Vocational Resource Facilitator Demonstration (VRFD)

OMB Control No: 0960-0829	ICR Reference No: 202603-0960-004
Status: Received in OIRA	Previous ICR Reference No: 202212-0960-001
Agency/Subagency: SSA	Agency Tracking No:
Title: Vocational Resource Facilitator Demonstration (VRFD)
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Regular	Date Submitted to OIRA: 05/28/2026

	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	36 Months From Approved	06/30/2026
Responses	103	1,422
Time Burden (Hours)	52	1,686
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0

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Abstract: SSA administers the Vocational Resource Facilitator Demonstration (VRFD) under the Interventional Cooperative Agreement Program (ICAP). ICAP allows SSA to partner with various non-federal groups and organizations to advance interventional research connected to the SSI and SSDI programs. VRFD tests the Vocational Resource Facilitator (VRF) intervention, which helps newly injured spinal cord injury or disease (SCI) or brain injury (BI) patients in pursuing their employment goals. The VRFD provides empirical evidence on the impact of the intervention on patients in several critical areas: (1) employment and earnings; (2) SSI and SSDI benefit receipt; and (3) satisfaction and well-being. A rigorous evaluation of VRFD is critical to help SSA and other interested parties assess promising options to improve employment-related outcomes and decrease benefit receipt. The VRFD evaluation uses a randomized control experimental design that includes one treatment group and one control group. Control group members receive a referral for services to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS), New Jersey’s state Vocational Rehabilitation agency. The treatment group receives a referral to DVRS and employment services from a resource facilitator (RF). RFs are fully integrated members of clinical teams who engage with injured workers during inpatient rehabilitation about return to work. The central research questions include: fully integrated members of clinical teams who engage with injured workers during inpatient rehabilitation about return to work. The central research questions include: • Was the intervention implemented as planned? • What are key considerations for scaling up or adopting the VRF model at other facilities? • What were the impacts of VRF on outcomes of interest? • Did treatment group members earn or work more than control group members? • Were treatment group members relatively less likely to apply to or receive SSI or SSDI benefits? • Did treatment group members experience greater satisfaction and well being than control group members? • What were the benefits and costs of the demonstration across key groups? The proposed public survey data collections supports three components of the planned implementation, impact, and benefit-cost analyses. The data collection efforts provides information that is not available in SSA program records about the characteristics and outcomes of VRFD participants in the treatment and control groups. Respondents are newly injured SCI and BI patients, who will provide written consent before agreeing to participate in the study and are randomly assigned to one of the study groups.

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Authorizing Statute(s): None

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

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Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	91 FR 13915	03/23/2026
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	91 FR 30360	05/22/2026
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 3

IC Title Form No. Form Name 12-month Follow-up Survey Baseline Survey Informed Consent Onsite Audit of sample of case files Staff Interviews with Site Staff

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ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Request	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	103	1,422	0	-1,000	-319	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	52	1,686	0	-1,125	-509	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Increase Due to:

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Reduction Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Short Statement: When we last cleared this IC in 2023, the burden was 364 hours. However, we are currently reporting a burden of 52 hours. This change stems from a decrease in the completion time from 2 minutes to 1 minute. Because of the provisions under ICAP, the VRFD project completed the initial and recruitment phase and moved into the evaluation phase. Because we moved on to the evaluation stage, we do not have any learning costs associated with this IC or any wait time for teleservices. We also removed the Consent Form and the Baseline form from our modality, causing an overall decrease in completion time and the resulting change in burden.

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $109,660

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     No

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? No

Agency Contact: Faye Lipsky 410 965-8783 [email protected]

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Common Form ICR:  No

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On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
		(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;
		(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;
		(c) It reduces burden on small entities;
		(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;
		(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;
		(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;
		(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:
			(i) Why the information is being collected;
			(ii) Use of information;
			(iii) Burden estimate;
			(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
			(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
			(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
		(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.
		(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and
		(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Certification Date: 05/28/2026

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