RS4 – Project Empower and Employ (EMP2): An Intervention Development Study for Youth with Disabilities At-risk for Justice Involvement

This proposed study is one of the six studies in establishing the Rehabilitation Research, Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment Among Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities. Using a three-phase research design guided by community-based participatory research, this study, Project EMPower and EMPloy (Project EMP2), will develop and examine the feasibility of a person-centered, strengths-based, interdisciplinary intervention program for youth with disabilities at-risk for justice involvement in school-based settings in Southeast Michigan (e.g., Detroit) as an embedded instructional program. Specifically, EMP2 will offer various career development activities to prepare participating youths for post-graduation competitive integrated employment (CIE). Using a three-phase design, the project will: Develop the intervention program (Year 1); conduct a feasibility trial (Years 2-4); and finalize and disseminate the program (Year 5). Project EMP2 focuses on improving (a) CIE outcomes (e.g., employment status, hourly wage, weekly work hours, fringe benefit) (b) career engagement (e.g., work functioning, job applications/interviews, micro-credentials); (c) juvenile functioning (e.g., mental health); (d) academic success (e.g., attendance, reading proficiency, test scores); (e) recidivism and reliance on public benefits. Please be advised that the PI’s transition from Michigan State University to the University of Michigan will not impact the original scope of the work plan, aside from the change in location from Lansing to Detroit.