John Butterworth

Director for Employment Systems Change and Evaluation and Senior Research Fellow

John has over 40 years of experience in research, training, employment support and the management and development of employment services. He manages projects on employment support and state systems change including Access to Integrated Employment, a 35 year national data collection project on day and employment services and outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and the State Employment Leadership Network, a membership network of state developmental disability agencies committed to improving employment outcomes. John’s interests include systems and organizational change, data-based management and planning, state policy and strategy, employment outcomes, organizational development and transformation, improving employment supports, natural supports , and person-centered planning.

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BRINGING EMPLOYMENT FIRST TO SCALE: Assisting Job Seekers with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Guide for Employment Consultants

The literature about effective support practices for assisting job seekers with disabilities is extensive. However, employment consultants do not always implement these practices consistently. This suggests that there is a need for articulating these practices into a clearer, more easily communicated support guide. To meet this need, this brief provides a checklist of support activities, organized around five key elements:

Supporting employment consultants in their work with job seekers

This Spotlight on Research shows that on average, employment consultants invest most of their work hours (44%, 3.5 hours/day) in either administrative activities or non-employment related activities, compared to only about 30% (2.4 hours/day) in supports that lead to hiring of job seekers with disabilities.

Building quality supports: Implementation support beyond training

Improving employment outcomes requires not just training, but intentional investment in coaching and supervisory practices that support implementation of best practice. This presentation for the Reinventing Quality Conference 2021 addresses strategies for improving implementation support from practice, research, and policy perspectives. Findings from a project that supported

Summary of Statedata: The National Report on Employment Services and Outcomes Through 2018

This data note summarizes the findings from the National Report on Employment Services and Outcomes Through 2018. Overall, the findings suggest that across data sources, people with IDD experience greater levels of unemployment, underemployment, low wages, and poverty compared to those without disabilities.

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Employment Status of People With and Without Disabilities

The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated a national economic slowdown leading to millions of American workers being temporarily furloughed or losing their jobs. This Data Notes compares the change in employment of individuals with and without disabilities between February 2020 and three successive months.

Using data-enabled performance feedback and guidance to assist employment consultants in their work with job seekers: An experimental study

The success of job seekers with disabilities in achieving their employment goals depends in large part on the quality of employment supports that they receive from employment consultants. This article describes a study testing the effectiveness of data-enabled performance feedback to assist employment consultants in implementing standards of effective employment supports.

Employment and Economic Outcomes by Race, Ethnicity, and Gender for Individuals With and Without Disabilities, 2017

This report describes the employment and economic outcomes for individuals with and without intellectual disabilities in 2017. Results are summarized for the 50 states and the District of Columbia. These data are divided according to race, ethnicity, and gender and are drawn from the American Community Survey, the Rehabilitation Services Administration 911, and the National Core Indicators.

Key Findings and Lessons Learned from Research on Integrated Employment for individuals with IDD

This presentation highlights key findings and lessons learned from the RRTC on Advancing Employment for People with IDD (2014-2019). ICI staff discuss a “knowledge to action” agenda that applies empirical data towards the development of strategies to positively impact the employment outcomes of individuals with IDD and their families.

Data Note: Pre-Employment Transition Services for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

This DataNote explores the effects of a WIOA provision on people with intellectual disabilities (ID) who exited the VR program during program year 2018 (July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019).

Developing Interagency Agreements: Four Questions to Consider

Interagency collaboration can be a powerful tool in expanding the ability of state systems to provide effective supports that lead to real change for individual citizens. This brief provides a summary of how to develop a good interagency agreement. Download brief here.

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