Impact of Competency-Based Training and Technical Assistance Employment Outcomes of Individuals With ID/DD

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 1

Conditions: Developmental Disability; Intellectual Disability

Treatments: Other: Zoom Technical Assistance Sessions (6 total); Other: VCU-RRTC Online Course

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT06586827

HM20029287

Details and patient eligibility

About

Currently, there are no national pre-requisites for training to become or to be hired as an ES (Employment Specialist). Staff providing employment services have a broad range of educational and training backgrounds. Some individuals have a masters and have completed an ACRE approved course to earn a ACRE (Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators) Basic Employment Certificate in Employment Services while others may have a high school diploma and have not received any additional training. The first phases of the study were important in identifying if the currently identified ACRE competencies are relevant and if the ACRE approved online training course does impact knowledge.

Full description

The final phase of the study aims to identify if the addition of technical assistance to the current course not only impacts knowledge of participants but also their self-reported engagement in skills that are outputs of their knowledge acquisition. Additionally, the third phase will link participation in the course and TA (technical assistance) to employment outcomes of individuals with ID/DD (individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disability). These additions address large gaps in the extant literature and research on employment specialists, training, and its impact on employment outcomes.

While, evidence-based practices in SE (Supported Employment) exist, research indicates that these practices are not often put into practice. Furthermore, of the few studies that have explored ES(Employment Specialist) training and its effectiveness, very few have identified if training impacts the employment outcomes of individuals with disabilities. Employment specialists and their skill directly impact the successful employment of individuals with ID/DD. Despite the introduction of SE into the field over four decades ago as well as legislative support, employment outcomes of individuals with remain dismally low. It is necessary to begin to gather evidence of the impact of training as well as feasibility and dosage in order to identify how to prepare employment service providers to better support individuals with disabilities to access employment.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Use the VCU RRTC listserv
• Residing or working in the United States
• 18 and older
• have not participated in ACRe training
• Currently providing or will be providing employment services to individuals with ID/DD

Exclusion criteria

• Unable to consent
• Under 18
• Pregnant women
• Prisoners

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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60 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Control Group

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

The current VCU-RRTC online course. Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators, accrediting body that has developed competencies for job coaches and that approved the online curriculum that has been provided through the VCU-RRTC for over a decade.

Treatment:

Other: VCU-RRTC Online Course

Experimental

Experimental group

Description:

The VCU-RRTC course plus TA (Technical Assistance). Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators, accrediting body that has developed competencies for job coaches and that approved the online curriculum that has been provided through the VCU-RRTC for over a decade.

Treatment:

Other: VCU-RRTC Online Course

Other: Zoom Technical Assistance Sessions (6 total)