John Butterworth

Director for Employment Systems Change and Evaluation and Senior Research Fellow

John has over 35 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 30 year national data collection project on day and employment services and outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Advancing Employment for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and the State Employment Leadership Network, a membership network of 25 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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Data Note: How Many People with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities Want a Job in Their Communities?

A key concern for policy and practice is how choice is supported for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD). The National Core Indicators (NCI)* collects data on employment status, including whether individuals are working in a paid job in the community, as well as each person’s interest in doing so. This DataNote focuses on interest in working in paid jobs in the community for individuals who are not currently working.

The Power of Disability Employment: The Impact to Arizona’s Economy

Arizona’s working-age population (ages 16–64) of people with any type of disability (10.2%) who are working hovers around the national average (Erickson, Lee, & von Schrader, 2019). In addition, individuals with a disability in Arizona, as in the nation as a whole, are more likely to live in poverty (30.5% and 26.1% respectively).

Key Elements of Organizational Transformation: Lessons Learned from the Provider Transformation Network

This document contains slides from a presentation given at The Arc Summer Leadership Institute in 2019. The information covers key lessons in organizational transformation that can help disability services providers implement best practices.

Click here to view and download the presentation slides

The Numbers and the Stories Behind Them: Higher Performing State Employment Systems

This document contains the slides from a presentation given at the APSE national conference in 2019. It presents statistics that illustrate the characteristics of relatively higher-performing state systems with regard to employment and community engagement outcomes for individuals with IDD.

Click here to view the presentation slides

StateData: The National Report on Employment Services and Outcomes Through 2016

Download the report here. Access the latest information about employment and economic self-sufficiency for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Both national and state-level statistics are included.

Working in the Community—Update 3 The Status and Outcomes of People with IDD in Integrated Employment

National Core Indicators™ (NCI™) data provide an important window on the employment and outcomes that may be related to employment (such as friendships, choice-making, etc.) of people with IDD receiving services. This Special Issue Data Brief updates the Brief from May 2016 and describes the employment status of individuals supported by state IDD agencies and compares participating states in terms of proportions of service recipients in different types of community employment.

Building an Evidence-Based, Holistic Approach to Advancing Integrated Employment

Since the introduction of supported employment in the Developmental Disabilities Act of 1984 and the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1986, there has been continued development and refinement of best practices in employment services and supports.

Strengthening Employment Services for Job Seekers With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Download the brief here. Strengthening the effectiveness of employment services for job seekers with disabilities is key for improving their employment outcomes and their financial self-sufficiency. The purpose of this brief is to examine the quality of employment services available to job seekers with disabilities, and to offer recommendations for improvement. Findings are from a longitudinal study that involved 61 employment 37 employment programs in 17 states.

A Model of Employment Supports for Job Seekers with Intellectual Disabilities

Interviews with 16 employment consultants-triangulated with job seekers, family members, and supervisors-revealed a model of employment supports aligned with the elements described in the literature, although with an added emphasis on (a) building trust as a key element starting from day one; (b) a circular process converging on the job match ; (c) and flexible intensity of supports.

Ten Elements of Organizational Transformation: Strategies for Moving Towards Integrated Employment

Download the slides here. In conjunction with The Arc of the United States, this powerpoint offers ten essential elements necessary for successful organizational transformation, along with strategies for implementing each element.

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