Madan M. Kundu

An analysis of evidence-based best practices in the public vocational rehabilitation program: Gaps, future directions, and recommended steps to move forward

As an epilogue to this special issue, this article provides a brief overview of the research undertaken by the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Evidence-Based Practice in Vocational Rehabilitation (RRTC-EBP VR) in Phase II of their studies, and what was learned from the comprehensive review of the literature (e.g., Fleming, Del Valle, Kim & Leahy, 2013) and multi-state case studies in terms of promising practices in state VR agencies (Leahy et al., 2013). Gaps identified in EBP research that hinders the implementation of efficacious, effective, and efficient services based on the best scientific evidence are discussed, and finally, recommendations for future research directions and knowledge translation initiatives that will improve the effectiveness of VR service delivery practices are provided.

Social-Cognitive Predictors of STEM Career Interests and Goal Persistence in College Students with Disabilities from Racial and Ethnic Minority Backgrounds.

Objective: To examine the relations of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics’s (STEM) self-efficacy, outcome expectations, interests, and contextual supports and barriers to STEM educational goals in college students with disabilities from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds Design: Quantitative descriptive research design using hierarchical regression analysis (HRA) Participants: 115 underrepresented minority students with disabilities receiving services from the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Minority-Disability (MIND) Alliance in STEM project at Hunter College, City University of New York and Southern University at Baton Rouge for the years 2008−2011. Outcome Measures: The Social-Cognitive STEM measures Results: The HRA results indicated that gender, advanced placement (AP) classes, father’s educational level, academic milestone self-efficacy, and STEM interest were significant predictors of goal persistence in African American and Hispanic college students with disabilities. The final model accounted for 57% of the variance in STEM persistence, which is considered a large effect size. Conclusion: The research findings provide good support for the use of the social cognitive career theory (SCCT) framework to identify predictors of STEM persistence and to design academic retention services and career development interventions for college students who are underrepresented minorities with disabilities.

Assessing Vocational Rehabilitation Engagement of People With Disabilities: A Factor-Analytic Approach

The purpose of this study was to validate the Vocational Rehabilitation Engagement Scale (VRES) in a sample of state vocational rehabilitation (VR) service consumers. A total of 277 individuals with disabilities were recruited from Alaska, Kentucky, Florida, Michigan, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin. The measurement structure of the VRES was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Exploratory factor analysis results support a one-factor measurement structure of the VRES. Confirmatory factor analysis results also indicated a good model fit for the one-factor measurement model. Internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s α) for the scores on the VRES was computed to be .94. VR engagement was found to be associated with working alliance, vocational self-efficacy, internal motivation, and VR outcome expectancy in the expected direction. The VRES is a brief, reliable, and valid instrument for assessing VR engagement and contributes to the use of self-determination as a paradigm for improving motivation and engagement of people with disabilities receiving services from state VR agencies.

From admiration of the problem to action: Addressing the limited success in vocational rehabilitation of persons from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds

The authors of the articles published in this issue of Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation (Issue 45[2]) and corresponding editorial by Dr. Paul Wehman provide ample support for the following assertions: 1) work is central to the health and well-being of people with or without disabilities; 2) people with disabilities are significantly less likely to be working than people without disabilities; 3) people from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds, with disabilities or without disabilities, experience additional barriers in obtaining and retaining employment; and 4) people with disabilities from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds receiving services from state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies lag behind their non-Hispanic white counterparts in terms of employment outcomes and employment quality. Work, beyond the financial benefits, promotes societal participation through opportunities for social interaction and support while also offering protective factors that promote mental well-being, physical health, and community participation (Chiu et al., 2015; Neff, 1986; Strauser, 2014).

