TIP-3: Cognitive Skills Enhancement Program (CSEP)
Task Leaders:
Jamie Schutte, MS; Michelle Sporner, MS
Collaborators
Donald Rullman, Director, Hiram G. Andrews Center
Overview
The Cognitive Skills Enhancement Program (CSEP) is a collaboration between Pitt and the Hiram G. Andrews Center (HGAC) located in Johnstown, PA). HGAC is a state-operated vocational rehabilitation facility, primarily serving consumers of Pennsylvania’s OVR. CSEP is a 15-week, full-time, pre-vocational training program specifically designed for OVR clients with cognitive disabilities. CSEP accepts approximately 15 participants per term. Some of the clinicians and all of the consulting neuropsychologists are from The University of Pittsburgh. They travel to Johnstown from Pittsburgh several days a week to deliver services.
We have started supporting limited TR services using the TR portal. CSEP has been able to implement our technologies with its own resources. The CSEP TR Portal supports clinical activities, including: managing participants’ records and progress reports, organizing the AT program’s daily notes and reports, documenting referral screening information, and storing program evaluation data. The CSEP Portal has been successful in improving communications and efficiency of the rehabilitation service. We plan to expand TR support by providing a tele-neuropsychological assessment using VISYTER. Initially, VISYTER will be used as a vanilla videoconferencing system. Use of VISYTER will later be expanded to include the neuropsychological assessment protocol to be developed in the Cognitive and Vocational Rehabilitation focus area.
Publications
McCue, M. Rullman, D., & Pramuka, M. (2010). Model University Collaboration: University Rehabilitation Training Program and Public VR. Rehabilitation Education, 24 (1), 20.
Schutte, J. McCue, M. Pramuka, M. & Sporner, M. (2010) A model for evaluating evidence in disability and rehabilitation research and practice. Rehabilitation Education, 24 (1), 9.
Project Update
2011
The Cognitive Skills Enhancement Program (CSEP) is collaboration between the University of Pittsburgh and Hiram G. Andrews Center (HGAC) located in Johnstown, PA (a two-hour drive from Pittsburgh). HGAC is a state-operated vocational rehabilitation facility, primarily serving consumers of Pennsylvania's OVR. CSEP is a 15-week, full-time, pre-vocational training program specifically designed for OVR clients with cognitive disabilities.
CSEP has been able to implement RERC-TR technologies with its own resources. The CSEP TR Portal supports clinical activities, including: managing participants' records and progress reports, organizing the Assistive Technology program's daily notes and reports, documenting referral screening information, and storing program evaluation data. In addition, VISyTER has been used regularly for weekly manager's meetings, weekly staff meetings, WAIS interviews (weekly), supervisions, and meetings with clients. The Portal and VISyTER have been successful in improving communications and efficiency of the rehabilitation service. CSEP's use of VISyTER was demonstrated in a 2011 RESNA presentation. A CSEP IRB was approved on 5/20/2011.
