title: Program evaluation from an ecological perspective: supported employment services for persons with serious psychiatric disabilities.
abstract: Results of large-scale program evaluations supplement other kinds of evidence regarding interventions for psychiatric disabilities. This paper describes an ongoing 11-year effort to evaluate supported employment services provided to persons with serious psychiatric disabilities by community mental health centers in one Midwestern state. Using an ecological perspective, the evaluation emphasizes multiple kinds of products and the careful development and maintenance of stakeholder relationships. Data from over 4600 individuals in supported employment programs demonstrate that services are effective and efficient, that these employees and employers are satisfied, and that stable employment may sharply reduce the overall costs of mental health care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Science, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306, USA. dperkins@bsu.edu
authors.forename: David V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Perkins
authors.forename: Dennis L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Born
authors.forename: Joshua A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Raines
authors.forename: Steven W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Galka
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003155:Community Mental Health Centers / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D016832:Employment, Supported / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007196:Indiana; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*