Social-Cognitive Career Theory predictors of STEM career interests and goal persistence in minority college students with disabilities: A path analysis

OBJECTIVE: To test the Social-Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) as a STEM career interests and goal persistence model for minority college students with disabilities. METHODS: A quantitative descriptive research design using path analysis. Participants included 115 minority college students with disabilities from the Minority Disability Alliance in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (MIND Alliance) project. The results indicated that the SCCT causal model fits the data very well, with χ 2 /df = 1.15; CFI = 0.99; and RMSEA = 0.04. SCCT constructs accounted for 16% of the variance in STEM career interest and 48% of the variance in STEM goal persistence. CONCLUSION: The SCCT model provides useful guidance for designing postsecondary education interventions for minority students with disabilities in STEM education to help crystalize their career interest and increase goal persistence.

Assessing Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals’ Competencies in Taiwan A Multi-Trait Scaling Analysis

Rehabilitation counselor skills, knowledge, and training are significant predictors of quality of employment outcome. In the past decade, vocational rehabilitation (VR) and placement-related work settings in Taiwan have gone through a tremendous amount of change to reflect changing policies, types of disabilities, and global factors. VR professionals’ competencies also need to be addressed to keep pace with this transformation. The purpose of this study was to validate the Taiwanese version of the Systems Approach to Placement: Self-Assessment for Students and Counselors (SAP-SASC), designed to identify critical areas of knowledge, skills, and competencies possessed by practicing VR professionals. A total of 116 participants completed the instrument. The participants represent (a) rehabilitation counseling master’s students from National Changhua University of Education, National Kaohsiung Normal University, and National Taiwan Normal University and (b) job coaches, VR case managers, and other VR professionals from the Council of Labor Affairs in Taichung, Changhua, Nantou, and Taipei counties. Multi-trait scaling analysis revealed eight components of VR professionals’ competence (client, health, education, family, social, employer, placement, and funding). The respondents expressed the highest level of competence in providing job seeking and social skills training, addressing job modification needs, performing job analysis, and referring clients of community-based support services.

Social Cognitive and Planned Behavior Variables Associated with Stages of Change for Physical Activity in Spinal Cord Injury: A Multivariate Analysis.

Purpose: To apply the constructs of social cognitive theory (SCT) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to understand the stages of change (SOC) for physical activities among individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Method: Ex post facto design using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The participants were 144 individuals with SCI who completed an online SCT, TPB, and SOC for physical activities survey. Results: Participants in the preintender, intender, and actor groups differed significantly in functional disability, secondary health conditions, exercise self-efficacy, perceived benefits and barriers, intention, and physical health. Conclusion: Findings support the concept of stage-matching exercise and physical activity cognitive behavioral interventions for people with SCI.

Book Review: Marshall, C. A. (Ed.). (2001). Rehabilitation and American Indians with Disabilities: A Handbook for Administrators, Practitioners, and Researchers. Athens, GA: Elliot & Fitzpatrick, Inc. 236 pages.

The rapid ethnic transformation of the United States has required rehabilitation professionals to possess considerable knowledge of the effects of long-term disabilities on diverse groups and ways of providing culturally appropriate services to consumers. Rehabilitatiart and American Indians tuih Disabiliries: A Handbook far Administrators, Proccooners, and Researchers bridges a long-standing gap: the lack of a comprehensive book addressing rehabilitation issues for the first residents of this land. This well’Ûrgani:ed book covers a broad spectrum of topics suitable for students, faculty, practitioners, tribal administrators, consumers and their families, disability rights advocates, researchers, and policy-makers. The rich cultural experience and the depth of multidisciplinary knowledge of the 15 authors are reflected in the book. The editor’s more than 25 years of experience with the American Indian community enabled her to accumulate and harmoniously synthesize the wealth of information in the book’s three sections: Part I-The Context: Present Realities of American Indians (chapters 1-4); Part 2Rehabilitation Practice: Models of Intenvention and Training (chapters 5-10); and Part 3-Models of Research: Cultural Factors and Ethical Concerns (chapters 11-14). The first part provides a detailed account of the history and culture that shaped the socioeconomic status and lifestyle of the present-day American Indians, their cur-