Culturally Appropriate Research in American Indian Employment Programs (CARE)
Project Description:
The Institute for Human Development at Northern Arizona University is partnering with American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Services (AIVRS) programs to conduct a 3-year Research Project addressing NIDILRRs major outcome domain of Employment under the research exploration and discovery stage.
The target population is American Indians/Alaskan Natives (AI/AN) with disabilities who are AIVRS consumers.
Long-term goal - improve employment outcomes for AI/AN with disabilities.
Intermediate goal - determine the correlation of the characteristics of the practices and policies used by AIVRS programs with the effectiveness in assisting consumers in gaining and maintaining quality integrated employment.
The proposed research is the first phase in addressing the intermediate and long-term goals. The purpose of the
proposed research is to identify and describe AIVRS practices and policies, including those that are culturally
appropriate, and the associated characteristics (e.g., descriptions of the qualities, traits, attributes, and
distinctions).
Proposed Research Question: What are the practices and policies, used by AIVRS programs, including those that are culturally appropriate, and the associated characteristics? This will be addressed as AIVRS program directors, counselors, and the consumers they serve, with support from an AI/AN led advisory council, conduct the research using a community based participatory research process addressing the following objectives
Empower the project advisory council to guide the CBPR process
Collect first and second round of data, through a CBPR process
Analyze first and second round data
Finalize data findings
Prepare products for dissemination
Prepare for the Phase Two research
Outcomes/products
Description of the policies and practice used by AIVRS programs
Three publications of the research findings
One practice brief
Dissemination of the findings
Keyword(s):
american indians, employment, vocational rehabilitation, cultural
Core Function(s):
Performing Research or Evaluation
Area of Emphasis
Employment-Related Activities
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Geographic Areas, Reservation, Rural/Remote
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
National
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A