Examining Washington State's Vocational
Rehabilitation Rates: Why the decline?
A Study of Two Cohorts
Summary
Rehabilitation rates for the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) prior to 2000 were relatively high – above 60 percent on average. They declined after 2000 to around 40 percent, and all but four of the 44 field offices statewide experienced declines.
This study found that three main factors accounted for almost all of the drop in average rehabilitation rates after 2000:
A struggling state economy with a declining state labor market beginning in 2001, sustained through 2003.
An increase in the proportion of DVR clients with more severe disabilities, based upon the federal Order of Selection criteria, which began in November 2000.
An increase in the proportion of DVR clients on disability-related economic assistance (SSI and SSDI) who had greater difficulty finding employment after 2000.
Two DVR entry cohorts were used. Characteristics of persons entering in FY 2002 to FY 2003 were compared with persons entering in FY 1997 to FY 1998. Each group was followed for at least two and a half years, and a multivariate analysis was conducted to explain the decline in rehabilitation.
Some offices did better than expected
All the top performing offices in 2000 – those in the top quartile – achieved higher than expected rehabilitation rates. Expectations were based on local labor markets, mix of clients, prior job experiences, grants received, and types and length of DVR services. Two thirds of the DVR offices changed rank after 2000, and there were several new top performers.
DVR might learn from the effective practices of the most successful offices, transfer such practices to other offices, and thereby increase the average rehabilitation rates statewide.
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the report: "Examining Washington State's Vocational Rehabilitation
Rates: Why the decline? A Study of Two Cohorts"
Publication Date: 2/2007. Report Number 10.10. (292 KB)
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