Current & Completed Projects

ARDRAW Small Grant Program Current Projects – Cohort VI

CohortNameCollege/UniversityDegreeProgramProject Title
2022-23Allaire, TedEastern Michigan UniversityPhDClinical PsychologyLongitudinal Trajectories of Employment after Burn Injury
2022-23Curd, JessicaIndiana UniversityPhDSocial WorkEmployment, SSA benefits, and childcare options for disabled caregivers of autistic children in rural areas during the Covid-19 pandemic: A mixed method study
2022-23Daniels, EladBrandeis UniversityPhDSocial PolicyPsychopharmacological Treatment and Long-Term Care among People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
2022-23Dvir-Djerassi, AsherUniversity of Michigan - Ann ArborPhDSociology and Public PolicyThe Role of Additional Economic Resources on Employment Among the Disabled: The Effect of Financial Assets on Employment among SSDI Beneficiaries via the Construction of Population Level Panel Data on Wealth and Income
2022-23Giannopoulos, ChristinaUniversity of New HampshirePhDOccupational TherapyDevelopment and preliminary validation of an ecologically valid and performance-based assessment of work task performance skills
2022-23Gilbert, LaurenRutgers UniversityPhDIndustrial Relations & Human ResourcesVocational Rehabilitation Funding and Employment Outcomes for PWDs and SSA Beneficiaries
2022-23Goodman, NatalieUniversity of FloridaPhDEnglishAutism Rhetoric and its Material Effects, 1990-Present
2022-23Gu, AngelaUniversity of California, San DiegoPhDEconomicsEmployment, SSA benefits, and childcare options for disabled caregivers of autistic children in rural areas during the Covid-19 pandemic: A mixed method study
2022-23Judson, AdrienneGeorgetown UniversityPhDEconomicsDisability Insurance Take-up in Dual-income Households
2022-23LeFevre-Levy, RoseThe University of GeorgiaPhDIndustrial & Organizational PsychologyUnderstanding Behavioral Reactions to Neuroatypical Employees in the Workplace through the Stereotype Content Model
2022-23Lorenzini, SloanFlorida International UniversityPhDSocial WelfareImproving Utilization of the Plan to Achieve Self Support (PASS) of Emerging Adults with Neurodevelopmental Disorders
2022-23Moura, IanBrandeis UniversityPhDSocial PolicyIdentifying Autistic Perspectives on Support for Employment Success: Analyzing Data From the Autism & Employment Experiences Survey
2022-23Parsons, CristinaColorado State UniversityPhDOccupational & Rehabilitation ScienceNavigating SSA Employment Supports: The Experiences of Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities Who Want to Work
2022-23Pinks, MirandaColorado State UniversityPhDHuman Development & Family StudiesTraining Services and Individual Characteristics that Predict Successful Employment Outcomes for Adults with Intellectual Disability
2022-23Ruppel, EmilyUniversity of California, BerkeleyPhDSociology Geographic Predictors of Section 14C Certificate Use
2022-23Taylor, TiffanyUniversity of California at Berkeley and San FranciscoPhDMedical Anthropology Additional Support Necessary to Overcome Systemic and Programmatic Barriers to Return to Work and Rehabilitation in California
2022-23Vasquez, MichelleUniversity of the Incarnate WordPhDAdult Education, Social Innovation and EntrepreneurshipParents of Children with Autism Sharing Stories for Program Equity

ARDRAW Small Grant Program Funded Projects – Cohorts I-V

CohortNameCollege/UniversityDegreeProgramProject Title
2022Allaire, Ted Eastern Michigan UniversityPhD Clinical PsychologyLongitudinal Trajectories of Employment Among Adults with Moderate-to-Severe
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
2022Bleach, KellyAntioch UniversityPhDLeadership and ChangeHow Text-based Communications Affect the Experiences of People who are Blind or Visually Impaired in the Context of Telework
2022Borus, MatthewUniversity of ChicagoPhD Sociology and Social Work
Navigating Policy from Below: Managing on SSI and SSDI in Greater Chicago
2022Davidson, Amber Temple University PhDSocial and Behavioral Science Covid-19 and Mobility Impacts on Employment of Adult Social Security Beneficiaries with Autism Spectrum Disorder
2022Downey, Angelica Florida Atlantic UniversityPhDSpecial EducationEffects of Remote Audio Coaching During Workplace Conversations for College Students with Intellectual Disability
2022Dvir-Djerassi, Asher University of MichiganPhDSociology and Public PolicyWealth Among SSI and SSDI Recipients
2022Glendening, Zach Vanderbilt University
PhDCommunity Research & ActionStigmatizing Built Environments and Mobility-Disabled People’s Labor Integration
2022Hurley, Katherine
George Washington UniversityPhD CounselingExploring Employment and Quality of Life Metrics for Adults who Qualify for Social Security Benefits and have Autism and/or are LGBQ+
