Implementing supported employment as an evidence-based practice

Psychiatr Serv. 2001 Mar;52(3):313-22. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.52.3.313.

Abstract

Supported employment for people with severe mental illness is an evidence-based practice, based on converging findings from eight randomized controlled trials and three quasi-experimental studies. The critical ingredients of supported employment have been well described, and a fidelity scale differentiates supported employment programs from other types of vocational services. The effectiveness of supported employment appears to be generalizable across a broad range of client characteristics and community settings. More research is needed on long-term outcomes and on cost-effectiveness. Access to supported employment programs remains a problem, despite their increasing use throughout the United States. The authors discuss barriers to implementation and strategies for overcoming them based on successful experiences in several states.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Community Mental Health Centers
  • Employment, Supported* / economics
  • Employment, Supported* / organization & administration
  • Evidence-Based Medicine*
  • Financing, Government
  • Humans
  • Mental Disorders / rehabilitation*
  • Program Development
  • Program Evaluation
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • United States