A Controlled Trial of Supported Employment for People With Severe Mental Illness and Justice Involvement

Employment is a key to participation in community life for people with severe mental illness, especially those who have been involved in the criminal justice system. Although the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model of supported employment has been established as an evidence-based practice for helping people with severe mental illness attain competitive employment, little is known about whether IPS is effective for people with severe mental illness who have a history of arrest or incarceration. This study examined this question.

A randomized controlled trial examined competitive employment outcomes for 85 participants with severe mental illness and justice involvement who were assigned to IPS or to a comparison group that offered a job club approach with peer support.

At one-year follow-up, a greater proportion of participants in the IPS group than in the comparison group had obtained competitive employment (31% versus 7%; p<.01). The IPS and comparison groups did not differ significantly during follow-up in rates of hospitalization (51% versus 40%) or justice involvement-either arrests (24% versus 19%) or incarceration (2% for both groups).

Although IPS was shown to be an effective model for helping justice-involved clients with severe mental illness achieve employment, the outcomes were modest compared with those in prior IPS studies. The IPS model provided a useful framework for employment services for this population, but augmentations may be needed.