University of Memphis Institute on Disability Programs and Research

01/30/2025

All the modules developed under Project FIRST are posted here: https://www.memphis.edu/umid/research/project-first-modules.php
Please complete the modules and take the survey to receive 1 CEU

(Project FIRST aims to address the shortage of qualified vocational rehabilitation (VR) counselors and pre-employment transition service (Pre-ETS) specialists working with transition-age youth (14 to 22 years old) with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) by engaging employers in in-demand fields and STEM. Project FRIST will also develop an innovative in-service training program (modules)).

This module covers essential of crisis intervention strategies to support people with disabilities during trauma-related events. Please take the survey to evaluate the module and collect your CEU.

01/27/2025

Xinhua Yu, MD, PhD, MS. and Patrick Krolik, MBA presented at the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM). Oct 31-Nov 3, 2024. about
Unveiling the Complexity: Intersectionality of Disability in Multicultural Rehabilitation

01/27/2025

From working in her family's Chicago pizzeria as a child to spearheading institutional change in the realm of disability at the University of Memphis over 40 years later, Dr. Chrisann Schiro-Geist has a story to tell. Listen to her journey to the Bluff City and how her passions were shaped along the way.

Watch out Dr. Chrisann Schiro-Geists' story

From working in her family's Chicago pizzeria as a child to spearheading institutional change in the realm of disability at the University of Memphis over 40...

01/27/2025

Project FIRST: Finding Innovative Rehabilitation Services Training published articles. Check them out at https://www.memphis.edu/umid/research/project-first.php

Harmon, M., Yu, X., Schiro-Geist, C., Zhang, X., Kansakar, Y., Krolik, P., Williams, M., Goodwill, L., & Cozort, S. Having a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling leads to higher closure rates among persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities from the outcome-based perspective. Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling. DOI: 10.1891/JARC-2021-0020

Yu, X., Schiro-Geist, C. Harmon, M.J., Zhang, X., Kansakar, Y., Krolik, P., Williams, M., Goodwill, M.L., Cozort, S. (2022). The Outcome-Based Perspective: Benefits of Field-Specific Rehabilitation Counselor Education. The Journal of Forensic Vocational Analysis, Vol. 21 (2)/ Vol. 22(1)

Xinhua Yu, Chrisann Schiro-Geist , Xiaofei Zhang, Patrick Krolik, Jun Cai Beth A. Harms. (2023). A moderate caseload among Vocational rehabilitation counselors achieved the best closure rates for clients with disabilities. Journal of Rehab, Research, Policy, Education.

Xinhua Yu, Chrisann Schiro-Geist, Xiaofei Zhang, Patrick Krolik, Jun Cai, Margret Goodwill, Beth A. Harms & Jayasimha Reddy Tippireddy. (2023). The Impact of Caseload on Case Closure Rates for Clients with Intellectual and developmental disabilities. Journal of Forensic Vocational Analysis.

Xinhua Yu, Chrisann Schiro-Geist, Xiaofei Zhang, Patrick Krolik, Jun Cai, Margret Goodwill, Jayasimha Reddy Tippireddy. (2023). Disparities in the Quality of Employment Placement and Live Wage Employment by Counselor’s Training and Caseload among Their Clients with Disabilities. Journal of Forensic Vocational Analysis. In-press.

Xinhua Yu, Chrisann Schiro-Geist, Xiaofei Zhang, Patrick Krolik, Jun Cai. (2023). Disparities in the subminimum wage employment among vocational rehabilitation clients: roles of vocational rehabilitation counselors. The Journal of Rehabilitation. In-press. JOR 2023-373.

Mackay, M. E., Suedmeyer, E., Schiro-Geist, C., West, S. L., & Strohmer, D. C. (2018). Closure rates and counselor education: An exploration of why counselors with MRC degrees do not have better client outcomes than other master’s-level counselors. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 49(3), 389–400.
https://doi.org/10.3233/jvr-180982

Mackay, M. E., Dunn, J. P., Suedmeyer, E., Schiro-Geist, C., Strohmer, D. C., & West, S. L. (2020). Rehabilitation Counselor Degree Type as a Predictor of Client Outcomes: A Comparison of Quantity Versus Quality in Closure Rates. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 63(2), 91–101. https://doi.org/10.1177/0034355218806378

Project FIRST aims to address the shortage of qualified vocational rehabilitation (VR) counselors and pre-employment transition service (Pre-ETS) specialists working with transition-age youth (14 to 22 years old) with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) by engaging employers in in-dema...