2022Parsons, Cristina
Colorado State UniversityPhD Occupation and Rehabilitation ScienceThe Impact of COVID-19 on Vocational Rehabilitation Services of Social Security Beneficiaries. An Analysis of RSA-911 Data
2022Presnell, Jade
Indiana UniversityPhD Social WorkFrom Exclusion to Inclusion and Gainful Employment – Understanding the Perspectives of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) as they Support People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
2022Ruppel, Emily
University of California, BerkeleyPhD SociologyStrengths and Limitations of Emergent Employment Models for People with Mental Illnesses: The Changing Role of Section 14(c)
2022Schram, Bridgette
Georgia State UniversityDoctoratePublic HealthExamining Pathways of Economic Stability among VR applicants with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Mediation Analysis of Education, Employment, and Social Security Benefits
2022Tang Yan, Catalina
Boston UniversityPhD Social WorkExploring Structural Barriers and Promoting Factors of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families in the Transition Planning through Community-Based Participatory Research
2022Vasquez, MichelleUniversity of the Incarnate WordPhD Adult Education, Social Innovation, and EntrepreneurshipDiscovering Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits, Social Services and Support for Children with Autism: Phase II Planning and Taking Action
2021Allaire, TedEastern Michigan UniversityPhDClinical Psychology Longitudinal Analysis of the Associations between Depression and Employment after Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury
2021Baker, AbigailUniversity of New Hampshire MSOccupational TherapyHallowing vs. Hollowing of Job Skills: The Intersection of Technology, Disability, and Work
2021Char, ChandraOregon State University PhDPublic Health- Health Promotion & Health Behavior Learning to Listen: Perceived Health Care Discrimination for deaf and hard of hearing, English using Adults prior to and during the time of COVID-19. 
2021Donahue, MeghanUniversity at Buffalo PhDPhilosophy, Industrial and Systems Engineering - Human Factors Vocational Rehabilitation Program Outcome for SSA Benefit Recipients 
2021Hurley, KatherineGeorge Washington University PhDCounselingWorkplace and Job Search Disclosure Strategies for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Analysis of Applicant and Employee Experiences 
2021Ortiz, KasimUniversity of New Mexico PhDSociology & Criminology Disability, Sexual Orientation & Substance Use
2021Parsons, CristinaColorado State UniversityPhDOccupation and Rehabilitation Science Employment Support Services as a Function of Transition-Age Social Security Beneficiaries with Intellectual Disability
2021Sadler, TonieThe University of ChicagoPhDSocial Service Administration Waiting after the Cliff: Access to vocational, residential, and day services and programs following high school for students with disabilities
2021Schram, BridgetteGeorgia State University PhDPublic HealthAn Exploratory Analysis of Funding, Cost, and Outcome Data for Inclusive Post-Secondary Education Programs 
2021Schwartz, ArielBoston UniversityPostdocRehabilitation SciencesDisclosure and workplace accommodations for young adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities and co-occurring mental health conditions
2021Vasquez, MichelleUniversity of the Incarnate Word MAAdministration and CommunicationsDiscovering SSI Benefits, Social Services and Support for Children with Disabilities: An Action Research Approach,
2021Schram, BridgetteGeorgia State UniversityPhDPublic HealthAn Exploratory Analysis of Funding, Cost, and Outcome Data for Inclusive Post-Secondary Education Programs
2021Agarwal, RumiFlorida International University PhDPublic HealthFinancial Planning and Utilization among Parents of Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: An Exploratory Study
2021Deming, Sarah Washington State UniversityPhDSociology“My Hands are Really Tied in so Many Ways”: How Children Both Constrain and Motivate the Labor Force Participation of Mothers with Disabilities
2021Dvir-Djerassi, Asher The University of Michigan - Ann Arbor PhDSociology and Public PolicyCan an unconditional cash transfer decrease poverty without decreasing labor supply for SSI and SSDI recipients? Evidence from the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend, 1988-2019
2021Stevens, James Dalton Syracuse UniversityPhDSociologyHow young adults with disabilities develop axes of independence by rebalancing self-reliance, family-reliance, and state-reliance: A qualitative analysis of life history interviews.
