State vocational agency practices in the purchase of psychological services

This article reports the results of a national survey on the practices of state vocational rehabilitation agencies with regard to purchase and utilization of psychological consultation services from private psychologists. A letter was sent to each of the 5(:' state vocational rehabilitation agencies requesting information on nine points. Forty-four states responded. While it is common procedure for state agencies to purchase private psychological services, the criteria governing service contracts, standards, and fees vary considerably. The survey data revealed that state agencies vary with regard to standards and methods of selection, qualification, and performance of psychologists. Information regarding the numbers of clients and psychologists involved, and the total amount of monies spent for psychological consultant services was obtained from approximately one-third of the responding states and was found to vary widely from state to state. It is likely that some of the influencing factors accounting for the large discrepancies are the size of the state agency, the rehabilitation case loads, the availability of public and private psychologists, and interagency cooperativeness. (Author/PC) V S DEPARTMENT OF HE es TN EDVCAIPON a WELFARE NATIONAL %INSTITUTE, OF EDUCATION OE EN RE PPO O.t t E (a( *, .5. 1.`E'r 'y E.h FROM PERSON, OR (111:..44No:AT,CIN ORIGIN kg. POINT ,..P OP INIOVS !OA hOT NT( FSNace., WEP4t. NEN OVAL ruTE oc o AT ofs, PC), BE C011 AVAILABLE SCOPE OF INTEREST NOTICE The t HfC E.R.I.tv heS 3ss,ifffed tho Liu..Metlt ft), psok-eisnig rc, fn our fudgernent, ITfis cimeunient r4 elsn of r nteeost to the cleatmg Ixhnes noted to thr right, 1 oderc,n.g should rellect (heti special 11,,,triti. [ft wie4/... RESEARCH AND TRAINING CENTER VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION RT -14 SCHOOL OF EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA -45213 ne` .* ;.....;:, Supported by Grant RT -14 from the Social and. Rehabilitation Service, .Pepa0Pient. Health, Education and Welfare, to the Univeniti cf Plitak4a0f SCh001 pl and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Ountau of VocationOi Rktitabilflot.i 4in

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