SWTCIE Illinois Employment Specialist Perspectives
In the Fall of 2024, as part of the ongoing evaluation for the pilot year of the SWTCIE Illinois project, the Evaluation Team interviewed all twelve project employment specialists, using the Sustainability Evaluation Framework construct to guide the discussions and collect insights on their perspectives while supporting SWTCIE Illinois participants.
Data was gathered via a one-time semi-structured interview (Adams, 2015; Adeoye-Olatunde & Olenik, 2020; Patton,2015). Interviews were conducted through Zoom with all twelve employment specialists. To ensure trustworthiness, the evaluation team employed rigorous qualitative research procedures. All 12 employment specialists employed across the six participating 14c agencies who work on the SWTCIE Illinois project were selected and interviewed using an interview guide that was crafted based on established semi-structured interview methods (Adam, 2015; Adeoye-Olatunde & Olenik, 2020; Brantlinger et al., 2005; Patton, 2015). Specifically, an audit trail was maintained, evaluation triangulation was achieved (through review and analysis by three evaluation team members), and member checks were completed.
Thematic analysis yielded three key themes: (SWTCIE’s) Impact on the SWTCIE Illinois Participant, Technical Assistance and Support, and Networking. These themes are defined and illustrated with examples in the table below. The Networking theme also includes counterexamples, reinforcing the overarching theme by highlighting challenges to networking that may negatively impact service provision.
Table 1: SWTCIE Illinois Employment Specialist Perspective Themes
Candidate Theme | Definition | Example | Counter Examples |
Impact on SWTCIE Participants | Employment specialists observed several noticeable effects on SWTCIE participants, including increased confidence, comfort, and engagement during SWTCIE-related activities, such as competitive integrated employment. | “ I just want to say that this individual that works {in the community}… I had {co-workers} going ‘ I don’t know why you’re getting her a job. She never wants to work out {in the community}… She {now}loves her job and tells me, thank you for bringing me to work every day.” | N/A |
Technical Support | Employment specialists noted multiple areas where technical support received during the SWTCIE project bolstered their competency. Resources such as ACRE training and assistance from Virginia Consultants and CRSs improved their skills, boosted their self-efficacy, and offered a supportive environment for brainstorming strategies. | “ Well, when I first stated here five years ago and I was learning my position, I would always say I wish there was some type of class or something that I could have taken that would’be kind of introduced me or helped me to perform my job better. So when I took the ACRE training, it did everything I needed it to do because I was like finally I can do that.” | N/A |
Networking/Community Engagement | Employment Specialists highlighted how the SWTCIE project created numerous opportunities for engagement and networking. They cited roundtable events as valuable settings for collaborating and connecting with other project Employment Specialists. In addition, employment specialists mentioned being motivated and encouraged to increase their community presence, engaging more frequently with employers and conducting assessments on-site. | “I got to experience going to the roundtable in Champaign. That was really good. I go to learn a lot there.” “ I am very involved in the community. I was the past president of the Chamber [of Commerce], so I know a lot of businesses. I go to a lot of their meetings. So I explain our program a lot to them.” | “It's kind of confusing now because the other woman that does customized support but is not with SWTCIE we are both kind of running into each other. We’re both applying for the same jobs for our clients.” “So I’m actually, we’re having trouble with our DRS counselors. We have a lot of trouble with them. They don’t work well with us.” |
Impact on the SWTCIE Participants
Most employment specialists reported positive changes in SWTCIE Illinois participants after they secured competitive integrated employment (CIE). For instance, one employment specialist observed that maladaptive behaviors previously exhibited by a client for years have not been observed while working at their competitive integrated job.
“So there's an individual who… the staff at the group home,[ and] the staff here at the workshop… they were all pretty hesitant [about CIE] because of this person's past behaviors and concern that they were going to harm themselves or someone at the workplace or by stealing or food seeking, that kind of thing. But it's turned into just a completely successful placement. And actually, the individual has really shown less… food seeking [and] stealing since they've started their community-integrated employment. And this person has years and years of history of this… a long time over 10, 15, maybe 20 years, and this is his first job ever. And since then, some of these behaviors have really decreased.”
