Under the Interventional Cooperative Agreement Program (ICAP), the Social Security Administration (SSA) awarded Mathematica a cooperative agreement to direct YTED, a demonstration designed to test promising approaches to improve employment outcomes for youth with disabilities. The Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) implements the demonstration using its own funds. Mathematica and its subgrantee, the Center for Transition and Career Innovation at the University of Maryland (UMD), provide oversight and support for implementation and are conducting an evaluation.

The goals of YTED are to (1) test whether intensive employment services improve employment and other outcomes for youth with disabilities who are transitioning to adulthood and (2) strengthen cooperation and coordination among organizations that serve youth with disabilities. OVR will enroll 350 youth between the ages of 16 and 24 into YTED, recruiting youth from Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties and part of Bucks County. Mathematica will randomly assign half of YTED enrollees to the usual services (control) group and half to the YTED services (treatment) group. Youth in the usual services group receive information about how to apply to OVR (if they have not already applied) and continue to be eligible for all existing services. Youth in the YTED services group have an OVR case opened for them and are assigned to a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) with specialized YTED training. YTED services group members receive OVR services that help the youth develop career goals and connect with intensive job training programs and other services to support their goals.

Mathematica will conduct the following research activities as part of the YTED evaluation:

• Surveys of youth when they enroll in YTED and a year after enrollment
• Interviews with YTED youth in the treatment group to learn about their experiences enrolling and participating in the demonstration
• Analyses of administrative data from OVR and SSA about enrollee service receipt, earnings, and disability benefit receipt
• Interviews with OVR staff and various partners to measure the fidelity of implementation and learn about implementation successes and challenges
• Visits to the Philadelphia area to observe the delivery of YTED services and interviews with youth, YTED staff, and YTED partners about service delivery
• An impact analysis to assess whether YTED improved youth outcomes
• A process analysis to understand the services delivered by YTED and how those services relate to impacts
• A benefit-cost analysis to determine whether the impacts of YTED exceeded its costs

YTED started in January 2023. Enrollment into the demonstration started in January 2025 and is scheduled to continue through December 2026. Service delivery started in 2025 and is scheduled to continue through 2027. Mathematica is scheduled to finish the research activities and publish findings in the year after service delivery concludes.