Vocational Resource Facilitation Demonstration (VRFD)
Objective
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is implementing the Vocational Resources Facilitation Demonstration (VRFD) in coordination with the Kessler Foundation (KF), the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation (KIR), the New Jersey Department of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS), the New Jersey Department of Labor (NJ DOL), and Mathematica. KF will serve as VRFD’s project director, KIR will oversee implementation (enrollment and delivery of interventional services), DVRS will provide the administrative data on employment and vocational rehabilitation, and Mathematica will conduct the independent evaluation. VRFD will take place in New Jersey (mostly in Newark).
The purpose of this demonstration is to provide a Vocational Resource Facilitation (VRF) employment intervention for adults who have experienced a brain injury or spinal cord injury. VRFD focuses on providing early assistance to neurotrauma patients to help them enter, return, or stay in the labor force. By offering vocational support, VRFD seeks to provide an employment alternative when applying for SSA disability benefits may otherwise be the only option.
The intervention model blends the principles of early intervention services and the principles of individualized placement and support. The goal of the randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to provide the best possible evidence on the replicability, sustainability, and effectiveness of VRF services.
The target study population will be working-age adults admitted to the KIR in New Jersey after acquiring a neurotrauma injury. The treatment group will receive VRFD services administered by a rehabilitation facilitator (RF) – a specially-trained vocational counselor who is a hospital employee and member of the rehabilitation team. The RF will act as an employment advocate for the individual through several phases of the patient’s journey: discharge into the community, outpatient therapy, eventual job search, and integration into the workplace. VRFD services will begin soon after hospital admission and continue for at least 12 months. The control group will be referred to the New Jersey Department of Vocational Rehabilitation Services at hospital discharge. The project team hopes to enroll at least 250 individuals (or a maximum of 500) into the study.
Status
VRFD is a five-year grant award with a project period from 09/30/21 to 09/30/26. Kessler began enrolling SSI claimants in VRFD starting July 2023. Enrollment is currently ongoing and will end in June 2025.
VRFD will use qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze administrative data. The demonstration will use data collected through a survey and interviews with key stakeholders. The final report will include the following analysis:
Implementation analysis: This analysis will address the following questions: 1) Was the intervention implemented as intended and 2) What are key considerations for scaling up or adopting the VRF model at other facilities?
Impact analysis: This analysis will rely on the RCT design to generate strong evidence for the effectiveness of VRFD on several outcomes: employment status, earnings, benefit applications, benefit awards, job satisfaction, satisfaction with services, and self-reported health and well-being.
Cost-benefit analysis: This analysis will assess whether the impacts of VRFD on enrollees’ outcomes are significant enough to justify the resources required to produce them.
The final evaluation report is expected at the end of the project.
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