This study explored the cost-efficiency of all 231,204 supported employees funded by vocational rehabilitation throughout the entire United States from 2002 to 2007. Results found that supported employees returned an average monthly net benefit to taxpayers of $251.34 (i.e., an annual net benefit of $3,016.08 per supported employee) and generated a benefit–cost ratio of 1.46. Further, economic returns of supported employees were investigated across nine disabling conditions. Even individuals with the least cost-efficient disability (i.e., traumatic brain injuries) returned to taxpayers a monthly net benefit of $111.62. Finally, this study determined that supported employees with multiple conditions were as cost-efficient as individuals with only one disability (i.e., benefit–cost ratios of 1.49 versus 1.46, respectively).
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.
BoardmanA. E.GreenbergD. H.ViningA. R.WeimerD. L. (2006). Cost–benefit analysis: Concepts and practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
3.
ChoD. W.SchuermannA. C. (1980). Economic costs and benefits of private gainful employment of the severely handicapped. Journal of Rehabilitation, 46, 28–32.
4.
CimeraR. E. (1998). Are individuals with severe mental retardation and multiple disabilities cost-efficient to serve via supported employment programs?Mental Retardation, 36, 280–292.
5.
CimeraR. E. (2000). The cost-efficiency of supported employment programs: A literature review. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 14, 51–61.
6.
CimeraR. E. (2007a). The cost-effectiveness of supported employment and sheltered workshops in Wisconsin: FY 2002–2005. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 26, 153–158.
7.
CimeraR. E. (2007b). The cumulative cost-effectiveness of supported and sheltered employees with mental retardation. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 32, 1–6.
8.
CimeraR. E. (2008). The cost-trends of supported versus sheltered employment. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 28, 15–20.
9.
CimeraR. E. (2009). The national costs of supported employment to vocational rehabilitation: 2002 to 2006. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 30, 1–10.
10.
CimeraR. E. (2010). Can community-based high school transition programs improve the cost-efficiency of supported employment?Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 33(1), 4–12.
11.
CimeraR. E.RuschF. R. (1999). Empirical evidence on the long-term effectiveness of supported employment: A literature review. In GliddenL. M. (Ed.), International research on mental retardation (Vol. 22, pp. 175–226). San Diego: Academic Press.
12.
ConleyR. W.NobleJ. H. (1990). Benefit–cost analysis of supported employment. In RuschF. R. (Ed.), Supported employment: Models, methods, and issues (pp. 271–287). Sycamore, IL: Sycamore.
13.
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, 441–147.
14.
HealL. W.McCaughrinW. B.TinesJ. J. (1989). Methodological nuances and pitfalls of benefit–cost analysis: Acritique. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 10, 201–212.
15.
HillM.WehmanP. (1983). Cost benefit analysis of placing moderately and severely handicapped individuals in competitive employment. Journal of the Association for the Severely Handicapped, 8, 30–38.
16.
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.
17.
HillM. L.WehmanP. H.KregelJ.BanksP. D.MetzlerH. M. D. (1987). Employment outcomes for people with moderate and severe disabilities: An eight-year longitudinal analysis of supported competitive employment. Journal of the Association for the Severely Handicapped, 12, 182–189.
18.
JohnstonM. V. (1987). Cost–benefit methodologies in rehabilitation. In FuhrerM. J. (Ed.), Rehabilitation outcomes: Analysis and measurement (pp. 99–113). Baltimore: Brookes.
19.
KregelJ.WehmanP.BanksP. D. (1989). The effects of consumer characteristics and type of employment model on individual outcomes in supported employment. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 22, 407–415.
LamC. S. (1986). Comparison of sheltered and supported work programs: A pilot study. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 30, 66–82.
22.
LevinH. M.McEwanP. J. (2000). Cost-effectiveness analysis: Methods and applications. Sage: Thousand Oaks.
23.
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.
24.
McCaughrinW. B. (1988). Longitudinal trends ofcompetitive employment for developmentally disabled adults: A benefit–cost analysis. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
25.
McCaughrinW. B.EllisW. K.RuschF. R.HealL. W. (1993). Cost-effectiveness of supported employment. Mental Retardation, 31, 41–48.
26.
McCaughrinW. B.RuschF. R.ConleyR. W.TinesJ. (1991). A benefit–cost analysis of supported employment in Illinois: The first two years. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 3, 129–145.
27.
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.
28.
Rehabilitation Services Administration. (2004). Reporting Manual for the Case Service Report (RSA-911) (Report No. RSA-PD-04-04). Washington, DC: Author.
29.
RogersE. S.SciarappaK.MacDonald-WilsonK.DanleyK. (1995). A benefit–cost analysis of a supported employment model for persons with psychiatric disabilities. Evaluation and Program Planning, 18, 105–115.
30.
RuschF. R.BraddockD. (2005). 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.
31.
RuschF. R.ConleyR. W.McCaughrinW. B. (1993). Benefit–cost analysis of supported employment in Illinois. Journal of Rehabilitation, 59, 31–36.
32.
SchneiderK.RuschF. R.HendersonR.GeskeT. (1981). Competitive employment for mentally retarded persons: Costs vs. benefits. In HalloranW. (Ed.), Funding and cost analysis. Urbana-Champaign: Leadership Training Institute, University of Illinois.
ThompsonL.PowersG.HouchardB. (1992). The wage effects of supported employment. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 17, 87–94.
35.
TinesJ.RuschF. R.McCaughrinW.ConleyR. W. (1990). Benefit–cost analysis of supported employment in Illinois: A statewide evaluation. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 95, 44–54.
WehmanP.HillJ. W.WoodW.ParentW. (1987). A report on competitive employment histories of persons labeled severely mentally retarded. Journal of the Association for the Severely Handicapped, 12, 11–17.
38.
WehmanP.HillM.HillJ.BrookeV.PendletonP.BrittC. (1985). Competitive employment for persons with mental retardation: A follow-up six years later. Mental Retardation, 23, 274–281.
39.
WehmanP.KregelJ.Keyser-MarcusL.Sherron-TargettP.CampbellL.WestM. (2003). Supported employment for persons with traumatic brain injury: A preliminary investigation of long-term follow-up costs and program efficiency. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 84, 192–196.
40.
ZivolichS.ShuemanS. A.WeinerJ. S. (1997). An exploratory cost–benefit analysis of natural support strategies in the employment of people with severe disabilities. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 8, 211–221.
