module 3: Marketing and Job Development Module 4: Customized Employment Module 5: Job Site Supports Module 6: Social Security and Other Special Topics |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Impact of VCU ACRE course plus technical assistance | after study completed-9 months | The VCU Supported Employment Online Course is designed to provide knowledge and skill development in competitive integrated employment to include supported and customized employment. Identify if VCU ACRE Online Course plus technical assistance impact skills and knowledge of employment profession. The 40-hour training is presented in six modules. Each module is posted for two weeks for a total of twelve weeks. Course content is delivered through an online course format with recorded audio and video presentations, required reading, practical activities, and online discussions covering the following topics: Module 1: Overview and Introduction to Employment First Module 2: Customer Profile and Discovery Module 3: Marketing and Job Development Module 4: Customized Employment Module 5: Job Site Supports Module 6: Social Security and Other Special Topics |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed