A more businesslike approach to job development, which stresses meeting employer needs, is encouraged for growth in supported employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Seven job development guidelines are offered, including research businesses to identify personnel needs and problems, and define services so employers understand…

This study examined the social interactions and activities of 15 workers with mental retardation employed in supported competitive employment positions and 15 co-workers. Although the supported employees and co-workers did not differ in the total number of interactions, co-workers interacted more frequently during breaktime whereas supported…

This paper notes developments in supported employment practices and the manner in which support organizations, employees with disabilities, and companies interact. The paper then reconceptualizes supported employment and the role of employers. The reconceptualized approach involves such techniques as extending support to employer personnel and…

This paper examines current issues in supported employment in the areas of assessment, job analysis, instructional technology, and management. How supported employment can be implemented more effectively is discussed along with areas in which further policy implementation and research are needed. (Author/DB)

The "Open Road" project is a three-year supported employment program for adults with severe mental handicap in Dublin, Ireland. This paper describes the program's development of integrated day services; job development; program participants; and issues in program effectiveness such as family concerns, staff development, organizational…

Questionnaire responses from 65 supervisors in human service agencies and interviews with 27 employers, supervisors, and vocational program administrators indicated that employees with moderate special needs (in this case specific learning disabilities and low intelligence) surpass others in several positive work habits. Supervisors valued…

This paper reports on a process analysis of a three-year research and demonstration project evaluating a supported-employment program serving 20 adults with psychiatric disabilities. Staff were found to have frequent, brief contact with participants at varied times of day and through varied means of contact, with much of this contact spent…

Describes the needs of adults with learning disabilities and offers recommendations for appropriate environmental and instructional supports for their success in postsecondary education and the workplace. A table matches assistive technologies with learning characteristics and settings. (SK)

A survey of 53 employers found they were quite capable of providing workplace accommodations for workers with significant disabilities, drawing on existing employer resources. Employers are going beyond compliance with federal law and responding to needs in areas such as career advancement, changing something about a job, and social integration.…

A survey of 13 vocational programs that used natural supports as one of their strategies for securing and supporting people with disabilities in community jobs found that people with more severe disabilities had fewer wage- and integration-outcomes and fewer typical features of employment compared to those with less severe disabilities. (CR)

Effects of supported work versus center-based program services were evaluated with four adults with multiple severe disabilities. Results found most participants displayed more alert and active behavior and were involved in more purposeful activity in supported work than in center-based programs. Differences in expectations and staff competence…

Recent legislation, especially the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, generated the closure of institutions for people with disabilities and inclusion into community residences and employment. It has been well documented that individuals with developmental disabilities often experience difficulties with employment including both obtaining…

The Ohio Supported Employment Coordinating Center of Excellence is a joint project of the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences and the Department of Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University. The center is focused on helping to implement and evaluate evidence-based employment services provided to individuals with a severe mental illness.…

This literature review discusses the factors for successful job retention of adult workers with mental retardation (MR) including external factors related to work environments and internal issues of the individual worker. Through the synthesis of the literature, a performance improvement model for supported employment (SE) is discussed based on…

Background: "Supported" employment stipulates that disabled people should have real jobs for real pay. This paper models kinds of supported employment, assesses how the support and placement features affect its outcomes and its quality from the perspective of the employees, and provides a dynamic model to help explore what types of interventions…