2021McCauley, Erin Cornell UniversityPhDPolicy Analysis and Management, SociologyHow do academic and career services affect employment and SSI/SSDI receipt in the transition to adulthood for youth with disabilities who have aged out of foster care?
2020Allaire, TedEastern Michigan University PhDClinical PsychologyDepression and Anxiety during Acute, Inpatient Rehabilitation as Possible Predictors of Eventual Return to Work, Post-Spinal-Cord-Injury (SCI)
2020Beneteau, ErinUniversity of WashingtonPhDInformation SciencesAlternative Work Opportunities for Adults Who Have Degenerative Conditions and Implications for Social Security Disability Policy
2020Carolan, KelsiBoston UniversityPhDSocial WorkWorking with Parkinson’s Disease: Key Influences, Resources and Supports for Work Related Decision-Making and Outcomes
2020Edmonds, AmyUniversity of Washington PhDPublic HealthNon-Standard Employment: Health and Financial Implications for Workers Living with Permanent Partial Disability
2020Hurley, KatherineGeorge Washington University PhDCounselingDo Early Mentorship and Work-Exposure Predict Type of Employment and Longevity in the Workforce for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder Eligible for Social Security Benefits
2020Hyland, MeganCornell University PhDPolicy Analysis and ManagementMaking it Work: Transitions From Physically Demanding Employment in Advanced Age
2020McCauley, ErinCornell UniversityPhDPolicy Analysis & Sociology How does enrollment in a work-study program between 8th and 12th grade moderate the relationship between disability and employment?
2020Murray, JessicaGraduate Center, CUNY PhDDevelopmental PsychologySelf-Determination in Transportation for People with Disabilities
2020Sadler, TonieThe University of Chicago PhDSocial Service AdministrationFrom High School to the Cliff: Disability policies experienced by transition work stakeholders in Chicago
2020Sandh, SimonNew York UniversityPhDPublic Health - Epidemiology Comparisons of Drug Use, Workplace Drug Policy, and Utilization of Drug Rehabilitation Services Among Construction Workers and their Non-Construction Work Counterparts
2020Savin, KatieUniversity of California, Berkeley PhDSocial Welfare“It’s Not a Luxury, it’s a Need:” Exploring the Extra Costs of Vision Loss
2020Sullivan, JohnUniversity of Texas at AustinPhDSocial WorkWorkforce Participation and Healthcare Access among Working-Age Adults in the U.S. with Chronic Kidney Disease
2019Amorim, Mari

Cornell University
PhDPolicy Analysis & ManagementThe Labor Force Outcomes of Mothers with Disabilities
2019Beneteau, Erin
University of Washington
PhDInformation SchoolWork Accommodations and Opportunities for Adults Who Have Developed Severe Physical and/or Communication Impairments and Use Assistive Technologies
2019Carolan, Kelsi
Boston University
PhDSocial WorkFactors Promoting and Inhibiting Work in the Context of Neurodegenerative Disease:
Preliminary Findings on the Employment Experiences of People with Parkinson’s Disease
2019Cox, Katie
University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law
JDLawUnderstanding the Relationship and Fit between Workers’ Needs as Reflected in SSI and SSDI Beneficiary Data and Court Decisions, Settlement Data, and EEOC Data with Regard to Reasonable Accommodations Across Industries
2019Glendening, Zach
Vanderbilt UniversityPhDCommunity Research & Action The Role of Housing Assistance in Promoting Work for Families with Disabilities
2019Hurley, Katherine
George Washington UniversityPhDCounselingAgriculture and Agriculture-based Employment for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Exploring Benefits and Barriers through Community-based Participatory Research
