Dr. Kosyluk's Research Agenda
As a rehabilitation scientist, my research interests center around promoting empowerment and recovery for individuals with disabilities so that they might live the life they desire. As a rehabilitation counselor, I view meaningful vocation as a key factor in recovery and empowerment. I operate from a broad definition of vocation that includes activities in the areas of work, educational pursuits, and community participation and inclusion. My research until this point recognizes access to a post secondary education as a critical facilitator to employment. The bulk of my research has focused on mental illness stigma reduction in postsecondary settings, where many students are experiencing symptoms of mental illness and psychiatric disability for the first time. Stigma is a major barrier to achieving postsecondary success and to engagement with support and treatment. My research plan for the next two years is represented by the relationship between several areas of inquiry, represented in figure 1. The overarching theme of my research agenda is environmental barriers (i.e. stigma) to recovery and empowerment for individuals with disabilities. My area of specialization is psychiatric disability. I plan to explore how environmental barriers impact vocation, including employment, education, and community integration, and how such barriers might be mitigated. My long-term objective is to develop a strong research program investigating the impact of environmental barriers, such as stigma, and related facilitators on vocational participation and outcomes for individuals with disabilities funded by federal grants.