Comparing Thinking Skills for Work (TSW)Home Practice Program With Traditional TSW Program

The purpose of this study is to determine if using a tablet computer, which is a very small, easy-to-carry computer, to practice thinking exercises at home will help improve your attention, memory, and problem solving abilities. All the participants will receive training in the thinking skills for work program. But in order to determine the effect of tablet use for home practice, half of the participants will be given a tablet to practice the thinking exercises at home. All participants will be receiving vocational rehabilitation and have a goal of getting a job.

The Thinking Skills for Work (TSW) program has been shown to improve cognitive functioning and work in multiple studies in a variety of vocational programs. TSW includes agency-based, computer cognitive practice facilitated by a cognitive specialist, and teaching of compensatory strategies to manage cognitive challenges, which are integrated with vocational services. Supplementing agency-based practice with home practice on a tablet addresses the need and desire for more cognitive practice, which is expected to further improve cognitive and work outcomes.

This randomized controlled trial will evaluate the impact of supplementing the traditional TSW cognitive practice with home based practice of cognitive exercises using a tablet.. Fifty clients enrolled in vocational services at Brooklyn Community Services will be recruited and randomized either to TSW-Home Practice (N=25) or traditional TSW (N=25).

All the participants will be assessed at baseline, 6 months and 12 months on cognitive functioning and symptoms; work activity will be tracked for 12 months; program satisfaction will be assessed at 6 and 12 months. The study will establish the efficacy of using home practice on a tablet to increase the number of computer cognitive practice exercises completed by clients.

Study hypotheses: 1) Individuals assigned to TSW HP will complete more cognitive practice sessions using COGPACK software than those assigned to traditional TSW; 2) Individuals who are exposed to TSW HP (i.e., complete 6 or more cognitive practice sessions) will complete more practice sessions than those who are exposed to traditional TSW; 3) Individuals assigned to TSW - HP will show greater improvements in cognitive functioning at post treatment and follow up than those assigned to traditional TSW; 4) Individuals assigned to TSW - HP will show greater improvements in work related outcomes (number of job interviews, % obtaining competitive work, weeks worked, wages earned) at post-treatment and follow up than those assigned to traditional TSW.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

age 18 years or older; severe mental illness based on New York State Office of Mental Health criteria; not competitively employed but want to work; enrolled in vocational rehabilitation at Brooklyn Community Services; fluent in English.

Exclusion Criteria:

prior receipt of more than 3 sessions of Thinking Skills for Work (TSW) Cognitive Remediation; medical disorder with known effects on cognitive functioning; inability to give informed consent.