Funding for this project ended on September 30, 2025. This website remains available as an archive of project resources and information, but is no longer being updated.

Research

The Center's Research

JVR

Article:

Self-employment Proficiency Scale for Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors: A Validation Study

Vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs aim to empower individuals with disabilities to achieve employment, economic self-sufficiency, independence, and inclusion. While self-employment is recognized as a viable pathway to achieve these goals, it remains underutilized. One way to increase self-employment is to train professionals and measure specific proficiencies related to substantive service delivery. This study addresses the lack of research on vocational rehabilitation counselor (VRC) practices in self-employment implementation and is the first step to validating a VRC Self-Employment Proficiency Scale.

Riesen T, Sullivan M, Keeton B, Snyder A. Self-Employment Proficiency Scale for vocational rehabilitation counselors: A validation study. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation. 2024; 61(3):319-330. doi:10.1177/10522263241283640

Free Access to this Article: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10522263241283640

The National Center on Self-Employment, Business Ownership & Telecommuting announces a special issue on self-employment. The entire issue can be accessed at the following link.

https://content.iospress.com/journals/journal-of-vocational-rehabilitation/59/1

 

Articles include the following:

Inge, K.J., & Keeton, B. (2023). An introduction to this special issue of the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation: Self-employment. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 59, no. 1, pp. 1-5.

Avellone, L., Malouf, E., Taylor, J. P., Whittenburg, H. (2023). Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 59, no. 1, pp. 7-24.

Hansen, K. & Keeton, B., & Jones, J. (2023). Understanding the provision of self-employment for people with disabilities in the State Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program: A policy review. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 59, no. 1, pp. 25-40.

Revell, W. G., Inge, K. J., Cimera, R., Keeton, B., Brinck, E. A. (2023).A summary of the self-employment outcomes in the State Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program: Program years 2018, 2019, and 2020. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 59, no. 1, pp. 41-53.

Taylor, J. P., Inge, K. J., Malouf, E. (2023).Facilitating self-employment as a competitive integrated employment outcome: Results of a focus group study with vocational rehabilitation professionals. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 59, no. 1, pp. 55-67.

Riesen, T., Sullivan, M., Snyder, A., Keeton, B. (2023). Identifying the knowledge, skills, and barriers for self-employment. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 59, no. 1, pp. 69-79.

Riesen, T., Keeton, B., Byers, R., Snyder, A. (2023). An examination of vocational rehabilitation requirements for self-employment technical assistance and consultative services. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 59, no. 1, pp. 81-89.