Field Initiated Development 2020-2022


MA-Institute for Community Inclusion/Boston Children's Hospital, UCEDD/LEND
Program Type UCEDD Fiscal Year 2020
Contact Alberto Migliore
Email [email protected]    
Phone 617-287-4306    
Project Description
Bridging the gap between evidence-based employment supports and what is implemented
by employment specialists is necessary for ensuring job seekers with disabilities receive high
quality employment services and achieve jobs that support career growth and self-sufficiency.
The goal of this project is to build ES-Coach, a performance coaching application that
supports employment specialists to implement established standards of practice leading to
improved employment outcomes of job seekers with disabilities.
The objectives are to (1) develop a complete ES-Coach application that supports
employment specialists to reflect on their work, set goals, and engage in continuous quality
improvement; (2) implement beta testing with 60 employment specialists; and (3) develop a
technology transfer plan.
Anticipated outcomes include employment specialists and their teams (1) incorporate
ES-Coach in their management practices; (2) set goals to improve support practices; and (3)
engage in continuous learning. The long-term outcome is improved employment outcomes for
job seekers with disabilities and reduced time to hire. The expected products are the ES-Coach
application, a searchable library of micro-learning resources, a Technology Transfer Plan,
journal articles, and conference presentations.
This proposal addresses the employment domain described in NIDILRRs Long-Range
Plan and is carried out to achieve the stage of Proof of Product by building on the Proof of
Concept established in our prior research. The project is carried out by the Institute for
Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston in partnership with the Institute
on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota.