This mixed-methods cohort study will evaluate the effectiveness of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) for 150 young adults (aged 16-24) with psychiatric disabilities enrolled in 10 IPS programs located in 5 different states. The research team will evaluate employment and education outcomes over a 12-month period following enrollment into IPS. We will also conduct qualitative interviews with state leaders, IPS team leaders, and young adults. States participating in the study were chosen from among the 24 states in the IPS Learning Community. The IPS Young Adult Network, a “mini-learning community” within the larger IPS Learning Community, will advise the research team and facilitate mutual support and shared learning among IPS programs serving young adults. The Young Adult Network will meet regularly during the 3-year project period, including two in-person meetings, to discuss the lessons learned from offering IPS to this age group. The study will also assess the feasibility, reliability, and validity of a new fidelity scale, the IPS-Y, which is an adaptation of the IPS Fidelity Scale with an additional focus on supported education. We will disseminate findings from the project in newsletters, learning community calls, conferences, and professional journals.

Period: 9/30/2019 to 9/29/2022

Research Team

Gary Bond, Ph.D., Principal Investigator
Robert Drake, M.D., Ph.D., Co-Principal Investigator
Jackie Pogue, M.A., Co-Investigator
Jes Marbacher, B.A., Qualitative Researcher
Elizabeth Carpenter-Song, Ph.D., Qualitative Research Consultant
Dan Ressler, BA, CCRP, Project Coordinator

Coordinators of Young Adult Network

Debbie Becker, M.Ed., CRC
Sarah Swanson, M.S., CRC

Funding: National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) Field Initiated Research

Contact: DanielRessler@westat.com