2019Kellogg, Max
University of ChicagoPhDEconomicsDisability Insurance in the United States and Multiple-Earner Households
2019McCauley, Erin
Cornell UniversityPhDSociology, Program AnalysisThe Effect of Medicaid Expansion on Healthcare Coverage, Labor Market Activity, and Government Assistance among Those with Disabilities

Disability Determination Process (DDP) Small Grant Program Funded Projects*

CohortNameCollege/UniversityDegreeProgramProject Title
2017Barro, KarinaFairleigh Dickinson UniversityPsyDPsychologyDisability Determination Process for Supplemental Security Income Assistance in Children and School Professionals’ Knowledge
2017Berkowitz, LindsayUniversity of California, BerkeleyPhDSociologyAssessment of Evaluation of Chronic Pain Phase II: Investigating Institutional Interaction between Legal, State, and Medical Institutions
2017Butler, MaggieUniversity of IowaPhDRehabilitation CounselingSocial Security Income Eligibility at the Intersection of Disability, Advanced Age, Homelessness, and the Labor Market
2017Fixler, AlexTulane UniversityMSWSocial WorkConsidering Early Intervention Programming for Major Depressive Disorder: A Proposal
2017Lowder, EvanNorth Carolina State UniversityPhDPsychologyImplementing the SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) Model with Justice-Involved Populations: A Survey of Practitioners
2017Glendening, Zachary &
McCauley, Erin
Vanderbilt University
Cornell University
PhD
PhD
Community Development and ActionPrevalence and influence of disability status and SSI/SSDI benefit receipt among families experiencing homelessness
2017Sonik, RajanBrandeis UniversityPhDHealth Services ResearchPredicting Entry into the Supplemental Security Income Program: Evidence from the Survey of Income and Program Participation
2017Zeko-Underwood, EldaNortheastern UniversityPhDCounseling PsychologyEquivalence of SSA Documentation: Phenomenological study of Some Translated Material as Comprehended by Foreign-Born Applicants
2016Aquino, KatherineSeton Hall UniversityPhDHigher Education Management & PolicyHigher Education and the Disability Determination Process: Accessing SSI/SSDI in Postsecondary Education
2016Bagnall-Munson, AdriannaColumbia UniversityPhDSociologySSI in Transition; Benefits Application and Transition Planning for Youth in Special Education
2016Berkowitz, LindsayUniversity of California, BerkeleyPhDSociologyAn Exploratory Study to Assess the Evaluation of Chronic Pain in the SSA Disability Determination Process
2016Lowder, EvanNorth Carolina State UniversityPhDPsychologyApplication-level and State level Predictors of SSI/SSDI Outcomes in a National Sample of Adults at Risk of Homelessness
2016McCauley, Erin
Samples, Leah
Vanderbilt UniversityPhDCommunity Development & ActionQualitative and Quantitative Study of SOAR in the CJ Setting
2016Morris, ZacharyUniversity of California, BerkeleyPhDSocial WelfareHow to Intervene Early with SSDI Applicants; Lessons From a New Return To Work Program in Denmark
2016Prenovitz, SarahCornell UniversityPhDEconomicsEffects of DI on Health and Financial Well-Being
2016Stanley, MeganNorthwestern UniversityPhDPublic PolicyFresh Perspectives: How Claimants Understand the Adult Disability and Function Reports
2016 Zeko-Underwood, EldaNortheastern UniversityPhDCounseling Psychology Emerging Challenges on Access: Phenomenological Study of non-US Citizens experience during SSI Application Process
2016Davis, AmberHoward UniversityPhDSocial WorkSystematic Review of the Age-18 Redetermination Process Impacting the Transition of Youth to Adulthood: Recommendations for Social Security Administration
