Study Details | Pathways to Work

25065-Study of Thresholds

Study quality: Low

Low

Reason for the rating: This study received a low study quality rating because the intervention was always provided in combination with another factor and the effect of the intervention cannot be disentangled from the effect of that other factor.

Intervention: Thresholds Individual Placement and Support (IPS)

Population and employment barriers:

Public Benefits Recipients (Public benefits recipients), Specific employment barriers (Justice involvement, Mental health condition)

Services provided:

Job development, Job readiness, Job search assistance, Mental health services

Setting: Tested in multiple settings

Study design

Design:

Randomized controlled trial

Study group formation:

Individuals were recruited for the study if they (1) were served by a mental health treatment team with a designated IPS team, (2) had no competitive employment during the three months before recruitment, (3) received no prior IPS job or support services, (4) had a severe mental illness, (5) were older than 18, (6) expressed interest in competitive employment, (7) had a self-disclosed history of arrest or incarceration, (8) had no pending criminal charges, (9) attended two informational groups, and (10) could give informed consent. Forty-five individuals were randomly assigned to the IPS intervention group, and 45 individuals were randomly assigned to the comparison Work Choice group. Evaluators completed analyses at the individual level.

Time period of study:

The study enrolled participants between February 2011 and July 2012. The intervention was studied over a 12-month period.

Pathways only reports results from studies with a study quality rating of high or moderate.

Sample characteristics

Age

Mean age

44 years

Sex

Female	20%
Male	80%

Participant race and ethnicity

Black or African American	59%
White	30%
Hispanic or Latino of any race	13%
More than one race	9%
Unknown, not reported, or other	2%

The race and ethnicity categories may sum to more than 100 percent if the authors reported race and ethnicity separately; in these cases, we report the category White, rather than White, not Hispanic.

Participant employment and public benefit status

Were employed	49%
Were unemployed	51%
Public benefits recipients	89%

Participant education

Had a high school diploma or GED	60%
Did not have a high school diploma or GED	40%
Postsecondary credential	4%

Specific employment barriers

Had a mental illness	100%
Had a substance abuse disorder	52%
Were involved with the justice system	100%

Intervention implementation

Implementing organization:

Thresholds, a large psychiatric rehabilitation agency.

Intervention services:

IPS employment specialists provided supported employment to individuals with severe mental illness and a history of arrest or incarceration. The IPS model provided the intervention group with individualized job searches based on participant preferences, a vocational assessment and rapid job search, job development, and optional interview accompaniment. Employment specialists were full time and received ongoing consultation from a senior IPS trainer during the study, as well as a daylong training on criminal justice issues.

Mandatory services:

None.

Comparison services:

The comparison group received services through Work Choice, a job club model for individuals with psychiatric disabilities. This model facilitated self-led job searches, resume preparation, interview practice, and word-of-mouth job leads. Work Choice staff helped participants with finding jobs and applying online through weekly classes on application procedures, job search strategies, and linkage services.

Study publications

Bond, Gary R., Sunny Jung Kim, Deborah R. Becker, Sarah J. Swanson, Robert E. Drake, Izabela M. Krzos, Virginia V. Fraser, Sheila O'Neill, and Rochelle L. Frounfelker (2015). A controlled trial of supported employment for people with severe mental illness and justice involvement, Psychiatric Services 66(10): 1027-34. Available at https://ps.psychiatryonline.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1176/appi.ps.201400510.

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The Pathways Clearinghouse refers to interventions by the names used in study reports or manuscripts. Some intervention names may use language that is not consistent with our style guide, preferences, or the terminology we use to describe populations.

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Study of Thresholds Individual Placement and Support (IPS)