Employment
Conditions
Brief summary
This study continues to develop and refine best practices in the delivery of vocational services to veterans with histories of felony convictions and mental health/substance abuse difficulties. There are currently over 225,000 incarcerated veterans and it is estimated 64,000 veterans are released from prisons annually. These veterans encounter significant difficulties in finding employment due to stigma, intrapersonal difficulties, and out-dated work skills. Additionally these veterans are more likely to be homeless than other population., Previous work has found that manual based, vocational groups led by trained vocational staff led to quicker employment compared to traditional vocational services and manual based self studies. To attempt to improve on previous results, this study adds principles and components of supported employment including ongoing follow-up, treatment team coordination, and community based assistance.
Interventions
OTHERGroup vocational intervention
Group based manualized vocational rehabilitation
OTHERSupported Employment Condition
Veterans in this condition will receive a proven group based manualized vocational rehabilitation intervention
Sponsors
North Texas Veterans Healthcare System
VA Office of Research and Development
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* history of at least one felony conviction * diagnosis of a mental illness including substance use disorders
Exclusion criteria
* dementia * active psychosis
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Employment | within 6 months | Number of veterans finding work within 6 months |
| Total Employment | 1 years | Total amount employed over 1 year follow-up period |
Countries
United States
Participant flow
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| Group Based Vocational Rehabilitation Group vocational intervention
Group vocational intervention: Group based manualized vocational rehabilitation | 52 |
| Supported Employment Condition Group vocational intervention + supported employment
Supported Employment Condition: Veterans in this condition will receive a proven group based manualized vocational rehabilitation intervention | 60 |
| Total | 112 |
Withdrawals & dropouts
| Period | Reason | FG000 | FG001 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Study | Death | 3 | 1 |
| Overall Study | Lost to Follow-up | 10 | 14 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Group Based Vocational Rehabilitation | Supported Employment Condition | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, Categorical <=18 years | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Age, Categorical >=65 years | 1 Participants | 0 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Age, Categorical Between 18 and 65 years | 51 Participants | 60 Participants | 111 Participants |
| Age, Continuous | 53.1 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 5.4 | 51.5 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 5.8 | 52.2 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 5.7 |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized racial or ethnic minority | 39 Participants | 43 Participants | 82 Participants |
| Region of Enrollment United States | 52 participants | 60 participants | 112 participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 0 Participants | 1 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 52 Participants | 59 Participants | 111 Participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk | EG001 affected / at risk |
|---|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | 1 / 52 | 5 / 60 |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 52 | 0 / 60 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 52 | 0 / 60 |
Outcome results
Primary
Employment
Number of veterans finding work within 6 months
Time frame: within 6 months
| Arm | Measure | Value (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS) |
|---|---|---|
| Group Based Vocational Rehabilitation | Employment | 8 Participants |
| Supported Employment Condition | Employment | 21 Participants |
Primary
Total Employment
Total amount employed over 1 year follow-up period
Time frame: 1 years
| Arm | Measure | Value (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS) |
|---|---|---|
| Group Based Vocational Rehabilitation | Total Employment | 19 Participants |
| Supported Employment Condition | Total Employment | 34 Participants |