Publications
2023
Employment-Related Soft Skills Training for Young Adults with Disabilities
This study examined the effectiveness and feasibility of an employment-related small group soft skill development program (“Soft Skills at Work”) for young adults with disabilities seeking employment. METHODS: The program included four soft skills training modules “Presenting Qualifications”, “Conversing with Others”, “Asking for Help”, “Responding to Feedback”. Each module included four sessions designed to improve one targeted work-related soft skill. Thirty-three young adults with disabilities receiving vocational and mental health services from community-based agencies participated the study. Participant wage information and other employment outcome measures were collected at baseline, post-intervention and 6-month-post-intervention. Participant satisfaction surveys for each module were also collected.
2023
Conversational skills at work: Teaching small talk via telehealth to individuals with disabilities
Employment can provide numerous benefits to quality of life, mental health, and social inclusion, which can be particularly important for people with disabilities. In a pilot study, the feasibility of Conversing with Others , a direct skills teaching (DST) group intervention to teach individuals with disabilities a work‐related soft skill focused on conversational skills, was assessed. This mixed methods study delivered the Conversing with Others curriculum in‐person or via telehealth to 119 participants. The intervention was based on the DST method of teaching skills through smaller, digestible, structured lessons.
2023
Responding to Feedback: Employment-Related Soft Skills Training for Persons With Disabilities
Workplace soft skills are critical factors to consider when seeking and maintaining employment. One beneficial workplace soft skill is responding to feedback on a job. This pilot study used a pre- and post-group design to evaluate a small group intervention that utilized a Direct Skills Teaching approach to instruct participants in responding to feedback in an employment setting to persons with disabilities. A four-session group intervention (“Responding to Feedback”) was delivered by graduate counseling students to 38 participants with various disabilities in six separate groups.
Herrick, S. J., Lu, W., Oursler, J., Beninato, J., Gbadamosi, S., Durante, A., & Meyers, E. (2022). Soft skills for success for job seekers with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 57, 113-126. https://doi.org/ 10.3233/JVR-221203. Click to view full text.
Lu, W., Oursler, J., Herrick, S. J., Gao, N., Diviney, J., Beninato, J., Minor, T., Wang, K., Santiago, G., & Parrott, J. S. (2023). Comparing telehealth-based vs. in-person soft skills training for persons with disabilities during COVID-19: A pilot study. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 48(1), 57-77. https://doi.org/10.1080/01933922.2022.2158973. Click to view full text.
Lu, W., Oursler, J., Herrick, S.J., Gao, N., Beninato, J., Minor, T., Franco, S., Sanitago, G., Mihaita, T., & Hauck, E. (2022). Interview skills training for people with neurodevelopmental disorders receiving vocational services: A pilot study. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 57, 197-206. https://doi.org/10.3233/JVR-221210. Click to view full text.
Lu, W., Oursler, J., Gao, N., Herrick, S.J., Mariani, J., Socha, C., & Beninato, J. (2022). Service needs assessment of employment-related soft skills for transition age youth with disabilities. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 56(1), 69-79. https://doi.org/10.3233/JVR-211173. Click to view full text.
Lu, W., Oursler, J., Herrick, S.J., Beninato, J., Gao, N., Brown, L., & Durante, A. (2021). Work-related interview skills training for persons with substance use disorders. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 46(2), 146-160. https://doi.org/10.1080/01933922.2021.1900959. Click to view full text.
Lu, W., Oursler, J., Herrick, S.J., Gao, N., Beninato, J., Durante, A., Gbasamosi, S., & Minor, T. (2022). Asking for help: Employment-related soft skills training for persons with disabilities. Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling, 53(4), 266-278. https://doi.org/10.1891/JARC-2021-0002. Click to view full text.
Lu, W., Oursler, J., Herrick, S.J., Socha, C., Zaher, A., Harris, K., & Beninato, J. (2022). A study of work-related interview skills training for people with visual impairments. Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling, 53(2). https://doi.org/10.1891/JARC-D-20-00041. Click to view full text.
Lu, W., Oursler, J., Herrick, S.J., Gao, N., Beninato, J., Bazan, C., Hill, K., & Minor, T. (2022). Feasibility of work-related interviewing and conversational skills trainings for individuals with psychiatric disabilities. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/00343552221102398. Click to view full text.
Lu, W., Oursler, J., Gao, N., Herrick, S., Mariani, J., Diviney, J., Socha, C., & Beninato, J. (in press). Focus groups on employment related soft skills for transition age youth with disabilities. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation. Click to view full text.
Oursler, J., Lu, W., Gao, N., Herrick, S.J., Beninato, J., Hill, K., & Durante, A. (2022). Work-related interview skills training for persons served by vocational rehabilitation agencies in four states. Rehabilitation Research, Policy, and Education, 36(1). https://doi.org/10.1891/RE-20-23. Click to view full text.