[Discontinuities in Vocational Rehabilitation: Institutional Frameworks and Biographical Trajectories in Vocational Training Centers (BTZ) and Vocational Rehabilitation Centers (BFW)].

Abstract

This article examines discontinuities that occur within measures related to vocational rehabilitation services (Leistungen zur Teilhabe am Arbeitsleben, LTA). It explores how these discontinuities are experienced and managed by rehabilitation participants, and how service providers - such as Vocational Training Centers (Berufsförderungswerke, BFW) and Vocational Training Centers for Mental Health (Berufliche Trainingszentren, BTZ) - respond to such disruptions. The study identifies individual and organizational patterns of interpretation and coping strategies and derives recommendations for a biographically sensitive rehabilitation practice.This article is based on findings from two research projects that addressed the issue of discontinuities in vocational rehabilitation using mixed-methods designs and different methodological perspectives. Data collection methods included qualitative interviews with rehabilitation participants, expert interviews, focus groups, standardised surveys, and routine monitoring. The analyses were conducted using qualitative content analysis (Kuckartz, Mayring), Grounded Theory (Glaser & Strauss), and descriptive statistical methods.Discontinuities in the rehabilitation process occur frequently and in various forms. These included pre-existing experiences brought into the program, such as episodes of illness, psychological crises, premature termination of previous measures, or changes in internships. While BFW had to rely more heavily on continuous and standardised procedures due to their institutional mandate, BTZ responded with greater flexibility. Participants perceived these discontinuities ambivalently, viewing them both as obstacles and as opportunities for reorientation.Discontinuities reflect heterogeneous forms of individual coping with life and illness before, during, and after participation in vocational rehabilitation programs. Rather than being regarded as deviations from expected standard trajectories, they should be seen as challenges that call for a constructive, biography-oriented approach to dealing with setbacks, breaks, and detours. This approach can create space for individual development processes, which may contribute to more successful vocational rehabilitation outcomes.