Other interviewees described how participants gained confidence in communicating and became more independent after working in the community. One employment specialist recounted how a SWTCIE Illinois participant’s mother initially accompanied them to their job. However, after observing the participant’s performance and following discussions with the specialist about the value of independent work, the mother ceased attending, leading to noticeable improvements in the participant’s approach to their job. Another employment specialist shared how SWTCIE supported her in fostering participant independence. She described a family that was initially very protective and hesitant about their child working in the community, but noted “SWTCIE has really helped me with those barriers…her family is more open to it now. It took a while to get to that point but we’re at that point. She just had her orientation.”
Technical Support
Employment specialists reported that ACRE training and support from the Virginia Consultants and Community Research Specialists (CRS), enhanced their skills, increased their self-efficacy, and provided a safe place to brainstorm strategies for placing SWTCIE Illinois participants into CIE. Some Employment Specialists highlighted CRS availability as particularly valuable, with one noting, “They tell us all the time, we don’t have to wait for these bi-weekly meetings. If you guys need something, email us, whatever. We’re here to help you guys.” Another praised Virginia consultant input, saying, “I love their suggestions. If they have any suggestions or recommendations or seeing something that we’re not seeing, I appreciate all that.” Another employment specialist reflected on the timing of the ACRE training, expressing they wished they had completed it earlier. “Well, when I first started here five years ago and I was learning my position, I would always say I wish there was some type of class or something that I could have taken that would kind of introduced me or helped me to perform my job better. So when I took the ACRE training, it did everything I needed it to do because I was like finally I can do that.”
Networking/Community Engagement
Employment Specialists highlighted how the SWTCIE Illinois project created numerous opportunities for engagement and networking, with roundtable events serving as prime venues for collaboration and connection with project peers. They also noted being encouraged and motivated to venture into the community to engage with employers and conduct assessments on-site. One employment specialists shared “I got to experience going to the roundtable in Champaign. That was really good. I got to learn a lot there,” while other specialists described such events as valuable spaces to brainstorm, learn approaches to challenges, and even commiserate with fellow employment specialists.
The Networking/Community Engagement theme is further reinforced by counterexamples, which further validate this theme by also revealing challenges that negatively impacted service delivery. Some examples of these counterexamples included challenges with the Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS), nervousness when engaging employers, and systemic issues. Multiple specialists recounted struggles with DRS VR counselors, particularly related to paperwork delays that slowed CRP payments. One interviewee explained: “So I’m actually, we’re having trouble with our DRS counselors. We have a lot of trouble with them. They don’t work well with us.” Another described confusion and subtle rivalry due to overlapping job pursuits in the community, stating, “It's kind of confusing now because the other woman that does customized support but is not with SWTCIE we are both kind of running into each other. We’re both applying for the same jobs for our clients.” Further, some employment specialists admitted to initial unease when approaching employers, a task unfamiliar to them, though many credited ACRE training with boosting their confidence. While some employment specialists reported ongoing discomfort, others felt at ease interfacing with employers, and a few even enjoyed it.
Conclusion
During semi-structured interviews, employment specialists shared their perspectives on the SWTCIE Illinois project, highlighting the noticeable positive impact they observed in SWTCIE participants, particularly after their involvement in CIE. They also described how the technical support provided through the project enhanced their own skill sets and aided in brainstorming effective strategies to support participants. Finally, employment specialists explained how their participation in the SWTCIE Illinois project influenced their engagement with each other and community members.
Project Considerations
The Employment Specialist interviews reveal several implications for the SWTCIE Illinois Project. Continued investment in technical support for employment specialists is essential, including trainings to enhance awareness of local disability services, benefits counseling, and periodic refreshers on ACRE related topics. Community engagement should remain a priority for Employment Specialists, with the SWTCIE Illinois Community of Practice serving as a valuable platform. Both SWTCIE Illinois and the Employment Specialists should actively leverage this resource through ongoing feedback and participation. To further support these efforts, SWTCIE Illinois should facilitate opportunities for employment specialists to connect with each other and other stakeholders that support the SWTCIE Illinois project. Finally, addressing strained relationships between DRS and certain agencies is critical, as these tensions could undermine the SWTCIE Illinois Project. We suggest that SWTCIE Illinois partners in strained collaborations should engage in open, constructive dialogue centered around the shared goals of the SWTCIE Illinois Project while also establishing clear expectations around roles and responsibilities of collaborators.