Order of selection in vocational rehabilitation: implications for the transition from school to adult outcomes for youths with learning disabilities

Interagency cooperation between special education and vocational rehabilitation (VR) is central to ensuring the continuity of services to young adults with disabilities who are in transition from school to adult living. However, the interface between special education and VR may be complicated by order of selection, an equally binding mandate in federal VR policy to provide priority services to individuals with the most severe disabilities. Because students with learning disabilities are typically perceived as having mild rather than severe disabilities, these youths are most at risk for falling through the cracks in the service landscape once they leave the school setting in states where the VR agency is implementing an order of selection procedure. This article identifies and discusses common impediments to collaborative transition planning for students with learning disabilities that may be intensified when the state VR agency is operating under an order of selection plan. Recommendations are provided to facilitate greater interagency cooperation among schools and VR agencies so that transition planning and implementation for students with learning disabilities is not subverted as a result of the order of selection mandate.     

The school-to-work transition of people with mental handicap in Hong Kong

The purpose of this study was to examine the school-to-work experience of people with mental handicap in Hong Kong. Fourteen young adults with mild mental handicap participated in in-depth interviews. An interview guide was utilized which included topics related to the participants' vocational preferences, work motivation and post-school placements. Data were analyzed according to a constant comparative method and content analysis. Three-quarters of the participants expressed job preferences. Three-quarters of the participants had taken a vocational training program unrelated to their job preferences. Half of the participants who had taken up open employment had not obtained their preferred jobs. None of the participants who had completed vocational training obtained job placements that matched their vocational training programs. All of the participants except five were not involved in making independent decisions regarding employment. The need to improve the quality of vocational services and empower people with mental handicap to take up self-determining roles are discussed.     

高职院校《土壤肥料学》课程改革与创新研究

《土壤肥料学》是职业院校种植类各专业一门必修的专业基础课程,传统的教学模式,已不能满足高职院校人才培养模式和农业生产的需求。因此,针对职业院校《土壤肥料学》课程,从多方面进行了大胆的改革,以更好地培养学生服务三农的能力、胜任工作岗位的能力。     

(Im)materiality, virtual reality and interaction: grounding the 'virtual' in studies of technology in action

This paper explores the organisation of social interaction amongst participants ‘in’ Virtual Reality. Despite the wide‐ranging sociological interest in ‘virtual’ technologies, there is rather little detailed sociological investigation of user experiences of the virtual technology par excellence, namely multi‐user Virtual Reality. Interestingly the discourses that underpin discussions of more mundane virtual technologies (eg email, the Web, mobile phones, etc.) tend to draw on design visions for Virtual Reality, such as the opportunities for social life freed from the constraints of the physical body. This paper contributes to a growing number of empirical studies that provide a critique of this view, but maybe more importantly, provides a detailed analysis of action and interaction in virtual worlds. It considers the organisation of interaction within VR with particular emphasis on the ways in which visual features of the digital domain are seen and shared by participants. The paper describes the ways in which the abilities to share views on the virtual world requires participants to overcome problems associated with the very material character of the VR interfaces. The study is based on the analysis of recordings of a Virtual Reality system that enables participants to talk to one another and see one another's actions within a virtual environment.     

Welfare Reform and Its Impact on the Employment Prospects of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities

ABSTRACT

Welfare policy in Australia has undergone a marked shift in direction since the election of the Liberal Coalition (Conservative) Government in 1996. This paper examines welfare policy and, in particular, the disability support pension, in the light of the vocational needs of those with psychiatric disabilities who seek to gain employment. Empirical data is presented concerning a case study of 65 clients participating in a vocational program. These participants had all been diagnosed with psychiatric disabilities, and were assisted to obtain open employment. The paper demonstrates that welfare policy, in conjunction with the recently privatized employment services network, not only fails to address the barriers faced by individuals with psychiatric disabilities, but undermines their efforts to gain employment and recover from the illness.     

A place for marriage and family services in employee assistance programs (EAPs): a survey of EAP client problems and needs

Marriage and family services have not been widely recognized as part of employee assistance programs (EAP), although family and relational problems are widely cited as sources of problems on the job. EAP clients (N = 800, 97% self-referred) indicated how much family, psychological/emotional, drug, alcohol, employment-related, legal, and medical problems troubled them and the need for services in each area. Psychological/emotional (66%) and family (65%) problem areas frequently were rated "considerable" or "extreme." Both areas were rated as "considerable" or "extreme" by 48.6% of participants. In view of the evidence that marriage and family services can be effective with both family and psychological/emotional problems, professionals who are competent to provide such services have much to offer EAP programs.     

