A Systems Approach to Placement (SAP): A Culturally Sensitive Model for People with Disabilities

Abstract

The challenges of seeking, obtaining, and maintaining meaningful, gainful employment are significant for all persons with disabilities (PWD), especially those from economically disadvantaged and marginalized communities. PWDs have the same aspirations as those without disabilities. However, they are at 1.5 to 2 times higher risk of being unemployed as they strive to enter and/or reenter the labor market with little education, few or no job skills, limited social skills, and often non-existent support networks. To enhance the job placement of people with disabilities (PWD), the search for new theories, models, and techniques continues. The SAP model builds on the human-environmental-organizational-cultural dynamism of job placement for PWD. The model incorporates 8 sub-systems to describe the placement process: Client, Health, Education, Family, Social, Employer, Placement Personnel, and Funding. The model will describe a systems theory as applied to the placement of PWD and give credence to two diagnostic and therapeutic instruments: A. SAP: Self-Assessment for Students and Counselors (SAP: SASC) B. SAP: Intake Assessment and Outcome Evaluation (SAP: IAOE) The internal consistency (Cronbach’s Alpha) of SAP: SASC varied from 0.897 to 0.958 (N=275 Rehabilitation Counselors in the USA). Exploratory factor analyses were computed to identify the underlying dimensions of 80 items SAP-SASC. Further replications in Japan (N=479) and Taiwan (N=116) revealed a six-factor solution with 70 items. The SAP: SASC allows rehabilitation students, job coaches, rehabilitation counselors, return-to-work professionals, placement specialists, and other practicing professionals to assess their skills, knowledge, and competencies and offers guidance for further education and training. Due to time constraints, SAP-IAOE will not be discussed or presented. The participants will be able to: 1. learn a novel holistic approach to placement designed to address the challenges encountered by consumers with disabilities and personnel in placement. 2. distinguish the relative efficacy of A Systems Approach to Placement (SAP) over the traditional placement models: Client-Centered Approach, Selective Approach, Supported Employment, Project with Industries, Self-Employment, and Supply vs. Demand-Side Placement. 3. assess knowledge, skills, and competencies required of a student, job coach, rehabilitation counselor, return-to-work professional, and placement specialist by utilizing SAP: Self-Assessment for Students and Counselors (SAP: SASC). 4. understand the complexity of human, organizational, environmental, and cultural interaction impacting the placement process. This presentation addresses Article 27: Work and Employment of the UN-CRPD, International Labor Organization Convention No. 159: Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, and World Health Organization International Classification of Functioning (ICF), Disability and Health.