Description and Evaluation of the Job Designs Project for Adolescents and Young Adults with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders

Abstract

This article describes the Job Designs Project, a 3-year model demonstration effort that provided vocational services to adolescents and young adults with emotional or behavioral disorders. Vocational trainers offered job placement, training, and support to the participants. Of the 58 participants, 46 (79%) secured competitive work and 17 of the 46 were placed in multiple job placements, resulting in a total of 78 competitive jobs. Of the 78 jobs, 51 (65%) ended successfully (e.g., the worker quit the job appropriately) and 27 (35%) ended unsuccessfully (e.g., termination or the worker quit inappropriately). A total of 17 (37%) workers were fired from jobs and 28 (61%) were fired or quit a job inappropriately. Correlational analyses revealed that four variables were associated with program success or failure: history of alcohol/substance abuse, history of running away from residential placements, use of alcohol/substances while in the program, and social problems with work supervisors and/or co-workers. Surveys of the employers who hired a worker from Job Designs indicated that they were favorably impressed with the project and its staff. Participants interviewed at exit from the program reported that, overall, they were satisfied with their own program experiences. Drawing from these results and experiences, suggestions are made for conducting effective vocational programs for this population and for future research.

Transition Services for Youth and Young Adults with Emotional Disturbance: Description and Initial Results of Project RENEW

“…In the Job Designs project, Bullis et al (1994), reported that one year after working with youth with ED on transition issues, those employed were working an average of 16.6 hours per week at an average hourly wage of $4.51. Youth and young adults in RENEW, in contrast, were averaging 28.3 hours per week and $6.49 per hour.…”

“…necessary (Cook, Razzano, Straiton, & Ross, 1994). Finally, adjusting to workplace demands and displaying appropriate social-interpersonal skills on the job are important areas for persons with ED or MI and strongly related to employment success (Bullis, Fredericks, Lehman, Paris, Corbitt, & Johnson, 1994) .…”

“…Weekly peer support groups for youth and young adults that use techniques of social skill building (Bullis et al, 1994;Goldstein, Sprafkin, Gershaw, & Klein, 1980) can help youth use new social skills in problematic situations at school and work. Mentoring appears to be a complementary factor to social-skill building in the success and resiliency of youth with disabilities (Powers, Sowers, & Stevens, 1995).…”

Vocational and Transition Interventions for Adolescents and Young Adults with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders

“…In a study in Oregon, Doren ( 1992) found that participants with ED admitted to using alcohol in excess of these heavy user percentages and used other illicit drugs on par with these rates. Also, in one of the vocational and transition projects we have conducted (Bullis, Fredericks, Lehman, Paris, Corbitt, & Johnson, 1994 ), we found that more than 70% of the participants had been treated for substance abuse upon entry into the program. Further, a history of substance abuse and substance use while receiving services were strongly related to success in job placement .…”

“…Surveys and focus groups we have conducted of the employers who hire workers from our programs suggest that most employers hire participants for three main reasons: (a) they want to offer assistance to someone in need, providing a service to the community, (b) they are impressed with the staff person who made the job development contact, or ( c) they have had positive experience with other such programs in the past (Bullis, Fredericks, Lehman, Paris, Corbitt, & Johnson, 1994;Cheney et al, 1998a).…”