Past,Present, and Future: Editorial on Virtual Reality Applications to Human Services

Abstract

“Virtual Reality” interventions in human services may include 360° video, augmented reality, mixed reality, and fully immersive 3-dimensional virtual reality simulations. A variety of applications have been evaluated in various fields of study, including medicine, social work, psychology, and human performance training. Currently, the state of research of VR interventions in human services has primarily focused on efficacy and effectiveness research, with few studies evaluating “scaling up” or implementation of VR interventions in larger populations. Unfortunately, the state of efficacy and effectiveness studies of VR interventions still remains weak with some applications due to smaller sample sizes, lack of randomized control trials, and a gap in reporting key intervention qualities, dosage, and outcomes. With new developments in combining artificial intelligence with VR, realism and the potential for human interaction with computer generated simulations may boost presence and immersion within these applications. This editorial provides an overview of the state of virtual reality applications in human service provision, potential gaps to be addressed by research in the future, and the development of AI based interactive sequences that may boost use presence.     

Looking Back: The Experiences of Four Midwest Families After Receiving Foreclosure Counseling Services

The Great Recession produced significant job loss, which precipitated housing instability and the need for foreclosure prevention services for some households. To help meet the needs of struggling homeowners, housing counseling agencies provided education and assistance to offer support. However, after services ended and housing outcomes were identified, families returned to their daily life. Little is known about the experiences and needs of households during and after receiving housing counseling services. This qualitative, in-depth, phenomenological assessment gives voice to the experience of housing instability for families 3 years after initially receiving services from an agency in one economically challenged, urban, Midwestern community. The findings from this study highlight the experience of four Midwestern families, through the use of Seidman’s (Interviewing as qualitative research, 4th edn. Teachers College Press, New York, 2012) three stage interview design, in which the researchers conducted three distinct interviews with each of four participants and two interviews with former housing counselors from the same agency. The findings reveal four key supportive factors that emerged for participants. They include: the importance of faith, family, positivity, and income supports.     

Helping Oneself by Helping Others: Evaluation of a Service Credit Banking Demonstration

Between 1987 and 1990, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded six service credit banking demonstration programs among the elderly in which participants delivered services in return for credits, entitling them to later service. This evaluation of the demonstrations found that these six sites successfully attracted elders for the delivery of household support services to a relatively old, frail population with potentially limited social networks. Evidence on the significance of the "credit" in attracting volunteers was mixed, but the programs have attracted new volunteers, and have not substituted for other volunteer activities. Program development has entailed considerable staff investment in volunteer support; programs are better understood as community membership organizations than as mechanical exchanges.     

Helping oneself by helping others: evaluation of a service credit banking demonstration

Between 1987 and 1990, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded six service credit banking demonstration programs among the elderly in which participants delivered services in return for credits, entitling them to later service. This evaluation of the demonstrations found that these six sites successfully attracted elders for the delivery of household support services to a relatively old, frail population with potentially limited social networks. Evidence on the significance of the "credit" in attracting volunteers was mixed, but the programs have attracted new volunteers, and have not substituted for other volunteer activities. Program development has entailed considerable staff investment in volunteer support; programs are better understood as community membership organizations than as mechanical exchanges.     

The Older Americans Act: should participants share in the cost of services?

Since its inception in 1965, the Older Americans Act has provided social services free of charge to older people, regardless of income. In recent years, the scarcity of resources has sparked a debate as to whether participants who can afford to pay for services should be required to do so. Of concern is whether charging fees will change the fundamental nature of these popular programs by imparting a "welfare" stigma. Other programs that require fees vary enormously by state, and there has been little documentation of their impact on participation, equity of service delivery, or public attitudes. In order to evaluate current proposals, it is necessary to analyze the distributional effects of the cost-sharing system, how the program will be administered, what impact it will have on service use, which services would be subject to cost sharing and at what income levels, and what constitutes a "reasonable" fee for service.     

The Older Americans Act

Since its inception in 1965, the Older Americans Act has provided social services free of charge to older people, regardless of income. In recent years, the scarcity of resources has sparked a debate as to whether participants who can afford to pay for services should be required to do so. Of concern is whether charging fees will change the fundamental nature of these popular programs by imparting a "welfare" stigma Other programs that require fees vary enormously by state, and there has been little documentation of their impact on participation, equity of service delivery, or public attitudes. In order to evaluate current proposals, it is necessary to analyze the distributional effects of the cost-sharing system, how the program will be administered, what impact it will have on service use, which services would be subject to cost sharing and at what income levels, and what constitutes a "reasonable" fee for service.     

The development of supported employment services for people with mental illness: local experience in Hong Kong

Before the 1960s in Hong Kong, specialized vocational services for people with mental illness were very limited, and sheltered workshop seemed to be the only option for their future vocational placement at that time. As discussed in the literature, there are still many shortcomings of the sheltered workshop model, that brings us to the emergence of another community-based vocational service: Supported Employment. Unlike traditional vocational services, the concept of supported employment emphasizes the placing of the clients into integrated work environments and then providing on-going support and work-related skills training in the job post. Though supported employment services help many clients to sustain a job in the competitive market, many service barriers and problems still remain unsolved. These service barriers and problems will be discussed in this article, and suggestions will be made.     

