This study investigated the cumulative costs generated by supported and sheltered employees with mental retardation throughout one “employment cycle,” that is, from the moment they entered their respective programs to when they exited or stopped receiving services. Data indicate that supported employees acquired services costing funding sources a total of $6,619 over 5.98 fiscal quarters or a per fiscal quarter cost of $1,107. In comparison, sheltered employees acquired services costing funding sources a total of $19,388 over 6.22 fiscal quarters or a per fiscal quarter cost of $3,117.
BaerR.SimmonsT.FlexerR.SmithC. (1995). A study of the costs and benefits of supported employees with severe physical and multiple disabilities. Journal of Rehabilitation Administration, 18, 46–57.
2.
BellamyG. T.RhodesL. E.BourbeauP. E.MankD. M. (1986). Mental retardation services in sheltered workshops and day activity programs. In RuschF. R. (Ed.), Competitive employment issues and strategies (pp. 257–272). Baltimore: Brookes.
3.
BoardmanA. E.GreenbergD. H.ViningA. R.WeimerD. L. (2006). Cost-benefit analysis: Concepts and practice (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
4.
BraddockD.RizzoloM. C.HempR. (2004). The state of the states in developmental disabilities. Mental Retardation, 42, 317–320.
5.
CimeraR. E. (1998). Are individuals with severe or multiple disabilities cost-efficient to serve via supported employment?Mental Retardation, 36, 280–292.
6.
CimeraR. E. (2000). The cost-efficiency of supported employment programs: A literature review. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 14, 51–61.
7.
CimeraR. E. (2007). The costs of supported employment in Wisconsin: FY 2002-FY 2005. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 26, 97–104.
8.
CimeraR. E. (2008). A cost-trend analysis of supported and sheltered employees with mental retardation. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 28, 15–20.
9.
ConleyR. (1973). The economics of mental retardation. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
10.
ConleyR. W.RuschF. R.McCaughrinW. B.TinesJ. (1989). Benefits and costs of supported employment: An analysis of the Illinois supported employment project. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 22, 441–447.
HagnerD.DileoD. (1993). Working together: Workplace culture, supported employment, and persons with disabilities. Cambridge, MA: Brookline.
13.
HealL. W.McCaughrinW. B.TinesJ. J. (1989). Methodological nuances and pitfalls of benefit-cost analysis: A critique. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 10, 201–212.
14.
HillM. L.BanksP. D.HandrichR. R.WehmanP. H.HillJ. W.ShaferM. S. (1987). Benefit-cost analysis of supported competitive employment for persons with mental retardation. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 8, 71–89.
LamC. S. (1986). Comparison of sheltered and supported work programs: A pilot study. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 30, 66–82.
17.
LarsonJ. E.BarrL. K.CorriganP. W.KuwabaraS. A.BoyleM. G.GlennT. L. (2007). Perspectives on benefits and costs of work from individuals with psychiatric disabilities. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 26, 71–77.
18.
LeachS. (2002). A supported employment workbook: Using individual profiling and job matching. Kingsley: London.
19.
LevinH. M.McEwanP. J. (2000). Cost-effectiveness analysis: Methods and applications. Sage: Thousand Oaks.
20.
LewisD. R.JohnsonD. R.BruininksR. H.KallsenL. A.GuilleryR. P. (1992). Is supported employment cost-effective in Minnesota?Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 3, 67–92.
21.
McCaughrinW. B.EllisW. K.RuschF. R.HealL. W. (1993). Cost-effectiveness of supported employment. Mental Retardation, 31, 41–48.
22.
McGaugheyM. J.KiernanW. E.McNallyL. C.GilmoreD. S.KeithG. R. (1995). Beyond the workshop: National trends in integrated and segregated day and employment services. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 20, 270–285.
23.
McGrewJ. H.JohannesenJ. K.GrissM. E.BornD. L.KatuinC. (2005). Performance-based funding of supported employment: A multi-site controlled trial. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 23, 81–100.
24.
NobleJ. H.ConleyR. W.BanjerjeeS.GoodmanS. (1991). Supported employment in New York state: A comparison of benefits and costs. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 2, 39–74.
25.
O'BrienD.RevellG. (2005). The milestone payment system: Results based funding in vocational rehabilitation. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 23, 101–114.
26.
RevellG.KregelJ.WehmanP.BondG. R. (2000). Cost-effectiveness of supported employment programs: What we need to do to improve outcomes. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 14, 173–178.
27.
RoganP.BanksB.HerberinM. H. (2003). Supported employment and workplace support: A qualitative study. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 19, 5–18.
28.
RosenM.BussoneA.DukunchakP.CrampJ. (1993). Sheltered employment and the second generation workshop. Journal of Rehabilitation, 59, 30–34.
29.
RuschF. R.BraddockD. (2004). Adult day programs versus supported employment (1988–2002): Spending and service practices of mental retardation and developmental disabilities state agencies. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 29, 237–242.
30.
RuschF. R.ConleyR. W.McCaughrinW. B. (1993). Benefit–cost analysis of supported employment in Illinois. Journal of Rehabilitation, 59, 31–36.
31.
TargettP.WehmanP.McKinleyW. O.YoungC. (2004). Functional vocational assessment for individuals with spinal cord injury. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 22, 149–161.
32.
TestD. W. (2004). Invited Commentary on Rusch and Braddock: One person at a time. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 29, 248–252.
33.
VisierL. (1998). Sheltered employment for persons with disabilities. International Labour Review, 137, 347–366.
34.
WehmanP.KregelJ. (1995). At the crossroads: Supported employment a decade later. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 20, 286–299.
