CPRP Vocational Rehabilitation & Supported Employment 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best describes 'transitional employment' in psychiatric rehabilitation?
- Permanent competitive jobs with no time limit
- Temporary, time-limited work placements used as stepping stones to competitive employment (Correct answer)
- Employment in sheltered workshops for extended periods
- Remote work arrangements for individuals with agoraphobia
Correct answer: Temporary, time-limited work placements used as stepping stones to competitive employment
Transitional employment provides temporary, time-limited work placements that allow individuals to build work skills and confidence as a bridge toward competitive, integrated employment.
Question 2: When conducting a vocational assessment for a person with serious mental illness, what should be the primary focus?
- Identifying deficits that preclude employment
- Understanding the person's strengths, preferences, and work history (Correct answer)
- Determining if the person qualifies for disability benefits
- Measuring cognitive capacity to predict job performance
Correct answer: Understanding the person's strengths, preferences, and work history
A strengths-based vocational assessment focuses on the person's interests, skills, work history, and preferences to inform individualized employment planning.
Question 3: Disclosure of a psychiatric disability to an employer is best described as:
- Mandatory before any job interview
- A personal decision that the rehabilitation practitioner helps the individual make an informed choice about (Correct answer)
- Required by law for all mental health diagnoses
- Discouraged because it always leads to discrimination
Correct answer: A personal decision that the rehabilitation practitioner helps the individual make an informed choice about
Disclosure is a personal decision; the practitioner's role is to help the individual weigh the potential benefits and risks so they can make an informed, autonomous choice.
Question 4: What is 'customized employment' as it applies to individuals with significant disabilities?
- Employment limited to nonprofit organizations only
- A negotiated relationship between a job seeker and employer based on the individual's strengths and the employer's unmet needs (Correct answer)
- Temporary employment that customizes hours to disability schedules
- A federal program replacing Social Security for working individuals
Correct answer: A negotiated relationship between a job seeker and employer based on the individual's strengths and the employer's unmet needs
Customized employment negotiates a mutually beneficial employment relationship by matching a person's unique skills and contributions to an employer's specific business needs.
Question 5: Social Security's Ticket to Work program is designed to:
- Replace SSDI/SSI benefits immediately upon employment
- Allow beneficiaries to test work without immediately losing benefits and connect with employment support services (Correct answer)
- Provide job training grants directly to employers
- Offer guaranteed federal employment to disability recipients
Correct answer: Allow beneficiaries to test work without immediately losing benefits and connect with employment support services
Ticket to Work allows Social Security beneficiaries to try working while retaining benefits during a trial period and connect with approved Employment Networks for services.
Question 6: Which of the following best supports long-term employment retention for individuals with psychiatric disabilities?
- Discontinuing mental health services once employment begins
- Ongoing follow-along support tailored to the individual's changing needs (Correct answer)
- Restricting work hours to under 10 per week indefinitely
- Employer-only contact without involving the individual
Correct answer: Ongoing follow-along support tailored to the individual's changing needs
Ongoing follow-along support that adjusts to the person's evolving needs is a key predictor of long-term employment retention in psychiatric rehabilitation.
Question 7: In supported employment, 'natural supports' at the workplace refer to:
- The employment specialist who visits the worksite daily
- Assistance provided by coworkers, supervisors, and the work environment itself (Correct answer)
- On-site clinical therapy provided by the employer
- Government-funded job coaches permanently assigned to one employee
Correct answer: Assistance provided by coworkers, supervisors, and the work environment itself
Natural supports are the naturally occurring resources in the workplace — coworkers, supervisors, and workplace culture — that help sustain employment without ongoing paid support.
CPRP Vocational Rehabilitation & Supported Employment 2
Which of the following best describes 'transitional employment' in psychiatric rehabilitation?