Engaging Homeless Youth in Vocational Training to Meet Their Mental Health Needs
Condition: Mental Disorder; Mental Health; Employment; Housing Problems; Social Support
MeSH terms: Mental Disorders
Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 2

Summary: 
      This randomized controlled trial (RCT) compared the efficacy between the Social Enterprise
      Intervention (SEI) and Individual Placement and Support (IPS) with homeless youth with mental
      illness.

      Methods: Non-probability quota sampling sampling was used to recruit 72 homeless youth from
      one agency, who were randomized to the SEI (n=36) or IPS (n=36) conditions.
    

Detailed description: 
      In response to the limited use of RCTs with homeless youth to test research-supported
      interventions, this study compares the efficacy and short-term outcomes of two interventions
      that combine employment and clinical services with homeless youth experiencing mental
      illness. The Social Enterprise Intervention (SEI) is a research-supported intervention using
      a group approach that engages homeless youth in paid employment as well as case-management
      and mental health services through involvement in an agency-run social enterprise. The
      Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model of supported employment is an individually
      focused, evidence-based intervention , which provides individuals with severe mental illness
      with customized, long-term, and integrated vocational, case-management, and clinical services
      to help them gain and maintain competitive employment.

      A randomized comparative efficacy trial of the short-term, nonvocational outcomes
      (depression, self-esteem, social support, housing stability) of the SEI and IPS was conducted
      over 20 months with 72 homeless youth at a homeless youth drop-in center in Los Angeles. This
      study answered two research questions: 1) Do homeless youth with mental illness participating
      in an employment intervention integrated with clinical services (SEI or IPS) experience
      improvements in their a) mental health status (self-esteem and depression); b) housing
      stability, and c) social support; and 2) What are the differences between the SEI and IPS
      groups on mental health, housing stability, and social support outcomes between baseline and
      follow-up?
    

Intervention name(s): Social Enterprise Intervention; IPS
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): The SEI model was implemented in four stages: 1) Vocational skill acquisition (4 months); 2) Small business skill acquisition (4 months); 3) SEI formation and product distribution (12 months); and 4) Clinical/case-management services, (ongoing for 20 months).; To implement the IPS at the host agency, one employment specialist, two case managers, and two clinicians were assigned the 22 available IPS cases among them at baseline. Over the 20 months, all IPS participants met individually with the employment specialist, one case manager, and one clinician at least weekly. Regarding job development in the community, the IPS employment specialist also spent about 40% of each week out in the community building relationships with new and existing employers.
Other intervention name(s): SEI; social enterprise; Individual Placement and Support; supported employment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: The SEI model was implemented in four stages: 1) Vocational skill acquisition (4 months); 2) Small business skill acquisition (4 months); 3) SEI formation and product distribution (12 months); and 4) Clinical/case-management services, (ongoing for 20 months). The eight IPS principles were implemented over 20 months by an employment specialist, clinician, and case manager.
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment