A national benchmark investigation of return-to-work outcome rates between African American, Native American or Alaskan Native, Latino, Asian American or Pacific Islander, and Non-Latino White veterans served by state vocational rehabilitation agencies: Application of bootstrap data expansion

Abstract

Abstract. BACKGROUND:Research examining the provision of effective state vocational rehabilitation agency (SVRA) sponsored services is pertinent to improving successful return-to-work outcomes among veterans of color (i.e., African Americans, Native Americans or Alaska Natives, Latinos, and Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders versus non-Latino Whites). To date, however, scant attention has been paid to examining these target groups' outcome patterns. OBJECTIVE: This study employed a stratified bootstrap data expansion approach to assess the relationship between race/ethnicity, gender, level of educational attainment at closure and return-to-work among veterans with a signed individualized plan for employment (IPE). METHODS: National fiscal year (FY) 2013 Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA)-911 case records (N = 11,603) were extracted and re-sampled across multiple trials using bootstrap procedures to increase logistic regression model accuracy. RESULTS:The findings indicated that African American and female veterans were statistically significantly less likely to return-to-work compared to non-Latino White and female veterans, respectively. Return-to-work probabilities were 'poorest' for African American veterans followed by Native Americans or Alaska Natives, Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders, Latinos, and then non-Latino Whites. CONCLUSIONS:These findings warrant new service (e.g., greater SVRA and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) co-service provision) and policy initiatives.