Social interactions in three supported employment options: a comparative analysis

Area of Science:

• Disability Studies
• Vocational Rehabilitation
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Debate exists regarding the advantages of various supported employment models for individuals with severe disabilities.
• Social integration is a key benefit of supported employment that requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the social integration outcomes for workers with severe disabilities across different supported employment contexts.
• To compare the social interactions of disabled workers in individual, enclave, and work crew settings.

Main Methods:

• Direct observation was employed to quantify social interactions.
• 37 adults with severe disabilities participated across 18 supported employment programs.
• Three supported employment models were examined: individual placement, enclave, and work crew.

Main Results:

• Workers in individual and enclave programs demonstrated significantly higher contact rates with nondisabled individuals compared to work crew members.
• No significant differences in social contact rates were found between disabled and nondisabled workers in individual versus enclave settings.
• Limited variations in the nature of social interactions were observed across the three employment models.

Conclusions:

• Both individual and enclave supported employment models appear effective in promoting social integration.
• Specific job site attributes may play a more critical role in fostering social integration than the employment model alone.
• Further research should explore the nuanced relationship between job site characteristics and social integration outcomes.