Proposed Priority–National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research–Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers

[CFDA Number: 84.133B-5.]

SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services proposes a priority for the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) Program administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Specifically, this notice proposes a priority for an RRTC on Improving Employment Outcomes for Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities. We take this action to focus research attention on an area of national need. We intend this priority to contribute to improved employment outcomes for individuals with psychiatric.

EFFECTIVE DATE: We must receive your comments on or before April 25, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments through the Federal eRulemaking Portal or via postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. We will not accept comments submitted by fax or by email or those submitted after the comment period. To ensure that we do not receive duplicate copies, please submit your comments only once. In addition, please include the Docket ID at the top of your comments.

* Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov to submit your comments electronically. Information on using Regulations.gov, including instructions for accessing agency documents, submitting comments, and viewing the docket, is available on the site under "Are you new to the site?"

* Postal Mail, Commercial Delivery, or Hand Delivery: If you mail or deliver your comments about these proposed regulations, address them to Patricia Barrett, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 5142, Potomac Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2700.

Privacy Note: The Department's policy is to make all comments received from members of the public available for public viewing in their entirety on the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov. Therefore, commenters should be careful to include in their comments only information that they wish to make publicly available.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia Barrett. Telephone: (202) 245-6211 or by email: [email protected].

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice of proposed priority is in concert with NIDRR's currently approved Long-Range Plan (Plan). The Plan, which was published in the Federal Register on April 4, 2013 (78 FR 20299), can be accessed on the Internet at the following site: www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr/policy.html.

The Plan identifies a need for research and training regarding employment of individuals with disabilities. To address this need, NIDRR seeks to: (1) Improve the quality and utility of disability and rehabilitation research; (2) foster an exchange of research findings, expertise, and other information to advance knowledge and understanding of the needs of individuals with disabilities and their family members, including those from among traditionally underserved populations; (3) determine effective practices, programs, and policies to improve community living and participation, employment, and health and function outcomes for individuals with disabilities of all ages; (4) identify research gaps and areas for promising research investments; (5) identify and promote effective mechanisms for integrating research and practice; and (6) disseminate research findings to all major stakeholder groups, including individuals with disabilities and their family members in formats that are appropriate and meaningful to them.

This notice proposes one priority that NIDRR intends to use for one or more competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2014 and possibly later years. NIDRR is under no obligation to make an award under this priority. The decision to make an award will be based on the quality of applications received and available funding. NIDRR may publish additional priorities, as needed.

Invitation to Comment: We invite you to submit comments regarding this proposed priority. To ensure that your comments have maximum effect in developing the final priority, we urge you to identify clearly the specific topic within the priority that each comment addresses.

We invite you to assist us in complying with the specific requirements of Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 and their overall requirement of reducing regulatory burden that might result from this proposed priority. Please let us know of any further ways we could reduce potential costs or increase potential benefits while preserving the effective and efficient administration of the program.

During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public comments about this proposed priority in Room 5133, 550 12th Street SW., PCP, Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, Monday through Friday of each week except Federal holidays.

Assistance to Individuals with Disabilities in Reviewing the Rulemaking Record: On request we will provide an appropriate accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability who needs assistance to review the comments or other documents in the public rulemaking record for this notice. If you want to schedule an appointment for this type of accommodation or auxiliary aid, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program is to plan and conduct research, demonstration projects, training, and related activities, including international activities, to develop methods, procedures, and rehabilitation technology that maximize the full inclusion and integration into society, employment, independent living, family support, and economic and social self-sufficiency of individuals with disabilities, especially individuals with the most severe disabilities, and to improve the effectiveness of services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Rehabilitation Act).

Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers

The purpose of the RRTCs, which are funded through the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program, is to achieve the goals of, and improve the effectiveness of, services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act through well-designed research, training, technical assistance, and dissemination activities in important topical areas as specified by NIDRR. These activities are designed to benefit rehabilitation service providers, individuals with disabilities, family members, policymakers and other research stakeholders. Additional information on the RRTC program can be found at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/rrtc/index.html#types.

Program Authority:

29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 764(b)(2).

Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR part 350.

Proposed Priority

This notice contains one proposed priority.

RRTC on Improving Employment Outcomes for Individuals With Psychiatric Disabilities

Background

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA's) 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (SAMHSA, 2011a), an estimated 19.6 percent of all adults age 18 and older had a mental illness. An estimated 5 percent had a serious mental illness (i.e., "a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder (excluding developmental and substance use disorders) of sufficient duration to meet diagnostic criteria specified within the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) (American Psychological Association, 1994) and that has resulted in serious functional impairment that substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities"), including employment.

Mental illness has a pronounced negative effect on employment. Both internal and external factors, e.g., stigma, discrimination, co-occurring conditions such as substance abuse, and medications used in treating mental health conditions contribute to poor employment outcomes.

According to a recent report, only 17 percent of individuals who received publicly funded mental health services were employed (SAMHSA, 2011b). Individuals with mental illness represent the largest disability group receiving public income support and they are least likely to achieve successful employment outcomes after vocational rehabilitation (Cook, 2006). Between 1996 and 2009, the number of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries with a primary diagnosis of "Other Mental Disorders" increased 38 percent (Frey et al., 2011). In 2012, SSDI beneficiaries with a primary diagnosis of "Mood Disorders," "Schizophrenic and Other Psychotic disorders," or "Other Mental Disorders" accounted for 23 percent of SSDI beneficiaries (Social Security Administration, 2012). For those individuals with mental illness who are employed, mental illness is associated with decreased productivity and job retention (Cook, 2006; Lerner et al., 2012).

Supported employment has been demonstrated to be an effective intervention and has improved employment outcomes for individuals with mental illness (Campbell et al., 2009; Cook et al., 2005; Drake et al., 2012; Frey et al., 2011). However, supported employment frequently results in only part-time employment, and earnings are typically insufficient to maintain self-sufficiency (Cook et al., 2008). Supported employment requires collaboration across agencies (e.g., mental health services, and vocational rehabilitation services) that are difficult and costly to implement (Cook, 2006; Frey, 2011). NIDRR's collaborator on this priority, SAMHSA, plans to award its own grants in 2014 to behavioral health State agencies to enhance State and community capacity to provide evidence-based, supported employment programs that will target adults with serious mental illnesses, including persons with co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders.

--This is a summary of a Federal Register article originally published on the page number listed below--

Proposed priority.

CFR Part: "34 CFR Chapter III"

Citation: "79 FR 16707"

Document Number: "Docket ID ED-2014-OSERS-0022"

Federal Register Page Number: "16707"

"Proposed Rules"