Open AccessVocational rehabilitation for veterans with felony histories and mental illness: 12-month outcomes.
Author(s) -
James P. LePage,
Avery A. Lewis,
April M. Crawford,
Edward L. Washington,
Julie A. Parish-Johnson,
Daisha J. Cipher,
Ledjona Bradshaw
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
psychological services
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.855
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1939-148X
pISSN - 1541-1559
DOI - 10.1037/ser0000114
Subject(s) - psycinfo , vocational education , veterans affairs , mental illness , supported employment , psychology , psychiatry , assertive community treatment , mental health , rehabilitation , population , conviction , prison , clinical psychology , medicine , medline , work (physics) , pedagogy , mechanical engineering , environmental health , criminology , political science , law , engineering , neuroscience
Lack of employment is an important barrier to successful reintegration encountered by those released from prison with mental illnesses and/or substance use disorders. This study compares 3 different vocational reintegration modalities for a veteran population: (a) basic services; (b) self-study using the About Face Vocational Manual ; and (c) the About Face Vocational Program, a standardized group program focused on the About Face Vocational Manual . One-hundred eleven veterans with a history of at least one felony conviction and a mental illness and/or substance use disorder were recruited from a large urban Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center. Veterans were assigned to 1 of the 3 conditions and followed for 12 months. At the end of the 1-year follow-up period, veterans in the group condition had superior competitive and stable employment rates, as well as faster times to employment compared with both the basic and self-study conditions. The self-study condition was generally indistinguishable from the basic services condition. Overall, new employment during the last 6 months of the follow-up period was relatively low. The findings support the use of standardized group vocational reintegration programs such as the About Face Vocational Program. Limitations and implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record