Corey L. Moore

VR Services for Persons with Severe/Profound Mental Retardation Does Race Matter?

This article examines the relationship between race, vocational rehabilitation (VR) services, and the rehabilitation outcomes (i.e., closure status and income) of persons with severe/profound mental retardation. Six predictor variables (race, business and vocational training, on-the-job training, transportation, adjustment, and job placement) were used to predict one dichotomous criterion variable—closure status—and one continuous criterion variable—income (i.e., level of weekly earnings). Logistic regression analysis revealed that European Americans were significantly more likely to achieve closure success when compared to African Americans. Findings also indicated that persons with severe/profound mental retardation who were provided with job placement services were significantly more likely to achieve closure success (Status 26). Results are presented for each criterion variable, and the implications of the findings for service and research are discussed.

Ex-Post-Facto Analysis of Competitive Employment Outcomes for Individuals with Mental Retardation: National Perspective.

Disparities in proportions of competitive job placements and provision of vocational rehabilitation services by level of mental retardation were identified for 28,565 individuals. Chi-square results reveal that consumers with mild mental retardation are significantly more likely to achieve competitive jobs compared to those with more severe levels. Logistic regression indicated that the odds of achieving a competitive job for consumers receiving job placement services, business/vocational training, and counseling were nearly two times that of individuals not receiving such services. Findings suggest that a significantly lower proportion of these services were provided to consumers with severe/profound mental retardation. Implications of findings for service, research, and policy are discussed.

Relationship of Consumer Characteristics and Service Provision to Income of Successfully Rehabilitated Individuals Who Are Deaf.

The purpose of this study was to identify higher levels of income, based on consumer characteristics (i.e., gender, race/ethnicity, Hispanic origin) and service variables (i.e., assessment, restoration, job placement), for persons who are deaf and closed rehabilitated (Status 26). A split-half cross-validation research design was used to evaluate 2,422 case records obtained from the RSA-911 database for fiscal year 1996 on three consumer and eight service variables. Results are presented for income, and the implications of findings for research and practice are discussed.

Disparities in Job Placement Outcomes Among Deaf, Late-Deafened, and Hard-of-Hearing Consumers

This report identifies disparities in the proportions of vocational rehabilitation (VR) cases closed into competitive jobs (Status 26) based on type of hearing loss (i.e., deaf, late-deafened, and hard-of-hearing). Case records obtained from the RSA-911 database for fiscal year 1997 were evaluated. A series of chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses were utilized to investigate potential relationships. Results indicate that a significantly greater proportion of VR consumers who are deaf achieve competitive jobs than of consumers who are late-deafened and hard-of-hearing. A significantly lower proportion of VR services significantly associated with competitive jobs (i.e., college or university training, business and vocational training, on-the-job training, and job placement) were provided to consumers who were late-deafened and hard-of-hearing. Results are presented for work status at closure (i.e., competitive jobs vs. noncompetitive jobs), and the implications of findings for service and research are discussed.

Targeting HIV prevention on African American crack and injection drug users.

The use of drugs in the African American community, particularly crack cocaine, has been linked to sexual risk-taking behavior, which increases the likelihood that persons will become infected with Human Immuno Virus. In order to more fully understand risk-taking behavior and to target interventions among African American men and women, this study used data collected from 1277 individuals residing in Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky, who were recruited into National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Cooperative Agreement Project from 1993 to 1998. The study compared African Americans treated for Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) (n = 292) with African Americans who reported never being treated for a STD (n = 504) with regard to HIV information, awareness, and the number of HIV tests between those with and without STD exposure. Additionally, we examine gender differences among African Americans who have and have not been exposed to STDs on risk behaviors and HIV knowledge, awareness, and testing. It was hypothesized that African American drug users in the STD group would engage in more risk behaviors than those who reported no STDs. Results indicated that individuals in both groups, the STD exposure group and the no STD group, engaged in similar HIV-risky behaviors. However, the STD group used a greater number of different drugs in their lifetime. The STD group reported they were more likely to get HIV and were more frequently tested for HIV. Females with an STD history were more likely to have been in drug user treatment and to perceive themselves as homeless. Both males and females in the STD group were more likely to report involvement in exchanging sex.

Return-to-Work Outcome Rates of African American Versus White Veterans Served by State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies: A Randomized Split-Half Cross-Model Validation Research Design

The purpose of this study was to identify disparities in successful return-to-work outcome rates based on race, gender, and level of educational attainment at closure among veterans with a signed Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE). A randomized split-half cross-model validation research design was used to develop and test a series of logistic regression models for goodness of fit across two samples (i.e., screening and calibration) of case records (N = 11,337) obtained from the national Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA)-911 database. The final predictive multinomial logistic regression model indicated that (a) the odds of White veterans successfully returning to work were nearly 1½ times the odds of African American veterans returning to work and (b) African American female veterans had the lowest probability for successfully returning to work. Moreover, findings indicated that African American veterans’ successful return-to-work rates in 5 of the 10 RSA regions were below the national benchmark. Recommendations for policy development and future research directions are presented.