2016Sonik, RajanBrandeis UniversityPhDHealth Services ResearchReview of Sickle Cell Disease, as Experienced by Children and Adults, for Possible Inclusion in the Social Security Administration’s List of Compassionate Allowances
2015Dezieck, MackenzieAssumption CollegeMSRehabilitation Counseling Enhanced Claiment Participation for Veterans with Mental Health Disabilites in Evaluating Functional Limitations & Severity
2015Lowder, EvanNorth Carolina State UniversityPhDPsychology The Role of the SOAR Model in Successful Community Reintegration
2015Olzenak, DanaUniversity of RochesterPhDEpidemiologyAdding Motor Assessment to the Disability Determination Process in School-Aged Children with ASD: Implications for Participation
2015Sechrist, SarinaUniversity of PittsburghMSRehabilitation Counseling A Conceptual Harmonization between the SSA Disability Determination Process and ICF and DOT Frameworks: A Guide to Assessing the Mental Residual Functional Capacity of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders"
2015Skenzich, AnnUniversity of MinnesotaPhDHealth and Rehabilitation SciencesA Full Research Study Formally Analyzing an Objective, Functional Measurement of Pain with the use of a Validated Visual Analog Scale for Chronic Pain Patients for the Purposes of a Disability Determination Program
2015Arthur, PaulUniversity of FloridaPhDRehabilitation ScienceICF-AM/O*NET System: A Web-Based Application Linking Claimant Ability to Employment Possibility
2015Bagnall, AdriannaColumbia UniversityPhDSociologyDon’t Step in the Cracks: Individuals with Autism and Their Parents in the Disability Determination Process
2015Burke, ShannaSimmons CollegePhDSocial WorkA Systematic Review of Idiopathic Basal Ganglia Calcification for Possible Inclusion in the Social Security Administration’s Compassionate Allowances Program
2014Arthur, PaulUniversity of FloridaPhDRehabilitation ScienceEmpirical Approach to Linking the ICF to the Dictionary of Occupational Titles
2014Burke, ShannaSimmons CollegePhDSocial WorkA Systematic Review of Idiopathic Basal Ganglia Calcification for Possible Inclusion in the Social Security Administration’s Compassionate Allowances Program
2014Johnson, AnnaDePaul UniversityMSWSocial WorkHomelessness and SSI: Comparing SSI Applications for Individuals Accepted and Denied Disability Income
2014Keesler, JohnUniversity at BuffaloPhDSocial WelfareThe Application Process for Supplemental Security Income for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A National Survey of Service Coordinator and Family Experiences
2014Morris, ZacharyUniversity of California-BerkleyPhDSocial WelfareMeasuring Capabilities and Requiring Work: Comparing the Work Capability Assessment in Great Britain with the United States Disability Process
2014Pulcini, ChristianTufts University School of MedicineMDMedicineIdentifying and Explaining Co-morbid Conditions among Children and Adolescents Qualifying for SSI under the Mental Health Impairment Category
2014Sechrist, SarinaUniversity of PittsburghMSRehabilitation CounselingIncorporating ICF and Employment Concepts and Terminology in Residual Mental Functional Capacity Ratings: A Proposed Modification for Autism Spectrum Disorder
2014Skenzich, AnneUniversity of MinnesotaPhDHealth Policy and ResearchA Proposal to Measure Chronic Pain: From subjective or non-measurement to Objective and Scientific Measurement of Chronic Pain for Purposes of Disability Evaluation
2014Stone, Mary EllenCase Western Reserve UniversityPhDSociologyMaking the Transition: Influence of Self-Reported Work Disability on Labor Force Careers
2014VanDerwerken, AngelaUniversity at AlbanyPhDEconomicsEffect of New Psychotropic Pharmaceuticals on Disability Insurance
