The Vocational Rehabilitation Return on Investment (VR-ROI) Project aims to develop and refine models that assist state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies in delivering efficient and effective services to individuals with disabilities. By analyzing administrative data, these models provide insights into the mix of services that yield superior employment outcomes and allow agencies to examine data across various subgroups, such as race and geography.

Project Goals:

1. Update Data: Utilize agency data from individuals who applied for VR services between 2017 and 2021, encompassing periods after the integration of revised Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) performance measures and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. Measure Service Intensity: Incorporate metrics that account for VR-delivered service intensity, including expenditures, service units, and distinctions between vendor-provided and in-house services.
3. Simplify the VR-ROI Model: Develop a more accessible version of the VR-ROI model, enabling VR agencies nationwide to make timely decisions to enhance services for consumers with disabilities.
4. Knowledge Translation: Engage with stakeholder groups using community-based participatory research methods to gather input on model development and create relevant products for understanding and utilizing VR-ROI models to improve VR services.

Collaborators:
The project collaborates with several entities, including:

• North Carolina Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services
• North Carolina Division of Services for the Blind
• The George Washington University Center for Rehabilitation Counseling, Research, and Education, which directs project development efforts

Additionally, consultants from institutions such as the University of Richmond, University of Virginia, Stony Brook University, University of Chicago, and University of Montana contribute to the project.

Funding:
The project is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) under the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects grant number 90IFDV0028.

Through these efforts, the VR-ROI Project seeks to enhance the effectiveness of VR services, thereby improving employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

Contact information:
Joseph M. Ashley, Rh.D., CRC
Senior TA and Research Analyst
VR ROI Co-Principal Investigator
Joe.ashley@gwu.edu