Practice-Based Development and Peer-to-Peer Dissemination: Supportive Employment in College
Virginia Commonwealth University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities
Submitted by Jaclyn Camden and Stephanie Lau
Focus
The Rehabilitation and Research Training Center (RRTC) on Employment of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities aims to develop evidence-based interventions to support youth in securing competitive integrated employment. One RRTC study assesses the impact of a self-paced online course, Supported Employment in College, and associated technical assistance (TA) for personnel supporting students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) in higher education. Supported Employment in College was based on more than a decade of experience implementing employment support strategies for college students with IDD in Virginia Commonwealth University’s (VCU’s) inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) program, ACE-IT in College. ACE-IT in College has a nearly 100% rate of students securing paid campus jobs and a postgraduation employment rate of 90%. Curriculum for the Supported Employment in College course includes career assessments, person-centered planning, customized employment, job-site training, and transitioning from college to Community Integrated Employment.
The project used various implementation and KT strategies to promote broad uptake and long-term sustainability of the course, including peer-to-peer networking, targeted outreach, and support approaches.
Context
The nationally available 6-week course trains college-level personnel to provide or oversee employment supports for students with IDD. During the study, students who completed the course were also eligible to receive intensive TA. The aim is to help college staff support students in securing paid work or internships. Using an implementation science model and quasi-experimental design, the study examined how key supports around a college campus setting could help students with IDD build employment skills.
From this study, RRTC staff produced research briefs and peer-reviewed publications to inform decision-makers, stakeholders, and practitioners on postsecondary education (PSE) outcomes. PSE offers skill-building and networking opportunities. IPSE programs are growing; with that growth comes a need to enhance PSE access for students with IDD. Despite this, students with IDD have lower employment rates during and after college. One study brief assessed the online course and TA for IPSE staff to improve employment outcomes for students with IDD (McKelvey et al., 2023). Initial results showed significant areas for improvement, including networking and job-site training.
Another research brief shares strategies from VCU’s ACE-IT program during the 2020–21 academic year to aid other programs in replicating innovative supports (Camden et al., n.d.). Due to the onset of COVID-19, when universities shifted to virtual modalities, IPSE programs needed to develop new strategies for supporting students with IDD. The review revealed various strategies that improved organization and communication among students, staff, faculty, and employers—many of which continue to be used. The brief emphasizes the importance of integrating virtual supports to prepare students for the evolving workforce in a postpandemic world.
KT Activities
Practice-Based Intervention Development and Accessible Course Design
Given the significantly lower employment rates for young adults with IDD compared to the general population—even among those enrolled in IPSE programs (Griffin et al., 2021)—ensuring the successful implementation of these supports across IPSE campuses nationwide was central to the project.
The Supported Employment in College 6-week online course was based on the successful implementation of employment support strategies for college students with IDD at VCU’s ACE-IT program and was developed at a practice-based level. Coursework was adapted from these successful strategies, integrating new approaches into the online course format. Using an implementation science research model and with IPSE practitioners at the helm, course materials were effectively tested and disseminated across the country.
The course curriculum was presented through an online format in order for nationwide participation. The accessible online design of the course along with the intensive TA catalyzed program uptake. To earn certification and continuing education credits, participants were required to complete a course evaluation that assessed factors such as course satisfaction and identified additional topics to be addressed. This process allowed the team to stay attuned to the evolving needs of personnel and educators in IPSE programs and to make timely adjustments to the course content as necessary.
Tiered Outreach and Peer-to-Peer Networking
Given the practice-based design and accessible online format, the pathway for uptake of the course by college personnel was fruitful. Also, the uniqueness of the curriculum stood out as it focused on employment support within a college context. There was nothing else like it in the field.
The research team used tiered outreach, including universal, targeted, and individualized approaches to identify IPSE programs and other users that would benefit from the course and TA support. Universal outreach included using multiple platforms like social media, conferences, webcasts, and newsletters. The online course had a broad audience. Using targeted outreach, the research team identified and invited IPSE programs with under 50% reported employment to participate. The team recruited several participants who continue to use the course today; it also has provided personalized intensive TA to programs that has continued beyond the three study cohorts upon request. To ensure it met the needs of their peers and to inform ongoing or future TA, the research team conducted content analysis and thematic analysis of course discussion boards to better understand the needs of the course participants along with employment topics they are interested in.
Another key aspect that supported the implementation of the course was the strong peer-to-peer KT strategies the project team employed, drawing on their own network with researchers and practitioners known in the IPSE practice community. Members of the research team were integrated into communities of practice and alliances and had a well-established reputation at national conferences and other IPSE networks. The research team was able to share the course widely with their networks in real time.
Impact
To earn certification and continuing education credits, participants were required to complete a course evaluation, which assessed factors such as course satisfaction and identified additional topics that should be addressed. This process allowed the team to stay attuned to the evolving needs of personnel and educators in IPSE programs and to make timely adjustments to the course content as necessary.
The course is nationally accessible, free, and self-paced for all who would like to use it. Regarding uptake, more than 300 participants nationwide have registered for the study or the self-paced online programs. Since the self-paced version rollout, not only have college and university staff continued to enroll, but vocational rehabilitation, developmental disability agency, and government agency professionals have engaged in the course. Some IPSE programs have used the course for training new employees in providing employment services for students with IDD. Notably, the University of Minnesota operates a TA center for IPSE programs and collaborated with state legislators to secure financial support for IPSE programs in need. A key funding requirement: Recipients must take one of two courses that include Supported Employment in College.
Contact Information
NIDILRR Project Name: RRTC on Employment of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities
Parent Organization: Virginia Commonwealth University
Physical Address: VCU-RRTC on Employment of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities, 1314 West Main Street, Box 842011, Richmond, VA 23284-2011
Website: https://transition.vcurrtc.org
Key Contact: Jaclyn Camden, MEd, jlcamden2@vcu.edu or Stephanie Lau, PhD, sjlau@vcu.edu
Research Briefs
A Practice Brief: Virtual supports in ACE-IT’s Inclusive Higher Education Program
References
- Camden, J., Lambert, A., Getzel, E. E., & McKelvey, S. (n.d.). A mixed methods analysis of the experiences and outcomes of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities attending inclusive postsecondary education programs (Research Brief No. 6). Virginia Commonwealth University. https://worksupport.com/documents/RRTC%20Transition%20Research%20Brief%20Study%206.pdf
- Eccles, M. P., & Mittman, B. S. (2006). An introduction to Implementation Science. Implementation Science, 1(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-1-1
- Griffin, M. M., Winsor, J. E., & Lyons, M. D. (2021). Virtual supports in inclusive higher education: Lessons learned from COVID-19. Journal of Inclusive Postsecondary Education, 3(1), 1–15. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1325428.pdf
- Lambert, A., Lau, S., & Camden, J. (2022). A practice brief: Virtual supports in ACE-IT’s inclusive higher education program. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 209–216.
- McKelvey, S. P., Lambert, A., Camden, J., Getzel, E. E., & Norris, S. (2023). Providing technical assistance to inclusive postsecondary education programs on paid employment experiences of college students with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A case study. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 60(1), 53–62. https://doi.org/10.3233/JVR-230056
- Tabak, R. G., Khoong, E. C., Chambers, D. A., & Brownson, R. C. (2012). Bridging research and practice: Models for dissemination and implementation research. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 43(3), 337–350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2012.05.024