Glossary

The probability that if there actually was no real effect of the intervention, a finding at least as large as the observed finding would have been obtained by chance. For example, a sample might show a positive average difference, suggesting that the intervention group has better outcomes than the comparison group, with a p-value of 0.05. The p-value means that there is a 5 percent chance that the positive finding for the intervention group occurred by chance and does not occur in the population.

Short-term, paid work experience designed by employers to orient participants to occupations within an industry, receive mentorship, and gain exposure to workplace culture. Internships may vary in length and are sometimes associated with young adults but are provided to other populations as well. Wages are paid by the employer. Paid work experience/internships may be an intervention's primary service.

Strategies that allow participants or former participants to give and receive help from one another. These strategies often connect participants with similar challenges to provide support in a non-clinical, non-hierarchical relationship. Peer mentoring may be an intervention's primary service.

Payments that participants receive for engaging in a specific activity or achieving a certain goal. These payments may also be used to incentivize continued program participation. Performance- or behavior-based financial incentives may be an intervention's primary service.

Personalized assistance provided by a staff person—such as a case manager, counselor, coach, navigator, or employment specialist—or another program participant who helps assess needs, refers or directly provides services to participants, and helps participants remain in compliance with program requirements (if appropriate). Although assistance is typically delivered one-on-one, it can be delivered in group settings as well. Personalized Assistance may be an intervention's primary service.

Services to support the physical health of participants. Services may include referrals to medical providers, community clinics, or medical debt relief programs or benefits. Physical health services may be an intervention’s primary service.

Ongoing support provided directly to participants by program staff after a participant is employed to help them navigate issues or difficulties arising at work, manage barriers to their continued success, assess progress towards goals, or monitor job attendance. Post-employment participant follow-up may be an intervention's primary service.

Training designed to prepare participants to enter registered apprenticeship programs. Pre-apprenticeship training may be an intervention's primary service.

An intervention’s primary service is the principal service of the intervention. The primary service is (1) a component that a large proportion of intervention group members received and a large proportion of comparison group members did not and (2) the component that was described by the study authors as most integral to the theory of change tested by the study. Interventions may provide multiple services, but only one service is designated as primary.

People served by government programs that provide financial support and services to people with low incomes. These programs include Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Medicaid, and subsidized or public housing.