The employment intervention for justice-involved and substance-dependent adults offered 26 weeks of employment services, case management, and life-skills training by trained clinicians with experience in employment and substance abuse counseling. The intervention was offered in three sequential phases. The first phase, offered for four to five weeks, consisted of five one-on-one and five group sessions focused on obtaining immediate employment and initiating case management services.

ICM provided participants with case managers who identified barriers to entry into substance use disorder treatment, such as childcare, transportation, and housing problems, and addressed those barriers. While participants were in treatment, case managers met with them weekly and coordinated with treatment facility staff to provide other needed services. Participants received vouchers for items such as children's toys or cosmetics as an incentive to participate in treatment. Participants received case management services for 24 months.

EfA provided vocational English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), including lessons focused on answering job interview questions, communicating in the workplace, and finding a job. EfA participants attended classes for 2 to 12 months, depending on their skill and education level. About 24 months after the program’s start, evaluators followed up with participants to assess participants’ employment and earnings.

Youth formerly in state custody (foster care or the juvenile justice system) received customized case management that included weekly meetings with a transitional living specialist who used motivational interviewing and provided trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy services as needed. Participants also received soft-skills training, supportive services, and other services to encourage independent living, education, and work.