PowerPoint Presentations

• Title of Publication
  By: Ellen Fabian
  PDF | WORD

The purpose of this “exploration and discovery” qualitative study is to identify the transition-related skills and practices of the most effective VR counselors and to compile and disseminate a toolkit of these transition-related skills and practices in order to improve VR counselor services to transitioning youth.

• RQ 1 – What are the caseload and agency characteristics of highly effective VR counselors employed in high-performing State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies (SVRAs)?
• RQ 2 – What do effective VR counselors identify as the most important skills and practices for achieving success among transition-age youth?

We will use the findings from the study: How do VR agency-level factors and individual consumer characteristics influence youth outcomes? to identify a sample of state VR counselors who are employed in SVRAs that rank among the top 25% of the 51 state agencies in achieving successful outcomes for their transitioning youth population. Our estimates, derived from a prior study of effective SVRAs (Honeycutt et al, 2014) are that we will have an initial pool of about 800 VR counselors employed within these agencies whose caseloads, at least in part, serve transitioning youth. We will invite each of these VR counselors (via email distributed by state agency directors and/or CSAVR) to complete an on-line survey, anticipating a final sample size for the e-survey of about 250-300 VR counselors within the top quartile of SVRAs who serve a transitioning youth caseload. We might, depending on the size of the agencies in the top quartile, adjust the sample size by only sampling from those falling above a higher threshold on transition youth outcomes.

We will analyze the sample for nonresponse bias based on available data, such as state, location within state, gender, and any other data publicly or reasonably available regarding the sample population. Finally, we will field the survey until we achieve an adequate sample size.

To guide the interview process with VR counselors who achieved success with transitioning youth, we will develop an interview protocol that delves into the counseling, outreach, case management and other skill sets, strategies, and practices associated with successful outcomes. The interview questions and process will flow, in part, from the results of analysis of the online survey, and encourage free-flowing and open-ended conversations. We are interested in delving into the “what” and “how” of VR counselors’ effective practices and will address many issues, including: (1) How do they manage their caseloads to implement strategies to engage transitioning youth? (2) How do they develop effective working relationships with youth, families, employers, and related personnel? (3) What programmatic or procedural barriers hamper their efforts, and what have they done to address them? (4) How do they facilitate collaboration and outreach? (5) How do they know if their practices are effective across youth populations?