THE VOCATIONAL-REHABILITATION CONTINUUM - MAXIMIZING OUTCOMES THROUGHBRIDGING THE GAP FROM HOSPITAL TO COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES

Objective: To describe and examine the effects of a specialized brain injury vocational service delivery model on vocational outcome for ind ividuals with traumatic or other acquired brain injury. Design: A pros pective case series was used. Setting: Inpatient and outpatient rehabi litation departments at a large midwest regional trauma center. Partic ipants: Eighty adults with traumatic or other acquired brain injury we re residents of the state of Minnesota, did not have a primary psychia tric or substance abuse diagnosis, and did not live in a residential I :are facility. Main Outcome Measures: Vocational Outcome Scale (VOS), Client Satisfaction Survey, and data on participant's level of indepen dent living, job type and setting, rate of pay, and number of hours wo rked per week. Results: Through emphasizing early vocational intervent ion, closely integrating this with medical rehabilitative treatment, a nd providing a smooth transition from medical to community-based servi ces, 40% of project participants were placed in a job within the first 3 months of project participation; about 70% were placed within 12 mo nths of project participation. Those placed have an average rate of pa y of $7.70 per hour and a 90-day job retention rate of 100%. Conclusio ns: Results indicate that this system of specialized brain injury voca tional service delivery is effective.