The State of Employment for People With IDD: Implications for Practice, Policy, and Equity.

Meaningful progress in improving employment outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities continues to be elusive, despite 40 years of investment in research, policy, and supports. This article reviews the current state of employment for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and describes policy, practice, and individual factors that influence employment outcomes. Research suggests the need for a holistic approach to change that addresses systems-level strategy, policy, and fiscal investment while strengthening individual experiences with employment and related day services.

Pushing the Integrated Employment Agenda: Employment Systems Partners and the High-Performing States Model.

This article summarizes data collected from key informants in Iowa, Maryland, and Oklahoma regarding efforts to support integrated employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). We highlight features that contribute to the effectiveness of collaborative structures that have resulted in each state's success in achieving integrated employment outcomes for individuals with IDD across three state systems: IDD, vocational rehabilitation, and education. We present these features using the seven elements of the High-Performing States Employment Model.

Engaging Families in Employment: Individuals and Families' Retrospective Transition Experiences With Employment Services.

In the United States, employment experiences of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have been dominated by discrepancies between recent policy shifts promoting integrated employment for people with IDD and the stagnation of the employment rate in integrated settings for this population. Although there is no direct source for labor force participation for individuals with IDD in the general population, data from the National Core Indicators Project suggest that, in 2015-2016, only 19% of working-age adults supported by state IDD agencies worked in one of the three forms of integrated employment-group-supported, individual-supported, or competitive (individualized and without supports). Twelve percent (12%) worked in competitive or individual-supported employment, and 7% worked in group-supported employment (Hiersteiner, Bershadsky, Bonardi, & Butterworth, 2016).

Knowledge translation in job development: strategies for involving families.

Background: Although United States employment policies have increased support for people with disabilities working in community settings, the unemployment rate for this population remains very high, particularly for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Research shows that job developers (direct support professionals who assist people with disabilities to secure, maintain, and advance in employment) are critical to achieving quality employment outcomes. However, the extent to which job developers use practices that are considered promising in their field (such as engaging families) is not well known.

Choosing employment: factors that impact employment decisions for individuals with intellectual disability.

Little is known about the factors that shape the employment-related decisions of individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Findings from qualitative interviews with individuals, their family members, and employment-support professionals from four community rehabilitation providers throughout Massachusetts were reported. Recognizing the value of participatory action research, we also included a co-researcher with intellectual disability who participated in all facets of the research process.

Jobs by 21 partnership project: impact of cross-system collaboration on employment outcomes of young adults with developmental disabilities.

In 2007, the low level of young adults with developmental disabilities who were employed in the 3 months postgraduation from high school led the Washington State legislature to authorize and fund the Jobs by 21 Partnership Project. The intent of the project was to identify and demonstrate best practices in sustainable partnerships among Washington State's school and adult service systems. Results indicated that participants in the project were more likely to be employed following school exit and had stronger employment outcomes than students who did not participate.

Pushing the employment agenda: case study research of high performing States in integrated employment.

Organizational variables, including policies, practices, collaborations, and funding mechanisms resulting in high performance in integrated employment, were described through case study research in 3 states. Findings address how contextual factors, system-level strategies, and goals of the system are related as well as how they sustain systems change. Strategies such as flexibility in funding and practices; communication of values through data, rewards, and funding incentives; and innovation diffusion through relationships and training were most successful when they were embedded within the context of a solid values base, a network of dedicated stakeholders, and clarity about systemic goals.