Kentucky Family and Student Study Information
Virginia Commonwealth University was awarded a research grant that created the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on the Employment of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities (Transition RRTC). Through one of the studies, VCU is conducting, a toolkit will be developed for Pre-Employment Counselors providing Pre-Employment Transition Services, or Pre-ETS, through the Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS). The University of Kentucky is a research partner in this endeavor. In Kentucky, The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, OVR, is the provider of Pre-Ets Services. The study focuses on Pre-ETS services to youth with significant disabilities who are between 14 to 16 years of age. The toolkit will focus on job exploration counseling, workplace readiness training, and community work-based learning experiences.
The study has three phases. In the first phase, they are interviewing family members/students, VR Pre-Employment Counselors, and school personnel & pre-ets providers to gather information on current transition services being provided, issues or challenges in providing or receiving these services, and ideas on further information or training that is needed. This is not an evaluation of Pre-ETS services. They are seeking information for the toolkit for VR Pre-Employment Counselors to use as they create or enhance services to a younger school-age population of students with significant disabilities.
They are hoping that you and your child will participate in this first phase of the study. The interview will take approximately 30 minutes. None of your or your child’s responses will be identified in our reports with your names. The interview is voluntary. You and your child are not required to participate in this interview. If you do participate in an interview and if there are questions that you do not want to answer during the interview, you are not required to respond. If your child does not want to participate, that’s OK too. If interested, you will receive a consent form and an assent form to read and agree to.
If you are interested in participating in the study interview, please reach out to Teresa Belluscio at the University of Kentucky by email at: Teresa.belluscio@uky.edu or phone at: 859-200-8404. Thank you.