Applications: Evidence from Matched SIPP/Administrative Data
2014Vella, LeaUniversity of California-San DiegoPhDClinical PsychologyCognitive Impairment and Disability Determination in the Sheltered Homeless
2013Burke, ShannaSimmons CollegePhDSocial WorkA Systematic Review of Three Conditions for Possible Inclusion in the Social Security Administration’s Compassionate Allowances Program
2013Hooyer, KatinkaUniv. of Wisconsin-MilwaukeePhDMedical AnthropologyThe “Trauma Pitch”: How Stigma Emerges for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans in the PTSD Disability Claims Process
2013Jung, SharonIndiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP)PsyDClinical PsychologyEcological Validity of Neuropsychological Tests: Role of Memory and Executive Skills in Predicting Functional Ability in a Clinical Population
2013Keesler, JohnUniversity at BuffaloMSWSocial WelfareA Pilot Study of Service Coordinator and Family Experiences in Applying for Supplemental Security Income for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities:
Identifying Strengths, Obstacles and Recommendations for Improvement
2013Lanza, AllyssaAntioch University New EnglandPsyDClinical Psychology The WISC-IV and Children and Adolescents with Intellectual Disability: Evaluating for Hidden Floor Effects in the US Version
2013McIntyre Reece, KatieUniversity of West GeorgiaPhDSociologyDefined as a Disability: An Institutional Ethnography on Disability Determination for People with HIV/AIDS
2013Nevill, RoseThe Ohio State UniversityPsyDPsychologyImproving Knowledge Transfer to Families of People with Disabilities on the SSI Application Process
2013Peace, TamaraUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhDReading, Writing, LiteracyRefining the QDD Process to Assist Adolescents with Mental Health Disorders in Applying for SSI in Philadelphia: A Preliminary Study
2013Pulcini, ChristianTufts University School of MedicineMDMedicineExplaining Growth of Mental Impairments among Children and Adolescents receiving SSI
2013Wu, KathyNortheastern UniversityPhDCounseling PsychologyThe “Lived Experiences” of a Chronically Homeless, Urban Population: Systemic Challenges to Achieving Their Vocational and Rehabilitation Dreams
2012Bocanegra, JosephUniversity at AlbanyPhDEconomicsA Forecasting Model for Disability Enrollment
2012Brown, KateKeck Graduate Institute of Applied Life SciencesMBSBioscienceDisability Determination Process: Compassionate Allowance List
2012Chiarantona, KathleenColumbia University School of Social WorkMSWSocial Work PolicyProviding for Our Heroes: Understanding Social Security Disability Benefits for Wounded Warriors
2012Jung, SharonIndiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP)PsyDClinical PsychologyThe Impact of the DSM-5’s Dimensional Classification System on SSDI and SSI Rolls
2012MacGregor, CaseyUniversity of California, Los AngelesPhDSocial WelfareCase Study of a Program to Help Clients of a Homeless Shelter and Supportive Housing Residence with SSI/SSDI Applications
2012Sogar, ChristinaUniversity of California, BerkeleyPhDSocial WelfareThe TANF-SSI Transition
2012Stone, Mary EllenCase Western Reserve UniversityPhDSociologyThe Rising Visibility of the Work-Disabled Population: Influence of Self-Reported Work Disability in Applying for SSDI
2012Telford, RobinUniversity of South FloridaPhDPublic HealthJustice-Involved Adults with Serious Mental Illness and the Disability Determination Process

*The Disability Determination Process (DDP) Small Grant Program was the predecessor program to ARDRAW. DDP operated from 2012-2017. To view the Final Report on the DDP click here.