Objective-In a randomized controlled trial, a vocationally integrated program of assertive community treatment (ACT) was compared with a certified clubhouse in the delivery of supported employment services.Methods-Employment rates, total work hours, and earnings for 121 adults with serious mental illness interested in work were compared with published benchmark figures for exemplary supported employment programs. The two programs were then compared on service engagement, retention, and employment outcomes in regression analyses that controlled for background characteristics, program preference, and vocational service receipt.Results-Outcomes for 63 ACT and 58 clubhouse participants met or exceeded most published outcomes for specialized supported employment teams. Compared with the clubhouse program, the ACT program had significantly (p<.05) better service engagement (ACT, 98 percent; clubhouse, 74 percent) and retention (ACT, 79 percent; clubhouse, 58 percent) over 24 months, but there was no significant difference in employment rates (ACT, 64 percent; clubhouse, 47 percent). Compared with ACT participants, clubhouse participants worked significantly longer (median of 199 days versus 98 days) for more total hours (median of 494 hours versus 234 hours) and earned more (median of $3,456 versus $1,252 total earnings). Better work performance by clubhouse participants was partially attributable to higher pay.Conclusions-Vocationally integrated ACT and certified clubhouses can achieve employment outcomes similar to those of exemplary supported employment teams. Certified clubhouses can effectively provide supported employment along with other rehabilitative services, and the ACT program can ensure continuous integration of supported employment with clinical care.Supported employment is designed to help adults with serious mental illness obtain jobs in socially integrated settings that pay at least minimum wage (1-3). Randomized controlled trials have established supported employment as an evidence-based practice on the basis of higher employment rates for specialized supported employment teams compared with interventions NIH Public Access
NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript that do not provide supported employment (4-9). The effectiveness of supported employment has been partially attributed to rapid job placement, which bypasses prevocational training, trial jobs, and sheltered work (9-12).However, being hired does not guarantee success on the job. Enrollees express interest in employment when entering a supported employment program, yet typically average only a few months of employment after finding a job (1,8,11,(13)(14)(15)(16). One explanation for brief work tenure is the failure of many supported employment specialists to work closely with treating clinicians (17). Encouraging integration of supported employment with case management and other rehabilitation services, such as supported housing or supported education, also seems beneficial (18,19). Research suggests...