Enhancing individual placement and support (IPS) - Supported employment: A Type 1 hybrid design randomized controlled trial to evaluate virtual reality job interview training among adults with severe mental illness

Abstract

Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is the evidence-based model of supported employment that increases employment rates in adults with severe mental illness (SMI). Although IPS is largely successful, over 80% of adults with SMI remain unemployed. An enhancement to high fidelity IPS could be an evidence-based job interview training component. To meet this training need, our group recently completed a series of randomized controlled efficacy trials funded by the National Institute of Mental Health to develop and test virtual reality job interview training (VR-JIT) in a lab setting. The results demonstrated that the intervention was efficacious at helping trainees improve their job interview skills and receive job offers within six months of completing VR-JIT compared to non-trainees. The overarching goal of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of VR-JIT as an enhancement to IPS when delivered in a large community-based mental health service provider via a randomized controlled trial and initial process evaluation. Our aims are to: evaluate whether IPS services-as-usual in combination with VR-JIT, compared to IPS

Virtual Reality Job Interview Training in Transition Services: Results of a Single-Arm, Noncontrolled Effectiveness-Implementation Hybrid Trial

“…The teachers monitored whether students improved their scores and mastered the easy interviews before progressing to medium (and then to hard) interviews. Based on the protocol of a real-world effectiveness study of VR-JIT among adults with a range of disabilities (Smith et al, 2019), we recommended that students complete approximately three 45- to 60-min VR-JIT sessions per week over 4–6 weeks to complete the targeted 15 interviews. The efficacy studies of VR-JIT did not provide insight into the optimal amount of time trainees should spend on the e-learning and job-application completion.…”

Enhancing vocational training in corrections: A type 1 hybrid randomized controlled trial protocol for evaluating virtual reality job interview training among returning citizens preparing for community re-entry

“…Initially, the authors from the University of Michigan, Northwestern University, and the Michigan Department of Corrections collaborated on designing the initial protocol using the first author's prior HTI design evaluating VR-JIT in mental health settings [ 22 ] and from reviewing prior studies emphasizing lessons learned when conducting RCTs in prison settings [ 26 ]. From here, the protocol was reviewed and refined by an expert panel of researchers and stakeholders with expertise in criminal justice research and services who serve as the remaining coauthors (see 3.3).…”

“…Based on the results of our VR-JIT efficacy research [ [17] , [18] , [19] , [20] , [21] ], and our existing effectiveness trial evaluating VR-JIT [ 22 ], we recommended that participants complete 15 virtual interviews within 2–3 weeks. In addition, we provide each participant (randomized to VR-JIT) with a login and password in their release documents so they can continue to access VR-JIT after their release.…”

“…As this program of research moves forward, we are intent on evaluating whether the efficacy of VR-JIT translates into effectively enhancing employment outcomes within real-world settings providing vocational rehabilitation services. For example, we designed a protocol to evaluate VR-JIT within the individual placement and support model of supported employment services for adults with serious mental illness [ 22 ]. Given the low levels of employment among returning citizens and lack of evidence-based vocational rehabilitation services within prison settings [ 8 , 11 ], the current study will investigate VR-JIT as an enhancement to existing vocational services implemented in two prisons in the State of Michigan called the Vocational Villages.…”

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

“…illness (6), spinal cord injuries (7), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (8), and substance use disorders (9), as well as returning veterans (10). More recently, the number of hybrid or enhanced programs that combine supported employment with another standardized vocational program (11,12) or other therapeutic modalities (13) has increased.…”