11/05/2024

University of Memphis Faculty Present at American Congress on Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) Conference

Dr. Xinhua Yu and Mr. Patrick Krolik, esteemed members of the University of Memphis Institute on Disability Project FIRST team, recently presented at the American Congress on Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) conference in Dallas on November 2nd, 2024. The presentation, titled "Unveiling the Complexity: Intersectionality of Disability in Multicultural Rehabilitation," explored the nuanced intersections of disability with various cultural and social identities, aiming to foster a more inclusive approach to rehabilitation practices.

The ACRM conference is a premier international event for rehabilitation research and practice and had over two thousand rehabilitation experts and practitioners to discuss critical issues, share innovative research, and collaborate on advancing rehabilitation science. Dr. Yu and Mr. Krolik's work aligns with ACRM's mission to improve rehabilitation outcomes by highlighting how an intersectional lens can enhance the understanding and support of individuals with disabilities from diverse backgrounds.

Presenters and Vendors: Universities, Hospitals, Institutes, and private businesses, all Specializing in Rehabilitation Disability Research and Medicine. For example, vendors included The Hidden Workforce, the University of Texas Health System, and the California Institute on Rehabilitation. Presentations on a wide range of rehabilitation subjects, such as innovative stroke prevention programs for young adults, strategies to capture meaningful performance improvements from rehabilitation, and Integration of AI into rehabilitation medicine.

04/29/2024

Medical & Psychosocial Aspects of Chronic Illness & Disability Module.

Please join us for the Project FIRST module release for evaluation on April 30th, 4-5 PM CST.
The Zoom meeting room and password are below; you can highlight the link and click right to open it.

https://memphis.zoom.us/j/4459423200?omn=87329548441

Meeting room: 445 942 3200
Password: 335965
Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting
Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, conference, huddle, and training rooms, as well as executive offices and classrooms. Founded in 2011, Zoom helps businesses and organizations bring their teams together in a frictionless environment to get more done. Zoom is a publicly traded company headquartered in San Jose, CA.
memphis.zoom.us

12/21/2023

IDD and family factor

12/20/2023

another interesting study on IDD

12/20/2023

Throwback: nothing better than a fantastic conference with Project First grant

12/20/2023

TN BELIEVES grant recipient
https://www.dropbox.com/s/2jhhfdcxwmuyj9n/TN%20Believes%20One%20Pager%20-%20Half.pdf?dl=0
https://www.tn.gov/didd/for-consumers/tn-believes.html

Shared with Dropbox

12/19/2023

Let us pay tribute to the founding articles contributing to our prominent Project First endeavor :

Mackay, M. E., Suedmeyer, E., Schiro-Geist, C., West, S. L., & Strohmer, D. C. (2018). Closure rates and counselor education: An exploration of why counselors with MRC degrees do not have better client outcomes than other master’s-level counselors. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 49(3), 389–400. https://doi.org/10.3233/jvr-180982

Mackay, M. E., Dunn, J. P., Suedmeyer, E., Schiro-Geist, C., Strohmer, D. C., & West, S. L. (2020). Rehabilitation Counselor Degree Type as a Predictor of Client Outcomes: A Comparison of Quantity Versus Quality in Closure Rates. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 63(2), 91–101. https://doi.org/10.1177/0034355218806378

BACKGROUND: Research shows counselors with a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling (MRC) do not have different closure rates than counselors with other master’s (OM) degrees that are in rehabilitation-related disciplines. OBJECTIVE: To explore

12/13/2023

Our Project First Research Section has contributed enormously to the field of vocational rehabilitation.
Note the two following sample citationsn from prestigious publications:

Harmon, M., Yu, X., Schiro-Geist, C., Zhang, X., Kansakar, Y., Krolik, P., Williams, M., Goodwill, L., & Cozort, S. (in press). Having a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling leads to higher closure rates among persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities from the outcome-based perspective. Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling. DOI: 10.1891/JARC-2021-0020

Yu, X., Schiro-Geist, C. Harmon, M.J., Zhang, X., Kansakar, Y., Krolik, P., Williams, M., Goodwill, M.L., Cozort, S. (2022). The Outcome-Based Perspective: Benefits of Field-Specific Rehabilitation Counselor Education. The Journal of Forensic Vocational Analysis, Vol. 21 (2)/ Vol. 22(1).