Internet Assisted Career-Oriented Soft-skills Training for Transition Age Youth with Mental Health Conditions

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey126 enrolled

Overview

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an internet- assisted Career-Oriented Work-Related Soft-skills Training (iCareer) intervention, infused with cognitive behavioral therapy, targeting individuals ages 16-24 with mental health conditions, to improve employment outcomes. The overall objective is to help transition-age youth (TAY) with psychiatric disabilities achieve optimal employment outcomes as part of successful transition to adulthood. Findings will have implications for enhancing and developing pre-employment services for TAY with psychiatric disabilities.

The investigators propose to perform an open trial research study directed toward producing new knowledge about the Direct Skills Teaching intervention for employment related interpersonal "soft" skills. Soft skills are generally defined as social, emotional, interpersonal, adaptive, and problem-solving skills (Grugulis et al., 2009). The investigators will examine the feasibility of integrated Direct Skills Training modules in social, emotional, interpersonal, adaptive, and problem-solving skills (Soft Skills at Work (SSW)) on improving employment participation and success among transition age youth and young adults (TAY) with disabilities ages 18-24.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

126

Conditions

Mental Health Wellness 1

Interventions

iCareer Soft Skills Training for EmploymentBEHAVIORAL

The telehealth iCareer intervention will be delivered during regular educational or vocational services (i.e., services from the Office of Disability Services (ODS) and/or from the school or college counseling center). Six modules of Soft Skills Training (SST), four group sessions for each module with 60 to 90 min for each session (depending on group size) will be delivered by trained project staff (graduate counseling student assistant or graduate counseling intern) via HIPAA-compliant Zoom videoconferencing. If participants are unable to join by Zoom videoconferencing, telephone (a format widely used in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) treatment delivery and in CBT for depression) will be utilized. Ethical guidelines for providing telehealth over videoconferencing or phone will be followed.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 16 YearsMax age: 24 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age between 16 and 24 years 2. Must speak English fluently 3. Receiving Individualized Education Program (IEP)/504 Plan or disability services within the past 24 months with primary disability types of psychiatric disability 4. No hospitalizations or suicide attempts within the past 2 months 5. Willing to provide informed consent (if younger than 18, parental consent) to participate in the study 6. Interested in improving work-related social skills Exclusion Criteria: 1. Current presence of neurological disease or brain injury 2. Psychiatric instability such as gross psychosis or acute suicidality 3. Current alcohol or substance dependence 4. Hospitalization or suicide attempts in the past 2 months

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Higher Rates of Employment

Participants in iCareer will have higher rates of employment than participants in TAU alone as evidenced by self-report of acquiring a job.