The impact of vocational services and employment on people with HIV/AIDS

The perceptions of vocational services and the impact of employment among 25 individuals with HIV/AIDS diagnoses were explored through a qualitative study. Participants who ranged in age from 22 to 58, represented diverse ethnic backgrounds and were at various stages of the employment process. The key themes that emerged from the data fell into three main areas: (a) personal impact of vocational services, (b) programmatic qualities of vocational services, and (c) impact of employment. Factors that influenced each of these themes and the implications for rehabilitation counselors are discussed.     

360 Video: A prototyping process for developing virtual reality interventions

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising technological intervention for anxiety disorders. However, there are no existing standards and best practices to evaluate the effectiveness of environments to achieve their intervention goals. The purpose of this study was to develop a VR intervention for student veterans with social anxiety disorder and test feasibility utilizing a three-stage development model. The development of a therapeutic VR environment may benefit from an interdisciplinary collaboration of researchers from various fields of study. Utilizing three stages of prototyping with two virtual reality platforms, fully immersive video (n?=?6) and three-dimensional (3-D) immersive virtual reality (n?=?8), the research team designed an intervention for student veterans with social anxiety disorder, testing bio-reactivity of participants. Results of prototyping include user feedback validating increased stress levels and increased bio-reactivity specifically in galvanic skin response and heart rate elevation. Implications include the use of 360° video for prototyping 3-D virtual reality interventions.     

机电一体化专业“2121”人才培养模式探索

泸州职业技术学院机电一体化专业按照专业对接地方产业,面向工程机械、白酒产业链岗位群培养学生职业技能,探索具有高职特色的"2 1 2 1"工学结合人才培养模式,在人才培养模式、体制机制创新和社会服务等方面发挥了引领与示范的作用。     

Limit your time,gamble responsibly: setting a time limit (via pop-up message) on an electronic gaming machine reduces time on device

In the current study, we assessed whether undergraduate electronic gaming machine (EGM) gamblers would be more apt to set a time limit and spend less time gambling when asked to consider setting an explicit time limit prior to their gambling session. To this end, participants (N = 43) were randomly assigned to a time limit pop-up condition or control condition, both of which involved gambling on an EGM in a virtual reality (VR) casino. In the time limit pop-up condition, participants were asked (via pop-up message) to consider setting a time limit on play and entering that limit in an available text box prior to commencing play. In the no time limit pop-up condition, participants engaged in play immediately upon accessing the EGM in the VR casino (i.e. they were not exposed to a time limit pop-up message). As predicted, participants who were explicitly asked to consider setting a time limit on their EGM play were significantly more likely to do so and spent less time gambling than those who were not given such instructions. The results provide preliminary support for the contention that setting a time limit on EGM play is an effective responsible gambling strategy.     

When considering vocational rehabilitation: describing and comparing the Swedish and American systems and professions

Rehabilitation of functionally impaired in Sweden and the United States is compared and contrasted. Found is that there are fundamental differences in strategies. The Swedish system most often uses a medically oriented multidisciplinary team approach. The US system most often uses a single individual, the vocational rehabilitation counselor, to work with functionally impaired in helping them return to work. Emphasized is that a vocational rehabilitation counselor uses a unique array of skills that is not duplicated in Sweden by a single profession. Suggested is that a single person with a range of skills can more economically provide vocational rehabilitation services to those with functional impairments; whether this is practical for Sweden is yet to be determined. In contrasting the two systems it was evident that the US system has been in operation for a much longer time and that the Swedish system is maturing. Noted is that the governments of both countries are feeling pressure regarding funding of vocational rehabilitation. This is affecting the level and quality of services. The authors advocate wider contact between Swedish and US university-level training programs in rehabilitation. Felt is that each system has strengths and knowledge that can be used to benefit the other.     

Evaluation of a Goal Orientation Model of Vocational Identity

The authors tested a model that considered goal orientation (mastery approach, performance approach, and performance avoidance) as an antecedent to vocational identity (career exploration and commitment) and included both career behaviors (career‐related strategies) and affect (career distress) as outcomes of vocational identity. The authors also assessed vocational identity as a mediator for consistency with models of career development. The study was survey based with 281 young adult participants (77% women, mean age = 26 years). Mastery and performance approach were associated with more career exploration, which, in turn, was associated with greater use of career‐related strategies. Performance avoidance was associated with more career commitment, which was then related to greater distress. The study demonstrated that goal orientation is a potentially important antecedent to vocational identity, which has implications for how practitioners work with young adults with different goal orientations.     

高职院校教师服务企业的实践模式研究

高职教育是我国高等教育的重要组成部分,高等教育应增强社会服务能力。国家目前的导向之一是增加现有教师服务企业的经历,以此作为提高专业教师的职业技能。高职院校教师可以通过校企合作、企业实践、企业兼职和企业托管实践模式为企业服务。