Rapid Engagement Team Approach (RETA): Expanding Implementation of an Evidence-Based Practice Improving Employment and Wage Outcomes for People Receiving SSDI - The Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston will increase implementation of the evidenced-based Rapid Engagement Team Approach (RETA) that advances employment of SSDI beneficiaries at earnings levels above substantial gainful activity (SGA). The goal is to enhance State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies (SVRAs) services to SSDI customers by expanding use of RETA to improve engagement, employment, and wages and allow more individuals with disabilities to reach economic independence from public disability cash benefits. The objectives are to: a) package the RETA technology transfer (TT) plan as a fully integrated working prototype; b) engage at least 3 sites to implement, refine, and enhance the RETA TT plan; c) provide site-level supports to identify operational barriers and amend the RETA TT plan; d) embed lived experience into the RETA TT plan using in-depth qualitative methods; e) finalize a TT plan to facilitate wider use of RETA among SVRAs. Anticipated outcomes include a) increased adoption of RETA, which is informed by b) greater understanding of SSDI beneficiaries’ lived experiences, leading to c) increased number of SSDI beneficiaries achieving earnings above SGA. The expected products include a mature TT plan with instructions at pre-implementation, launch, and full implementation phases; fidelity measures; train-the-trainer materials; a RETA Learning Collaborative providing peer-to-peer support for implementation sites; and first-person accounts of paths towards achieving SGA.
