Comparing Telehealth-Based vs. In-Person Soft Skills Training for Persons with Disabilities During COVID-19: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT

Work-related soft skills (e.g. requesting help and problem solving) are critical for employment success. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility of a Direct Skills Teaching (DST) group intervention to teach work-related help-seeking skills to persons with disabilities. The four-session group intervention (“Asking for Help”) was delivered in person or via telehealth to 74 participants with disabilities during COVID-19. Participants reported increased confidence with asking employers for help and reported high intervention satisfaction. In-person and telehealth soft skills groups achieved similar positive outcomes, and findings support their use to teach groups help-seeking skills with a preplanned curriculum.

KEYWORDS:

• Direct skills teaching
• asking for help
• disabilities
• employment counseling

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Weili Lu

Weili Lu, Ph.D, CRC is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey

Janice Oursler

Janice Oursler, Ph.D, CRC, NCC, is the Program Director for the Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling and associate professor in Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey

Samantha J. Herrick

Samantha J. Herrick, Ph.D, CRC, ACS is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey

Ni Gao

Ni Gao, Ph.D., LCSW is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey

Jason Diviney

Jason Diviney, is a graduate student in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey

John Beninato

John Beninato, MS, LMHC, NCC, CRC is a former graduate student and research assistant in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey. He is also a psychotherapist working in a private practice setting in New York

Tameika Minor

Tameika Minor, PhD, CRC, is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey

Ke Wang

Ke Wang, is a graduate student and research assistant in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey

Gabriela Santiago

Gabriela Santiago, is a graduate student in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey

James Scott Parrott

James Scott Parrott, PhD is a professor within the Department of Epidemiology within the School of Public Health at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey