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Incorporating Individualized Placement and Support Principles Into Vocational Rehabilitation for Formerly
James P LePage1, Avery A Lewis1, April M Crawford1
1Dr. LePage is with the Veterans Affairs (VA) North Texas Health Care System and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas (e-mail: james.lepage@va.gov ). Ms. Lewis and Mr. Washington are with the Research and Development Service, VA North Texas Health Care System, Dallas. Ms. Crawford and Ms. Parish are with the Dallas VA Research Corporation, Dallas. Dr. Ottomanelli is with the Health Services Research and Development Center of Innovation on Disability and Rehabilitation Research at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, Florida, and the Department of Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling, University of South Florida, Tampa. Dr. Cipher is with the Department of Nursing, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington.
Objective:
This study evaluated the six-month outcomes of incorporating the principles of supported employment, specifically Individual Placement and Support (IPS), into the About Face program, an existing standardized group-based vocational program for previously incarcerated veterans.
Methods:
Participants (N=84) with a history of at least one felony conviction and a substance use disorder (88%) or mental illness or combination (59%) were recruited from a large urban veterans hospital. Veterans were randomly assigned to either the About Face program (AF) or to that program plus a modification of IPS (AF+IPS). Veterans were followed for six months. Employment outcomes, including time to employment, hours worked, and income earned, were evaluated with survival analyses and nonparametric tests.
Results:
Rates of employment over the follow-up period were significantly higher for those receiving AF+IPS, with 21 of 46 (46%) finding employment, compared with only eight of 38 (21%) who received AF alone. As a group, those receiving AF+IPS worked more hours and earned more wages than those receiving AF alone.
Conclusions:
Incorporating many of the principles and techniques of IPS into an existing vocational program was associated with improved employment outcomes over the six-month follow-up period and should be considered a viable rehabilitation option when working with this vulnerable population.
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