Research Capacity Building: A Historically Black College/University-Based Case Study of a Peer-to-Peer Mentor Research Team Model.

Purpose: To evaluate a peer-to-peer mentor research team model (PPMRTM) in building investigators’ research skills (i.e., research methods and grant writing) at a historically Black college/university (HBCU) in the United States. Method: Three different theories (i.e., planned change, critical mass, and self-efficacy), contemporary study findings, and our personal experiences as HBCU-based investigators provided a useful framework for developing the PPMRTM and corresponding intervention components. Three faculty members (herein referred to as fellows) and 5 mentors participated in the study. A concurrent equal status mixed methods design was used to triangulate data collected from 2 different sources: (a) a mixed methods (i.e., qualitative and quantitative) Web-based survey and (b) telephone interviews. The data were analyzed using SPSS Version 22 and NVivo Version 10.0. Results: The findings indicated that mentors and fellows were satisfied with the mentorship relationship, the program design, and its processes. Fellows submitted, for the first time in their career, a research proposal to the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research Minority Serving Institution-Field Initiated Program (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance [CFDA 84.133]; G-4 research or G-5 development) for competitive funding consideration. This was a core goal of the program. They also indicated that their confidence to conduct research improved. Conclusions: The results suggest that the PPMRTM could represent a promising conceptual framework for conducing mentorship at HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions to improve early career research scientists’ research skills.

Lessons Learned from a Collaborative Approach to Research and Mentorship for Minority-Serving Institutions.

Purpose: To describe the experience of implementing a collaborative model for research mentorship across various minority-serving institutions, specifically, historically Black colleges/universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), and American Indian tribal colleges/universities (AITCUs). Methods: The peer-to-peer mentor research team model (PPMRTM) simultaneously provides peer-to-peer mentoring and traditional mentoring through a panel of mentors. Components of the model will be detailed and examples of success and challenges are presented. Results: Several key practices such as nontraditional mentoring and instruction, combining resources, and committing to using best practices emerged as important factors contributing to successful research collaboration. Conclusions: The findings can have implications for other interinstitutional collaborations.

Career Development Factors for Minority Disability and Health Research Leaders: A Key Informant Study

Purpose: This study examined and documented minority disability and health research leaders’ experiences and perspectives on career development challenges and success strategies. Methods: A sample of 15 African American, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Latino, and Asian research leaders as key informants participated in the inquiry. Research team members and external project advisory panel members collaboratively developed the interview protocol consisting of 8 questions designed to elicit information about career development factors. Trained interviewers conducted semistructured telephone interviews to collect data. Verbatim transcripts of the audiotapes and participant demographics were the primary data that were analyzed using NVivo (Version 10.0). Results: Individual sociocultural challenges (e.g., cultural barriers, language/communication issues, family life issues, and limited collaboration opportunities), institutional research environmental concerns (e.g., bureaucracy, alienation, insufficient research support funds, and discrimination), and federal research agency policy and systems context–induced issues (e.g., limited mentorship opportunities, inadequate supply of minority research leaders and role models, unhealthy competition, and lack of equal opportunity) emerged among key informants’ perspectives as important barriers. Identified success strategies included the need for early career investigators to build, expand, and use support networks, establish multidisciplinary collaborations, develop strong work ethic, enhance research skills (e.g., methodological and grant writing), and obtain capable mentorship. Conclusions: The aforementioned factors should be considered in the creation of new career development models and paradigms aimed at diversifying the scientific workforce.

Predicting Rehabilitation Success Rate Trends Among Ethnic Minorities Served by State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies: A National Time Series Forecast Model Demonstration Study

Purpose: This study assessed and demonstrated the efficacy of two select empirical forecast models (i.e., autoregressive integrated moving average [ARIMA] model vs. grey model [GM]) in accurately predicting state vocational rehabilitation agency (SVRA) rehabilitation success rate trends across six different racial and ethnic population cohorts (i.e., Blacks or African Americans, non-Latino Whites, American Indians or Alaskan Natives, Asians, Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders, and Latinos). Methods: Eleven years of Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA)-911 case record data (fiscal year [FY] 2004 through 2014) on SVRA employment outcomes were extracted and entered into the ARIMA model and GM to test their predictive performance. Results: The GM was demonstrated to be superior to the ARIMA model in predictive accuracy performance. Remarkably, although the GM (1, 1) 3-year frequency curve projection simulation results (FY 2015–2017) showed a slight upward trajectory in the number of successfully rehabilitated Latinos compared to baseline FY 2014 actual numbers, more drastic downward trajectories were projected for Blacks or African Americans, non-Latino Whites, American Indians or Alaskan Natives, Asians, and Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders. Conclusions: The GM represents a demonstrably capable and promising forecasting tool that could be useful to SVRA leaders, policy makers, advocates, and researchers in simulating predictions that inform future policy initiatives, influence strategic plan development, and help guide the state of the science on future research and development foci. Additional multiple comprehensive demonstration trials, nonetheless, are needed to either confirm or refute the GM’s veracity in national and state predictive accuracy and curve fitting performance.