The Functions of Vocational Rehabilitation Using Agriculture in Japan

The Functions of Vocational Rehabilitation Using Agriculture in Japan

Kazuaki MAEBARA & Jun YAEDA

Purpose

In recent years, collaboration between agriculture and welfare (CAW) has been attracting attention in Japan. Based on the concept of CAW, welfare facilities of transition support for employment and Work Support Centers for Continuous Employment Type B (WCE-B) have started to consider introducing agriculture as a training item in vocational rehabilitation programs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the functions of Vocational Rehabilitation Using Agriculture in Japanese WCE-B.

Method

A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted at all 119 WCE-B in Akita Prefecture. The questionnaire consisted of four parts: basic information, implementation status of work support, effectiveness of work support, and attitudes toward support. The Support Effect Achievement Checklist (SEACH) was originally developed from the Program Evaluation Table for Horticultural Therapy of 11 items related to treatment effects. These were graded on a five-point scale.

Result & Discussion

Of the 119 facilities contacted, 60 responses were returned (50.4% response rate). Conducted an exploratory factor analysis on the responses to the checklist and obtained two factors: sense of security(F1) and place of interaction(F2). Then, we conducted T-tests of differences and correlation analyses with ideas about mean scores among unanalyzed factors, agricultural and non-agricultural work support type, and disability types. The T- test for differences in factor scores between each type was conducted, but no significant differences were found. There were no differences in factor scores between work types and disability types, and no characteristics of interventions were found in employment support. It can be understood that the same quality of intervention is provided for all types of disabilities, but intervention based on the characteristics of each type may increase the effectiveness of support. First of all, it is necessary to establish a legal system to improve such expertise and a training system to supplement it. In Japan, there is a lot of emphasis on the promotion of cooperation between agriculture and welfare, but it is necessary to improve the employment support skills of supporters, which will be the foundation of such cooperation.

This research was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (19GC1006).