Positions

Research Areas research areas

Overview

  • Dr. Debra Brucker studies the economic, health and social well-being of persons with disabilities and other vulnerable populations. She has over 25 years of applied policy research experience and has held social and health policy research positions at academic institutions, research organizations, and state government agencies. She currently serves as 1) Principal Investigator (PI) on a two-year US Department of Agriculture funded project to develop improved measurement of food security for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities; 2) Co-PI on a five-year National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) grant that is exploring how Long COVID has impacted living and working for people with disabilities; 3) PI of a University of Michigan Retirement and Disability Research (RDRC) one-year grant that is examining how to improve access to Social Security disability and retirement benefits for rural persons; and, 4) PI on a University of Michigan RDRC one-year grant this is using community-based participatory research to examine barriers and facilitators to SSA access for minority persons with psychiatric disabilities; 5) PI on a University of Wisconsin RDRC one-year grant that is using community-engaged research to examine service needs of minority persons who have Long COVID as they access SSA and vocational rehabilitation service systems. Dr. Brucker is an elected member of the National Academy of Social Insurance.
  • Selected Publications

    Academic Article

    Year Title
    2023 Reasons for Not Working During the Coronavirus Pandemic Among Working-Age Persons With and Without Disabilities in the US.Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.  104:2019-2026. 2023
    2023 Mental health experiences in 2021 for adults with disabilities who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.Rehabilitation Psychology.  68:374-384. 2023
    2023 Referral networks for pediatric patients with genetic conditions: The perspective of occupational therapists.Journal of Genetic Counseling.  32:982-992. 2023
    2023 Exploring Acceptability of Employment Interventions to Support People Living With Cancer: Qualitative Study of Cancer Survivors, Health Care Providers, and Employers.JMIR Form Res.  7:e47263. 2023
    2023 Comparing effects of question set order and location within a survey instrument of two commonly used disability question sets among a U.S. population of adults.Disability and Health Journal.  16:101424. 2023
    2023 Work limitations as a moderator of the relationship between job crafting and work performance: results from an SEM analysis of cross-sectional survey data.Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation.  33:107-120. 2023
    2023 Linking job duties, functioning, and employment status using the Work-Disability Functional Assessment Battery (WD-FAB): An expert coding and quantitative analysis.Work.  74:75-87. 2023
    2022 Americans Aging With Disabilities Are More Likely to Have Multiple Chronic ConditionsJournal of Disability Policy Studies.  34:52-60. 2022
    2022 Food sufficiency and the utilization of free food resources for working-age Americans with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic (vol 14, 101153, 2021)Disability and Health Journal.  15:101298-101298. 2022
    2022 Food sufficiency and the utilization of free food resources for working-age Americans with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.Disability and Health Journal.  15:101297. 2022
    2022 Does Social Security promote food security? Evidence for older householdsApplied Economic Perspectives and Policy.  44:671-686. 2022
    2022 Midlife Work Limitations are Associated with Lower Odds of Survival and Healthy Aging.Journal of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences.  77:790-802. 2022
    2022 The association of disability status with job tenure for U.S. workers.Work.  72:109-117. 2022
    2021 Correction to: Job Crafting Among American Workers with Disabilities.Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation.  31:729. 2021
    2021 Examining differences in prescription opioid use behaviors among U.S. adults with and without disabilities.Preventive Medicine.  153:106754. 2021
    2021 Food sufficiency and the utilization of free food resources for working-age Americans with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.Disability and Health Journal.  14:101153. 2021
    2021 Worker Functional Abilities, Occupational Requirements, and Job Accommodations: A Close Look at Three OccupationsSSRN Electronic Journal2021
    2021 Changes in the Employment Status of People With and Without Disabilities in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.  102:1420-1423. 2021
    2021 Health disparities among Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries who participate in federal rental housing assistance programs.Disability and Health Journal.  14:101098. 2021
    2021 "Today I felt like my work meant something": A pilot study on job crafting, a coaching-based intervention for people with work limitations and disabilities.Work.  69:423-438. 2021
    2020 Job Crafting Among American Workers with Disabilities.Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation.  30:575-587. 2020
    2020 Disability and aging: From successful aging to wellbeing through the capability and human development lens.Disability and Health Journal.  13:100924. 2020
    2020 Variations in Poverty by Family Characteristics Among Working-Age Adults With DisabilitiesFamily Relations.  69:792-802. 2020
    2020 Wellbeing at older ages: Towards an inclusive and multidimensional measure.Disability and Health Journal.  13:100926. 2020
    2020 More than just lower wages: intrinsic job quality for college graduates with disabilitiesJournal of Education and Work.  33:410-424. 2020
    2020 Supplemental nutrition assistance program participation among working-age adults with disabilities who experience employment exits and entriesJournal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition.  15:51-61. 2020
    2019 Transportation patterns demonstrate inequalities in community participation for working-age Americans with disabilitiesTransportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice.  130:93-106. 2019
    2019 Health, Health Behaviors, and Health Care Utilization Among Adults with Serious Psychological Distress Who Receive Federal Housing Assistance.Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research.  46:586-606. 2019
    2019 The relationship between employment and health and health care among working-age adults with and without disabilities in the United States.Disability and Rehabilitation.  41:2299-2307. 2019
    2019 Prescription opioid behaviors among adults with and without disabilities - United States, 2015-2016.Disability and Health Journal.  12:519-522. 2019
    2019 Monitoring multidimensional poverty in the United StatesEconomics Bulletin.  39. 2019
