Background: Disability acceptance is central to the recovery process for people with severe mental illness (SMI). Measuring a client's level of disability acceptance is an important step to develop psychosocial interventions for individuals with SMI in psychiatric rehabilitation. Aims: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the measurement structure of an abbreviated and modified version of the Adaptation to Disability Scale-Revised (ADS-R), the ADS-R-23, for individuals with SMI. Method: One hundred ninety-four participants were recruited from four community-based mental health agencies. The measurement structure of the ADS-R-23 was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Findings: Principal components analysis of the ADS-R-23 yielded two factors (succumbing and positive coping). The ADS-R-23 was found to be associated with four acceptance-related variables (i.e., resilience, social functioning, social support, and self-stigma) in the expected directions. The ADS-R-23 was found to be a multidimensional scale with good reliability. Conclusions: The abbreviated and modified version of the ADS-R, the ADS-R-23, is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing disability acceptance for people with SMI in psychiatric rehabilitation.

The state-federal vocational rehabilitation (VR) program has been challenged to demonstrate the effectiveness of VR services provided to eligible consumers. State-federal VR agencies are under pressure to develop a foundation of evidence-based practices that lead to competitive employment outcomes for people with disabilities. This article provides a qualitative analysis of the organization structural elements and service delivery practices related to the provision of effective best practices that enhance employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. Using a Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) approach, a multi-stage qualitative analysis of four high performing state VR agencies was conducted to identify promising organizational and service delivery practices that facilitate employment outcomes. Twenty-nine practices were identified as being supportive of the successful outcomes of persons with disabilities being served by these agencies. The identified practices reflect unique and similar service patterns across the four VR agencies studied. Practices were divided into Promising Organizational Practices and Promising Service Delivery Practices. The culture of an organization is an important factor in the development and sustainability of innovative practices. Best practices reconsider traditional rehabilitation counselor roles and offer new methods for delivering services. Rigorous research and program evaluation are required to identify which practices will ultimately constitute evidence-based practices.

Purpose:To understand the level of acceptance of disability by veterans and rehabilitation counselor’s role in that acceptance.Method:The Acceptance of Disability Scale-Revised was given to 117 veterans from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq who acquired disabilities. Their experiences working with certified rehabilitation counselors was also examined.Results:Results indicate that veterans overall are at a lower acceptance of their disability than other groups. Veterans with the most severe disabilities and lower acceptance scores are more likely to seek assistance from certified rehabilitation counselors.Conclusion:Veterans with disabilities need to have early and proper interventions from qualified counselors to best transition into civilian life. Knowledge of the stages of disability and steps to acceptance by counselors can aid veterans navigating this process.

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This needs assessment study aimed to characterize domains of service needs of persons with developmental disabilities (PDD) and their families. Participants were 96 adults with DD (n = 5), their family members (n = 40), and service providers (n = 31). Seventy-six participants completed a survey on needs (education and early intervention, healthcare, and self-advocacy). Another 20 participants completed focus group interviews (family members, n = 14, service providers, n = 6). Following a descriptive analysis of quantitative data and content analysis of qualitative data, results show very high needs for services in the following domains: (a) training for skills in self-advocacy for persons with DD and their families, (b) healthcare access—health insurance and specialty care access, and (c) access to post-secondary education for persons with DD, and disability-specific education/training for service providers. Implications for rehabilitation services include addressing these needs through transition services with self-advocacy training, post-secondary education preparation, and informational service on healthcare access.