Striving to Work and Overcoming Employment Barriers Among Veterans with Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a sudden and debilitating injury that results in chronic paralysis, sensory and motor loss, impaired functioning, and drastically altered quality of life (QOL). The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the single largest SCI healthcare provider in the nation, offering a full range of rehabilitation care services to nearly 26,000 Veterans with SCI and SCI specialty care to about 13,000 of these Veterans. The Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems (SCIMS) treats an estimated 878 Veterans with SCI. Although the number of SCI/D cases is relatively small compared to many other chronic conditions, SCI/D is a complex condition with costs that are 6.5 times greater than the average Veteran receiving VA healthcare. Kessler Foundation with the University of New Hampshire conducted the 2015 Kessler Foundation National Employment and Disability Survey (KFNEDS) to examine ways that people with disabilities seek and maintain employment. KFNEDS findings indicate that people with disabilities are striving to work and overcoming barriers to work. The goal of the current project is to extend the KFNEDS to Veterans with spinal cord injury (SCI) and further our understanding of the KFNEDS findings by exploring employment barrier experiences encountered by Veterans with SCI who are striving to work and the strategies used to overcome employment barriers. Research is needed to guide care provided in VHA and SCIMS that improves functioning and reduces handicap, so Veterans can resume meaningful social participation in basic activities of life like employment. Specific Aims: Aim 1 (Phase 1). To examine the social validity of the 2015 KFNEDS survey questions and findings in a sample of Veterans with an SCI who are striving to work. Aim 2 (Phase 2). To understand the perceptions and experiences of Veterans with SCI who are striving to work while confronting employment barriers and finding strategies used to overcome these barriers. Aim 3 (Phase 3).

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2019
Accession Number
AD1100242

Entities

People

  • John O'neill

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Consumers
  • Data Analysis
  • Department Of Veterans Affairs
  • Employment
  • Health
  • Health Care
  • Health Services
  • Hospitals
  • Medical Personnel
  • Paralysis
  • Personnel Management
  • Quality Of Life
  • Rehabilitation
  • Spinal Cord
  • Spinal Injuries
  • Training
  • Universities

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  • Neuroscience
  • Oncology
  • Organizational Process Management (OPM).