    2019 Personal and Organizational Determinants of Job Satisfaction for Workers With DisabilitiesRehabilitation Counseling Bulletin.  62:170-179. 2019
    2019 Community mental health center staff attitudes about employment for persons with serious mental illness.Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal.  42:32-40. 2019
    2019 Job quality for Americans with disabilitiesJournal of Vocational Rehabilitation.  50:121-130. 2019
    2019 The association of commuting time and wages for American workers with disabilitiesJournal of Vocational Rehabilitation.  50:13-21. 2019
    2018 State and Local Determinants of Employment Outcomes Among Individuals With DisabilitiesJournal of Disability Policy Studies.  29:119-128. 2018
    2018 Striving to WorkSocial Indicators Research: an international and interdisciplinary journal for quality-of-life measurement.  139:541-558. 2018
    2018 Health and Health Services Access Among Adults With Disabilities Who Receive Federal Housing AssistanceHousing Policy Debate.  28:248-266. 2018
    2017 Food Insecurity Across the Adult Life Span for Persons With DisabilitiesJournal of Disability Policy Studies.  28:109-118. 2017
    2017 The association of food insecurity with health outcomes for adults with disabilities.Disability and Health Journal.  10:286-293. 2017
    2017 Income Poverty and Multiple Deprivations in a High-Income Country: The Case of the United StatesSocial Science Quarterly.  98:37-56. 2017
    2017 Income poverty and multiple deprivations in a high-income country: The case of the United StatesSocial Science Quarterly.  98:37-56. 2017
    2017 Measuring DisabilityCityscape (Washington, D.C.).  19:257-265. 2017
    2017 Variations in social capital among vocational rehabilitation applicantsJournal of Vocational Rehabilitation.  46:187-194. 2017
    2016 Using Sensory, Functional, and Activity Limitation Data to Estimate Employment Outcomes for Working-Age Persons With Disabilities in the United StatesJournal of Disability Policy Studies.  27:131-137. 2016
    2016 Food Insecurity Among Young Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the United States: Evidence From the National Health Interview Survey.American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.  121:520-532. 2016
    2016 Community and social participation among adults with mobility impairments: A mixed methods study.Disability and Health Journal.  9:682-691. 2016
    2016 Trips to medical care among persons with disabilities: Evidence from the 2009 National Household Travel Survey.Disability and Health Journal.  9:539-543. 2016
    2016 Food security among young adults with disabilities in the United States: Findings from the National Health Interview Survey.Disability and Health Journal.  9:298-305. 2016
    2015 Perceptions, Behaviors, and Satisfaction Related to Public Safety for Persons With Disabilities in the United StatesCriminal Justice Review.  40:431-448. 2015
    2015 Individual Characteristics and the Disability Employment GapJournal of Disability Policy Studies.  26:80-88. 2015
    2015 Linking public housing, employment, and disability benefits for working-age people with disabilitiesHousing and Society.  42:126-147. 2015
    2015 People with disabilities in the United States.Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.  96:771-774. 2015
    2015 More Likely to Be Poor Whatever the Measure: Working-Age Persons with Disabilities in the United StatesSocial Science Quarterly.  96:273-296. 2015
    2015 Social capital, employment and labor force participation among persons with disabilitiesJournal of Vocational Rehabilitation.  43:17-31. 2015
    2014 Participation in Safety-Net Programs and the Utilization of Employment Services Among Working-Age Persons With DisabilitiesJournal of Disability Policy Studies.  25:91-105. 2014
    2014 Living on the Edge: Impact of Cutting DI/SSI Benefits on People with Disabilities and other Safety-Net ProgramsJournal of Vocational Rehabilitation.  41:209-223. 2014
    2014 Living on the edge: Assessing the economic impacts of potential disability benefit reductions for Social Security disability beneficiariesJournal of Vocational Rehabilitation.  41:209-223. 2014
    2013 More Likely to Be Poor Whatever the Measure: Persons with Disabilities in the U.S.SSRN Electronic Journal2013
    2012 Outcomes of a Family-Centered Transition Process for Students With Autism Spectrum DisordersFocus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities.  27:42-50. 2012
    2011 Performance-based contracting within a state substance abuse treatment system: a preliminary exploration of differences in client access and client outcomes.Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research.  38:383-397. 2011
    2010 EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACCESS AND RETENTION AMONG SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT ADMISSIONSJournal of Drug Issues.  40:553-576. 2010
    2009 Social construction of disability and substance abuse within public disability benefit systems.International Journal of Drug Policy.  20:418-423. 2009
    2008 Prescription drug abuse among persons with disabilitiesJournal of Vocational Rehabilitation.  29:105-115. 2008
    2007 Estimating the Prevalence of Substance Use, Abuse, and Dependence Among Social Security Disability Benefit RecipientsJournal of Disability Policy Studies.  18:148-159. 2007
    2007 Substance abuse treatment participation and employment outcomes for public disability beneficiaries with substance use disorders.Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research.  34:290-308. 2007
    2007 Ticket-to-Work project: Evaluation of an assertive outreach campaign to increase ticket assignment and use of the One-Stop system by SSA beneficiaries in an urban county in New JerseyJournal of Vocational Rehabilitation.  26:79-88. 2007
    2006 Re-Entry to RecoveryCriminal Justice Policy Review.  17:302-313. 2006
    2006 How management matters: Street-level bureaucrats and welfare reform.American Review of Public Administration.  36:117-119. 2006
    2006 Developing a screening tool to predict disability program participationJournal of Rehabilitation.  72:21-31. 2006
    2006 Re-entry to recovery: A promising return-to-work approach for certain offenders with mental illnessCriminal Justice Policy Review.  17:302-313. 2006
    2004 Informing the development of employment programs for persons with disabilities: A case study analysis of the definitions, uses and implications of the idea of suitable employmentJournal of Vocational Rehabilitation.  21:137-147. 2004
    2004 The Early Intervention ProjectJournal of Disability Policy Studies.  15:159-167. 2004
    Career self-management through job crafting for individuals with disabilities: A mixed methods study
    Poverty and Disadvantage Through a Multidimensional Lens in the United StatesSSRN Electronic Journal
    State and local determinants of employment outcomes among individuals with disabilitiesJournal of Disability Policy Studies

