Early findings from the Wisconsin PROMISE project: Implications for policy and practice

Effective Secondary Services in Transition-Age Youth With Disabilities: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Background:Youth with disabilities who have at least one paid work experience during high school are more than twice as likely to be employed after high school. However, barriers exist that limit work opportunities for youth with disabilities and subsequent entry to work as part of their adult lives.

Objective:The study identified secondary education services that have been found to be scientifically valid and effective in improving transition to work of youth with disabilities.

Methods:A scoping review was conducted of secondary services provided to transition-age youth with disabilities associated with employment outcomes. The final full-text review consisted of 30 articles.

Findings:Findings describe five major themes related to secondary education services associated with employment. These themes are work experience, independence and autonomy, IEP and transition planning process, student characteristics, and medical restoration services.

Conclusions:These findings suggest that secondary education services are effective in improving the transition to work for transition-age youth with disabilities. Recommendations are made for educators, rehabilitation professionals, and school administrators to enhance the rates of youth with disabilities in finding and maintaining meaningful employment.

Impact of a summer work experience program on employment outcomes for youth who are blind or have low vision

BACKGROUND: Work experience programs are a common element of work-based learning for youth with disabilities under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, but few studies have focused on the effectiveness of these programs for youth who are blind or have low vision (B/LV). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency-sponsored summer work experience program on employment outcomes for transition-age youth with B/LV. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we used propensity score matching to analyze de-identified case records obtained from a VR agency. Participants were 14 to 24 years old at VR application and had a primary or secondary disability of blindness, visual impairment, or deaf-blindness. The matched sample (N = 302) included 151 youth who participated in the program and 151 youth who did not participate. RESULTS: Summer work experience participants were more likely to obtain competitive employment at VR case closure than non-participants. Work hours and hourly earnings did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the association between paid community-based work experiences and future employment for B/LV youth who receive VR services.

Promoting Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income (PROMISE): Early Impacts from a Multi-Site Random Assignment Evaluation

BACKGROUND

PROMISE was a federal initiative to support youth receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) during the transition to adulthood.

OBJECTIVES

This article presents estimates of the impacts of the six PROMISE projects on youth and family outcomes as of 18 months after enrolling in PROMISE.

RESEARCH DESIGN

The study uses a randomized controlled trial design.

SUBJECTS

The six PROMISE projects each enrolled a minimum of 2000 treatment and control youth (and their parents) residing in their service areas who were aged 14 to 16 and receiving SSI.

MEASURES

We estimated impacts on outcomes related to youth and family service use, school enrollment, training, employment, earnings, and federal disability program participation using survey and administrative data.

RESULTS

The projects succeeded in connecting more youth to transition services and more families to support services during the 18 months after enrollment, and most increased the likelihood that youth applied for state vocational rehabilitation services. On average, there was no impact on youth's school enrollment, but there were favorable impacts on youth's receipt of job-related training, employment, earnings, and total income. The projects did not affect parents' employment, earnings, or income, on average. For most outcomes PROMISE affected, the impacts varied substantially across the projects.

CONCLUSIONS

The positive short-term impacts of PROMISE on youth's use of transition services, youth employment, and families' use of services are consistent with the program logic model and suggest there might be potential for longer-term favorable impacts on youth and family outcomes.

Technology and Communication Considerations for Engaging Youth Receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits: Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Perspectives

Technology has been shown to enhance daily activities, increase participation in individualized planning and supports, and accommodate the transition needs of students with disabilities. This study examined the benefits and challenges regarding technology use when providing transition services for youth and families receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. Specifically, it explored the nuances of employing technology to encourage engagement in Wisconsin Promoting the Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income (WI PROMISE) services and foster communication between counselors and participants. This qualitative study used a constant comparative method for analyzing data collected through two focus groups of WI PROMISE counselors. Counselors identified technology as essential to maintaining contact with WI PROMISE participants as well as extant barriers including inconsistent access to the internet, financial expense, and insufficient training and support. Recommendations for using technology to communicate with transition-age youth and their families will be discussed.

