National supported employment initiative: a preliminary analysis

A survey of 27 states receiving federal supported employment grants was conducted. Results indicated that the number of participating individuals increased 157% during the 3-year study period. Further, over 1,400 programs of supported employment were authorized by state agencies during this time. Individual placement options remained prevalent and employment outcomes associated with this approach appeared to be superior to outcomes associated with other models. Persons with mental retardation were the most frequent participants; individuals experiencing other handicapping conditions or those considered severely handicapped were not well represented. Implications of these results for the continued implementation of this new service alternative were discussed.