Can Community-based High School Transition Program Improve the Cost-Efficiency of Supported Employment? Career Development for Exceptional Individuals

This study investigates the potential impact that community-based, high school transition programs have on the cost-efficiency of individuals with disabilities when they become adults. Outcomes achieved by 246 supported employees were compared. Results indicated that supported employees who participated in community-based transition programs in high school were more cost-efficient from the taxpayers ’ perspective than were individuals who received only in-school transition services or received no transition services at all. Supported employees who received community-based transition services also kept their jobs in the community significantly longer than did individuals from the comparison groups. Keywords supported employment, in-school transition, community-based transition, cost efficiency Cost-efficiency, also called cost-benefit analysis, is a method of comparing the monetary outcomes generated by pro-grams or decisions (Johnston, 1987). For example, when trying to determine whether to go on to college, prospective students may weigh all the long-term consequences, includ-ing the resulting costs and benefits. Some of the monetar