title: Work-related social skills: Definitions and interventions in public vocational rehabilitation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Social skills play an important role in employment. This study provides a qualitative analysis of salient work related social skills and interventions for addressing social skills in public vocational rehabilitation (VR).
  
  
  METHODS
  A modified consensual qualitative research (CQR) approach was taken to understand the elements and influence of work related social skills in public VR. Thirty-five counselors, supervisors, and administrators participated in semistructured interviews to provide their perspectives of work related social skills and the interventions they use for addressing these skills.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multiple aspects of work-related social skills were described as being important for VR consumer success. The most common work related social skills across all participants were nonverbal communication and the ability to connect with others. Primary social interventions included informal social skills training (SST), systems collaboration, and creating an appropriate job match.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Public rehabilitation agency staff, constantly faced with addressing work related social skills, possess many insights about salient skills and interventions that can benefit future research and practice. Agencies currently address social skills deficits by providing interventions to both person and environment. The research provides directions for future research related to identification of social skills and interventions to address related deficits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
authors.forename: Brian N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
authors.forename: Ashley A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kaseroff
authors.affiliation: Department of Early Childhood, Special Education, and Rehabilitation Counseling, University of Kentucky.
authors.forename: Allison R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
authors.forename: Garrett E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Huck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003376:Counseling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009633:Nonverbal Communication / Q000523:psychology; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012919:Social Behavior; D066107:Social Skills