Kentucky Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) Project Demonstration: Final Evaluation Report

Kentucky Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) Project Demonstration: Final Evaluation Report

Published: Sep 28, 2017
Publisher: Washington, DC: Mathematica Policy Research
Download
Associated Project

Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) Project Demonstration

Time frame: 2010-2017

Prepared for:

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

Key Findings

Key Findings:

  • The innovations increased the likelihood of applicants’ obtaining a signed IPE within 30 days of application by 17 percentage points (from 10 percent to 27 percent)
  • The innovations increased the likelihood of applicants’ closing with competitive employment by 8 percentage points (from about 17 percent to nearly 26 percent)
  • Kentucky’s VR staff attributed the success of the SGA Project primarily to the faster pace of services and the financial counseling and education innovation
  • An important implication of the findings for other VR agencies is that a faster pace of VR services is possible without negative consequences  
The SGA Project demonstration involved the design, implementation, and testing of innovations designed to improve the employment outcomes of nonblind state vocational rehabilitation (VR) clients receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Two states—Kentucky and Minnesota—participated in the demonstration. This report presents findings on Kentucky’s experience in implementing the SGA Project innovations and client outcomes during the first two years of the demonstration. By that time, the innovations increased the likelihood that clients exited VR with competitive employment (by 8 percentage points) and exited with SGA level earnings (by nearly 6 percentage points).

How do you apply evidence?

Take our quick four-question survey to help us curate evidence and insights that serve you.

Take our survey