BACKGROUND: Customized employment (CE) is a strategy that has shown promise in improving poor employment outcome for individuals with disabilities. The term customized employment was first used in 2001 and originated from efforts by the Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy to provide access to One-Stop centers and improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities. More recently, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA) contained a number of provisions and modifications to the Rehabilitation Act that more formally recognized CE as service delivery option. Specifically, WIOA modified the definition of supported employment to include CE and provided a formal definition in the statute. Given its recognition at the federal policy level, it is increasingly important to ensure that practitioners and adult service systems are implementing evidence-based practices associated with CE service delivery. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this review, therefore, is to examine the existing literature to identify the underlying conceptual and empirical basis for CE and to make recommendations for future research. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this review indicate that CE is contributing to positive integrated employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. More research is needed to replicate, validate, and establish the evidence base for CE.

BACKGROUND: Customized employment has generated support at the national, state, and individual participant levels to expand employment for people with significant disabilities. The next step is movement from practitioner-based descriptions to evidenced-based practices that can be consistently replicated. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this qualitative research study was to begin the development of a research-based description that agencies can use to replicate customized employment when supporting individuals with significant disabilities. METHODS: Twenty-eight professionals representing national experts and implementers of customized employment participated in five phone-administered focus groups. The calls were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed to identify themes associated with customized employment implementation. RESULTS: Twelve key components or practices emerged as comprising customized employment. CONCLUSION: This research provides insight into the practices that are associated with customized employment that facilitate integrated employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. Additional research is needed including random control trial studies to further the development of a replicable set of evidence-based practices.

This article provides a retrospective of twenty years of employment for persons with significant disabilities detailing trends, short-comings and promising practices. The article coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND: There is a need for models of employment systems change to promote integrated, community-based employment outcomes in rural communities. OBJECTIVE: This study describes the development and preliminary outcomes of implementation of a model of employment systems change in three rural sites in a Midwest state. METHODS: The model combined training in research-based personal supports (i.e. Customized Employment and the Discovery process, and the Self-Determined Career Development Model [SDCDM]) with capacity building efforts designed to address environmental needs faced by support provider organizations and the community (i.e., training and ongoing support on implementing Customized Employment and the SDCDM, creation and utilization of amalgamated funding strategies, creation of an Active Employer Council, use of social networks to build employment opportunities). RESULTS: Across three implementation sites, 88 providers and community members were trained in the model that included research-based personal supports, which were implemented with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. CONCLUSION: Implications for research and practice to promote employment systems change is described.

No abstract