Vocational rehabilitation case manager factors associated with vocational rehabilitation service program outcomes for people with disabilities in Taiwan - an exploratory study

Purpose The aim of this study is to explore whether/which vocational rehabilitation case manager (VRCMer) factors were significantly associated with the vocational rehabilitation service (VRS) program outcomes in Taiwan. Method This study used the 2011 VRS Program for People with Disabilities Database in a metropolitan city in Taiwan (N=466) to do a secondary data analysis using hierarchical logistic regression. Results This study found that the employment rate and stable employment rate created by the 2011 VRS program in a metropolitan city in Taiwan were 48.7% and 42.1%, respectively. For the predictors of employment/stable employment, occurrences of the services provided by the VRCMer variable was definitely dominant. In addition, level of the disability was the second-ranking predictor, and was significantly negatively correlated with both employment and stable employment outcomes. Conclusions Vocational rehabilitation case manager factors in this study were significantly correlated with VRS program outcomes for people with disabilities in Taiwan after controlling for the clients' socio-demographic variables. The results indicate that greater input by VRCMers for people with disabilities equates to better employment outcomes in metropolitan Taiwan. Implications for Rehabilitation This is the first study to build an inferential statistical model in attempt to explain and predict the association between vocational rehabilitation case manager factors and vocational rehabilitation service program outcomes for people with disabilities in Taiwan. In cases of severe disability, a vocational rehabilitation case manager should seek out more in-kind and in-cash resources, and choose a suitable job coach to cooperate in assisting the client to become employed. Based on the findings, government has to continue implementing opportunities for people with disabilities to attain higher and better quality educational levels, for increasing their employment rate. Vocational rehabilitation case managers should raise the referral rate and cooperation with job coaches as this directly affects the quality of services and clients' employment rate.