Employment Programs

In 2004, a task force reviewed Veterans Affairs’ Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VRE) program and recommended focusing on employment through a Five-Track service delivery model and increasing program capacity. Here, the GAO looks at how employment has been impacted, the extent to which steps have been taken to improve capacity, and how program outcomes are reported. The authors recommended adjusting financial incentives and to improve strategic planning and transparency of reporting.

The Chartbook documents trends in enrollment, earnings, employment, medical expenditures, and consumer experiences and satisfaction since Kansas began its Buy-In program. Summarized are survey and administrative data that document increased earnings and taxes paid over time by participants, decreased medical expenditures for those continuously enrolled, and improved quality of life and financial status.

Here is a snapshot of the program , seven years after implementation. The report introduces the grants, their assessment process, profiles funding recipients, and measures how well the program protects workers’ benefits and increases employment. Finally, recommendations for improving outcomes are provided.

The NQE provides free technical assistance on quality to states operating Medicaid HCBS programs. States can use the site to request technical assistance, pose questions to staff, engage online with other HCBS staff, and learn about upcoming events and NQE publications.

While progress is being made in finding meaningful jobs for individuals with developmental disabilities, an economic downturn makes it difficult to hold the focus on employment goals and maintain momentum within state agencies, services providers, and community employers. State officials offer talking points to guide and assist decision-making to maintain critical components of the service delivery system.

In 2004 the Veterans Affairs' Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program was reviewed by a VR&E Task Force. It recommended numerous changes, in particular focusing on employment through a new Five-Track service delivery model and increasing program capacity. Since then, VR&E has worked to implement these recommendations. This report includes VR&E's progress in implementing the 2004 recommendations and includes additional recommendations moving forward from the Accountability Office.

One-Stop Career Centers serve a diverse range of customers. These include individuals with a variety of educational and work backgrounds, as well as individuals with a wide range of disabilities and support needs. An effective way to serve this broad customer pool is to provide One-Stop services according to the principles of what is known as “universal design,” using common strategies that benefit many groups. This brief discusses the benefits of One-Stop services in detail.

Young people and their families are in the best position to make choices about working when they have good information about the impact of work on benefits. The Social Security and Medicaid/MassHealth programs have work incentives that can help young people give work a try, and provide a “safety net” in case the job does not work out. The purpose of this booklet is to give families and professionals working with young people some practical, hands-on information about work incentives.

As part of these demonstrations, six successful interventions that overcome barriers to independent living and employment for young adults are studied in-depth. The first document gives detailed information on the design of the study's evaluation. The second summarizes the core components, services, and strategies of each demonstration project.

Three key issues affecting the understanding of low rates of successful employment outcomes for people with mental illness are explored. These are: lack of a common definition of successful employment; lack of clear, objective, standardized data; and differences among states and programs in measuring client characteristics. Peer critiques to the data and analysis are provided along with tables comparing employment outcomes by state.