Relationship between demographics, services and employment outcome among youth with psychiatric disabilities in the state-federal rehabilitation program

There is limited information regarding the vocational rehabilitation (VR) services provided through the state-federal system to youth VR consumers with psychiatric disabilities, their personal background characteristics, and how these impact vocational rehabilitation outcomes. The purposes of this study were to: (1) examine personal background characteristics and types of VR services, (2) model the relationships of these factors to employment outcome, and (3) assess the influence of secondary psychiatric disability on employment outcomes among youth VR consumers in the state-federal VR system. The study sample was youth with primary and secondary disabilities whose cases were closed during the federal fiscal year 2004 (FY October, 2003 to September 30, 2004). These consumers were either closed successfully or unsuccessfully.;The dependent variable was employment outcome with two levels: (1) successful employment closure in status 26, and (2) unsuccessful employment closure in status 28. The findings indicated that numerous VR service variables were important in explaining differences in youth VR consumers' outcomes. In addition, with the exception of gender, the personal background characteristics of these youth were significant explanatory variables. Secondary psychiatric disability was found to have significant impacts on employment outcomes. Future research may help to clarify the mechanisms through which these factors impact employment outcome, and identify additional factors that could account for differences in employment outcomes of youth VR consumers with psychiatric disabilities.