Association of Demographic and Disability Characteristics With Total PROMISE Expenditure: Wisconsin PROMISE Findings—Brief Report

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine whether demographic and disability variables predict total health care expenditure of Wisconsin PROMISE. The findings are intended to assist in promoting cost-effectiveness for future similar initiates. This study data were extracted from Wisconsin PROMISE data set. This study had a total of 1,443 youth with disabilities ( Mage = 14.89). The majority of participants were male (69%). Our results indicated that some demographic and disability–related characteristics are associated with total health care expenditure in control with VR case during PROMISE, control without VR case during PROMISE, and treatment group. Overall, findings of the current study suggest demographic and disability variables do assist in predicting total health care expenditure of Wisconsin PROMISE.

Stages of Change Scale to Measure Work Readiness of Transition-Age Youth With Disabilities: A Promising Approach

The experience of transitioning into adulthood is a critical phase in life. The navigation of government benefits adds further complexity that can affect employment outcomes for youth with disabilities. Some individuals hesitate to work out of fear to losing access to monetary, disability, and related health care benefits. However, using available work incentives while pursuing employment and career paths can provide opportunities to work and address poverty without forgoing needed services. The Wisconsin Promoting Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income (PROMISE) research grant aimed to positively change youth readiness to work through the use of Motivational Interviewing, work incentive benefits counseling, financial capability building, shifting expectations, and help in navigating transition resources. To measure the impact on readiness to work, 126 transition-age youth receiving supplemental security income (SSI), 188 of their family members, and 411 Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) counselors working with the youth and families completed a modified Stages of Change Scale survey. Results indicated that youths’ work readiness and positive feelings about work significantly increased from baseline to follow-up, along with an increase in employment rates. The implications of these findings highlight the utility of incorporating the stages of change theory into the design and implementation of services and supports to increase work readiness for youth with disabilities in transition.

Building a Management Information System with Inter-Agency Data Sharing to Improve Data-Based Decision Making Across Systems: Experiences From Wisconsin PROMISE

Inter-agency data systems can improve data-based decision making across service systems. The Promoting the Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income (PROMISE) federal research demonstration projects required inter-agency collaboration to provide needed support to youth receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and their families. Wisconsin PROMISE built a system that gathered data from multiple agencies and provided a holistic picture of participants for use in evidence-based decision making. The inter-agency management information system (MIS) supported both formative evaluation of operational activities and short- and long-term impact analyses. Wisconsin PROMISE provided services and collected participant data using information technology (IT) systems distributed across eight different state agencies and multiple divisions within those organizations. The framework implemented for the Wisconsin MIS met the project objectives for an interorganizational data system and addressed the inherent challenges of collecting interorganizational data. The MIS was used for sharing data for both service delivery and research, while providing insight into the effectiveness of PROMISE project initiatives and all agencies serving the individual and their families. The purpose of this article is to share an example of how a MIS was built so others can replicate and/or use lesson learned to build something similar for their own purposes.

Understanding PROMISE Participant Transition Experiences Using Qualitative Data: Reflections on Accessing Services and Employment Outcomes

Youth with disabilities transitioning from high school to adulthood experience barriers in achieving competitive integrated employment outcomes comparable with peers without disabilities. Promoting Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income (PROMISE) in the state of Wisconsin (WI) serviced 2,024 youth and families, with 1,018 accessing services and supports, including, but not limited to, soft skills, self-advocacy, benefits counseling, career counseling, and paid work experiences. This qualitative, multiple case study purposively selected four youth participants and their families to represent one of four categories: engaged and acquired paid employment, engaged and did not acquire paid employment, unengaged but did acquire paid employment, and unengaged and did not acquire paid employment. Results indicated that participants across all four case studies expressed the desire to work and were optimistic about the future resulting from their experience with WI PROMISE. This study will go beyond the results and provide lessons learned and implications for future research.