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The study recruited formerly incarcerated veterans who (1) had at least one prior felony conviction; (2) had been diagnosed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with a substance use disorder, mental illness, or both; (3) expressed a desire for competitive employment; and (4) provided consent. In total, 88 individuals were randomly assigned, with 49 assigned to the intervention group (AF+IPS) and 39 to the comparison group (AF). Assignment and analysis occurred at the individual level. The study excluded two veterans who found employment before the intervention and two who were not medically cleared for employment.
Enrollment occurred between September 2011 and November 2013. Participants were followed for six months.
The study received funding from the VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Award and from the Meadows Foundation.
Participants were veterans who were formerly incarcerated; had at least one felony conviction; and were diagnosed with a substance use disorder, mental illness, or both. On average, sample members were 52 years old. Almost all (96 percent) were male. About two-thirds (68 percent) were Black or African American; 27 percent were White, not Hispanic; and 4 percent were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Participants had, on average, 13 years of education. Two-thirds of participants had experienced homelessness in the past year. In total, 88 percent reported a substance-use disorder, 45 percent reported depression, 10 percent reported a post-traumatic stress disorder, and 6 percent reported a cyclical mood disorder or psychosis.
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AF was an existing service for veterans before the start of the study. The addition of IPS, which the intervention group received, was introduced to the program at the time of the study.
The intervention group received AF with additional IPS services. AF was a small-group, one-week program serving veterans who were formerly incarcerated with at least one prior felony conviction and who had been diagnosed with a substance use disorder, mental illness, or both. In AF, participants explored their career goals, discussed their employment history, developed a basic resume, and considered the employment challenges faced by veterans. After AF, participants moved into IPS, a program founded on a set of core principles—including small caseloads and rapid job searches—with the intention of helping people find and keep jobs. Supported employment specialists (SESs), who were trained rehabilitation counselors, provided individual job search services within two weeks of participation in AF. SESs contacted employers on participants' behalf to connect participants to employment and to work with employers to develop positions suitable for participants. SESs partnered with participants' treatment teams as part of the employment services they provided. IPS lasted until the participant found a job, but participants could choose to receive ongoing support from the SESs after they were employed.
The comparison group participated in the AF vocational program but did not receive any IPS services.
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Participant outcomes were studied over a period of six months, and participants could receive ongoing services during that time.
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The study occurred in the United States, but further detail is not provided.
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