Blending Traditional Vocational Services and Individualized Placement and Support for Formerly Incarcerated Veterans

Abstract

This study compared two vocational programs: the About Face Vocational Program (AFVP), a traditional group-based vocational program created for formerly incarcerated veterans, and a hybrid program combining the AFVP with principles of individual placement and supportsupported employment. Methods:The study evaluated 111 veterans with at least one felony conviction who had a mental illness, substance use disorder, or both. Veterans were randomly assigned to either vocational condition.Results: Veterans in the hybrid condition, compared with the AFVP alone, were more likely to find employment, had higher rates of full-time employment, and earned significantly more money over the course of the study. A comparison of only participants who found employment showed higher rates of full-time employment for veterans in the hybrid condition but similarities between the two groups in other measures of employment success.Conclusions: Blended models of vocational services for veterans with mental illness, substance use disorders, or both are effective at returning formerly incarcerated veterans to competitive employment.

Individual placement and support: History, current status, and future directions

“…121 Two others found significant employment outcomes favoring IPS for young adults with health conditions at risk for long-term disability 129 and for military veterans with substance use and criminal justice involvement. 124 The small pilot RCT of IPS for pain patients, however, did not find a significant effect for IPS, possibly because it was underpowered. 130 Research on IPS for new populations ranges across groups from nonexistent to several studies, but many areas obviously need more work.…”

“…The extension of IPS to new populations is a relatively recent development. Figure 1 summarizes 13 RCTs of IPS for working‐age adults with conditions other than serious mental illness 118–130 . Only three of these RCTs were completed before 2016 120,126,127 .…”

“…Of the new studies, one found that significantly more primary care patients enrolled in IPS achieved steady work than patients receiving usual services 121 . Two others found significant employment outcomes favoring IPS for young adults with health conditions at risk for long‐term disability 129 and for military veterans with substance use and criminal justice involvement 124 . The small pilot RCT of IPS for pain patients, however, did not find a significant effect for IPS, possibly because it was underpowered 130 …”

“…Figure 1 summarizes 13 RCTs of IPS for working‐age adults with conditions other than serious mental illness. 118 , 119 , 120 , 121 , 122 , 123 , 124 , 125 , 126 , 127 , 128 , 129 , 130 Only three of these RCTs were completed before 2016. 120 , 126 , 127 These RCTs include four completed since the publication of a meta‐analyses of IPS for other populations discussed earlier.…”

A Randomized Controlled Trial of an Employment Program for Veterans Transitioning from the Military: Two-Year Outcomes

“…Among employment programs available to veterans, only the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model of supported employment has been shown to improve employment outcomes (Davis et al, 2018a , 2018b ; LePage et al, 2020 ; Ottomanelli et al, 2014 ; Resnick & Rosenheck, 2007 ). However, veterans have limited access to IPS, which is mostly available in medical centers, and IPS programs are mostly restricted to veterans with diagnosed serious psychiatric or physical disabilities (Abraham et al, 2014 ).…”