Employment and Rehabilitation for Veterans With Chronic Conditions and Disabilities: Strengths, Challenges, Opportunities, and Policy Suggestions

Abstract

This review aims to explore and synthesize employment and rehabilitation services for veterans with disabilities to help rehabilitation clinicians and researchers understand the characteristics and needs of this population, with the aim to improve employment and rehabilitation outcomes for veterans with disabilities. More specifically, our goal is to identify strengths, challenges, and opportunities in Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) and employment services for veterans with disabilities. Veterans with disabilities may be eligible to receive VR services from both the Veterans Affairs (VA) and state VR agencies; however, they still experience significant challenges and barriers in employment due to unique characteristics of veterans and their disabilities. For example, poverty, homelessness, and unemployment due to disability are significant challenges for veterans with disabilities, their families, service providers, stakeholders, and policymakers. Research has long identified employment and rehabilitation services can buffer against these challenges; however, VR services are identified as the least used VA services among veterans with disabilities. This study includes implications to inform clinicians, policy makers, and researchers on VR and employment services for veterans with disabilities.