title: Viability of using employment rates from randomized trials as benchmarks for supported employment program performance.
abstract: Cumulative employment rates published by randomized trials are based on each enrollee's pre-planned 18-24-months of study participation. By contrast, community programs typically report employment rates for clients active in services during a calendar quarter. Using data from three supported employment programs in randomized trials, we show that trial cumulative employment rates are about twice as large as quarterly employment rates for the same program. Therefore, we recommend that administrators, service networks, and mental health authorities begin to publish quarterly employment rates, and quarterly median earnings, to allow policymakers to set realistic performance expectations for supported employment programs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Counseling and Personnel Services, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA. pbgold08@gmail.com
authors.forename: Paul B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Gold
authors.forename: Cathaleene
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Macias
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Barreira
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tepper
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Frey
mesh_terms: D019985:Benchmarking; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods*; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007358:Insurance, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*