Exploring Technology Use to Facilitate Supported Employment Service Delivery to Individuals with IDD Living in Rural Areas

Background Employment specialists providing supported employment (SE) to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in rural communities face barriers to effective service delivery. Technology offers promise for enhancing services, yet little research has been conducted on how technology can be incorporated into SE. Objective The purpose of this pilot study was to explore changes in SE service delivery for employment specialists supporting rural residents with IDD after receiving training on best practices and use of technology in SE. Method Employment specialists from two community rehabilitation providers participated in a 6-month pilot intervention focused on SE best practices and technology use. Monthly data were collected on direct service time, travel time, mileage, and technology use. Descriptive analyses investigated differences pre- and post-intervention. Results Direct service time increased from pre- to post-intervention; travel time and mileage decreased. A larger proportion of SE service delivery time was spent providing direct services to rural consumers with IDD. Technology use increased in terms of tools incorporated as well as range of SE activities that technology was used within. Conclusion Incorporating technology into SE service delivery to rural residents with IDD enhanced services through increased service efficiency and innovative approaches to addressing problems.