    Article

    Year Title
    2023 Exploring Acceptability of Employment Interventions to Support People Living With Cancer: Qualitative Study of Cancer Survivors, Health Care Providers, and Employers (Preprint) 2023

    Principal Investigator On

  • Food insecurity for people with IDD  awarded by US Department of Agriculture 2024 - 2026
  • ARRT  awarded by US DHHS, Dept of Health & Human Services 2021 - 2026
  • A community-based participatory research (CBPR) mixed methods approach involving low-income minority persons with psychiatric disabilities to understand how removing barriers to SSI participation can improve their economic security  awarded by University of Michigan Retirement and Disability Research Consortium 2024 - 2025
  • Service delivery needs of working-age people from racial/ethnic minority groups who have Long COVID and are interacting with Social Security Administration disability and state vocational rehabilitation systems.  awarded by University of Wisconsin Retirement and Disability Research Consortium 2024 - 2025
  • Community engaged research into the barriers and communication preferences of rural people with disabilities and older adults eligible for Social Security Administration programs  awarded by University of Michigan Retirement and Disability Research Consortium 2024
  • MI RDC Center FY24-28  awarded by University of Michigan 2024
  • Food-Related Hardships  awarded by University of Kentucky 2019 - 2022
  • Understanding Food-Related Hardships Among Older Americans  awarded by University of Kentucky 2019 - 2022
  • EPM RRTC Year 3 of 5  awarded by US DHHS, Dept of Health & Human Services 2017 - 2021
  • Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment Policy and Measurement  awarded by US DHHS, Dept of Health & Human Services 2017 - 2021
  • HUD Assisted Residents with Disabilities  awarded by US HUD, Department of Housing & Urban Development 2018 - 2021
  • Food Security  awarded by US DA, Department of Agriculture 2015 - 2018
  • Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment Policy and Measurement  awarded by US DHHS, Dept of Health & Human Services 2016 - 2017
  • USDA Food Security, Food Assistance Participation, Among Transition Age Youth with Disabilities  awarded by US DA, Department of Agriculture 2014 - 2016
  • HUD assisted residents with disabilities  awarded by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 2018 -
  • Education And Training

  • B.A. Criminal Justice/Safety, University of Delaware
  • B.A. Psychology, University of Delaware
  • M.A. Public Administration, University of Delaware
  • Ph.D. Resource Planning/Dev, Rutgers University
  • Full Name

  • Debra Brucker
  • Mailing Address

  • University of New Hampshire

    Institute on Disability

    10 West Edge Drive, Suite 101

    Durham, NH  03824

    United States