Most state rehabilitation agencies collaborate with community rehabilitation providers (CRPs) to provide job placement and on-the-job support services. Despite efforts from CRPs to provide on-the-job supports to individuals with disabilities, competitive integrated employment rates for individuals with disabilities, especially those with more significant disabilities, remain poor. One way to improve employment outcomes is to ensure that those providing comprehensive supports are competent in knowledge and skills necessary for their job. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to validate key competencies created for the workplace supports (WPS) training. The WPS training is designed specifically for job coaches who provided on-the-job supports to employees with disabilities. One hundred eighty-four job coaches, employment supervisors working for CRPs, and job coach trainers participated in a survey to validate 24 knowledge and 13 skill competencies. We used descriptive statistics to describe respondent’s demographic data and their ratings of the knowledge and skill competency items and ANOVA to assess for differences by position and training. Overall, participants rated both knowledge and skill competencies as highly applicable to job coaches, with mean scores above 4.5 out of 5 with some variations in ratings based on job title and training completed.
Association of People Supporting Employment First. (2022). Retrieved January 2022, from https://apse.org/cesp-cen
2.
BogenschutzM.NordD.HewittA. (2015). Competency-based training and worker turnover in community supports for people with IDD: Results from a group randomized controlled study. Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities, 53(3), 182–195. https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1352/1934-9556-53.3.182
3.
BrockM. E.Cannella-MaloneH. I.SchaeferJ. M.PageE. J.AndzikN. R.SeamanR. L. (2016). Efficacy of training job coaches to implement evidence-based instructional strategies. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 45(3), 351–364. https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.3233/JVR-160835
4.
ButterworthJ.MiglioreA.Nye-LengermanK.LyonsO.GuntyA.EastmanJ.FoosP. (2020). Using data-enabled performance feedback and guidance to assist employment consultants in their work with job seekers: An experimental study. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 53(2), 189–203. https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.3233/JVR-201096
CohenJ. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Academic Press.
7.
FlemingA. R.PhillipsB. N.KaseroffA.HuckG. (2014). A qualitative study of job placement provider decisions in vocational rehabilitation. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 58(7), 7–19. https://doi.org/10.1177/0034355213519681
8.
FriedmanC. (2021). The impact of direct support professional turnover on the health and safety of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Inclusion, 9(1), 63–73. https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1352/2326-6988-9.1.63
9.
HallA. C.BoseJ.WinsorJ. E.MiglioreA. (2014). From research to practice: Knowledge translation in job development. Inclusion, 2, 65–79. https://doi.org/10.1352/2326-6988-2.1.65
10.
KaseroffA.FlemingA. R.HuckG.PhillipsB. N. (2015). Preferred qualities of community rehabilitation providers in state vocational rehabilitation. Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling, 46, 43–51. https://doi.org/10.1891/0047-2220.46.2.43
11.
McDonnellJ.HardmanM. L. (2010). Successful transition programs: Pathways for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Sage.
12.
MiglioreA.ButterworthJ.LyonsO.FoosP.Nye-LengermanK. (2018). Supporting employment consultants in their work with job seekers: A longitudinal study. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 49(3), 273–286. https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.3233/JVR-180973
13.
MiglioreA.ButterworthJ.NordD.CoxM.GelbA. (2012). Implementation of job development practices. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 50(3), 207–218.
14.
MiglioreA.HallA.ButterworthJ.WinsorJ. (2010). Job development: What do job developers really do? A study on job development practices. Research and Practice for Persons With Severe Disabilities, 35(1), 15–23. https://doi.org/10.2511/rpsd.35.1-2.15
15.
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C § 701 et seq. (1973).
16.
RemundC.Jones-ParkinT.HaseH.RiesenT. (2022). Preparing community rehabilitation providers to deliver a provision of employment supports: A tiered training approach. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 56(2), 193–201. https://doi.org/10.3233/JVR-221182
17.
RiesenT.HallS.KeetonB.SnyderA. (2021). Building consensus among experts regarding customized job development fidelity descriptors: A Delphi study. Journal of Rehabilitation, 87(3), 22–30.
18.
RiesenT.JamesonJ. M. (2018). A comparison of prompting procedures to teach work tasks to transition-aged students with disabilities. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 52(1), 100–110.
19.
RiesenT.JuhaszA. C.RemundC. (2023). An analysis of the rehabilitation service administration 911 supported and customized employment outcome data for fiscal years 2017–2020. Research and Practice for Persons With Severe Disabilities, 48(3), 115–116. https://doi.org/10.1177/15407969231181901
20.
RiesenT.PolychronisS.IvyS. (2023). Scaffolded instructional supports: Response and stimulus prompts. In PenningtonR.AultM. JCourtadeG.JamesonM.RupparA. (Eds.), High leverage practices for students with extensive support needs (pp. 185–196). Routledge.
21.
RiesenT.RemundC.BeyersR.PhillipsB. (2022). A survey of state divisions of rehabilitation training requirements for providing employment supports to people with disabilities. Journal of Rehabilitation, 88(3), 20–25.
22.
SchultzJ. C. (2008). An examination of factors contributing to public rehabilitation counselors involvement in job placement and development activities. Journal of Rehabilitation, 74, 9–17.
23.
StoreyK.MinerC. (2011). Systematic instruction of functional skills for students and adults with disabilities. Charles C Thomas.
24.
ToweryD.ParsonsM. B.ReidD. H. (2014). Increasing independence within adult services: A program for reducing staff completion of daily routines for consumers with developmental disabilities. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 7(2), 61–69. https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1007/s40617-014-0013-4
WehmanP.TaylorJ.BrookeV.AvelloneL.WhittenburgH.HamW.BrookeA. M.CarrS. (2018). Toward competitive employment for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities: What progress have we made and where do we need to go. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 43(3), 131–144. https://doi.org/10.1177/1540796918777730
27.
WenzelJ. D.FisherM. H.BrodheadM. T. (2022). Preparing job coaches to implement systematic instructional strategies to teach vocational tasks. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 45(2), 71–85. https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1177/21651434211041918
28.
WinsorJ.ButterworthJ.MiglioreA.DominD.ZalewskaA.ShepardJ.KamauE. (2022). StateData: The national report on employment services and outcomes through 2019. University of Massachusetts Boston, Institute for Community Inclusion.
29.
WoleryM.AultM. J.DoyleP. M. (1992). Teaching students with moderate to severe disabilities: Use of response prompting strategies. Longman.
