An analysis of evidence-based best practices in the public vocational rehabilitation program: Gaps, future directions, and recommended steps to move forward

Abstract

As an epilogue to this special issue, this article provides a brief overview of the research undertaken by the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Evidence-Based Practice in Vocational Rehabilitation (RRTC-EBP VR) in Phase II of their studies, and what was learned from the comprehensive review of the literature (e.g., Fleming, Del Valle, Kim & Leahy, 2013) and multi-state case studies in terms of promising practices in state VR agencies (Leahy et al., 2013). Gaps identified in EBP research that hinders the implementation of efficacious, effective, and efficient services based on the best scientific evidence are discussed, and finally, recommendations for future research directions and knowledge translation initiatives that will improve the effectiveness of VR service delivery practices are provided.