Utility of consumer-rated fidelity of evidence-based supported employment

Abigail C Mook, Purdue University

Abstract

There is a lack of existing research that investigates the feasibility of using consumers to evaluate the fidelity of evidence-based practices, including supported employment which is an intervention that helps people with severe mental illnesses to obtain competitive employment. Fidelity refers to the extent that the SE program adheres to the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model of supported employment. The present study was a concordance study that investigated whether or not consumers' self reports of IPS fidelity information agreed with administrative charts and employment specialists. Additionally, it was hypothesized that consumers' program satisfaction ratings would be positively correlated with their self reported IPS fidelity scores. An additional purpose of this study was to examine what types of supported employment fidelity items consumers were able to report on. Participants included a volunteer sample of 30 consumers and 5 employment specialists from one IPS program in Indiana. Consumers in the IPS program were interviewed by telephone using a survey that included questions related to their program's fidelity as well as their satisfaction with the program. Questions were based off of items from the IPS Fidelity Scale and were categorized into the following subscales: work incentives counseling, job search, engagement, organization, staffing, and job support. Similar questions were asked in an employment specialist survey and a chart review. All three sources (consumers, charts, and employment specialists) indicated high IPS fidelity responses on the researcher developed surveys. However, there was a low level of agreement between the sources at both the subscale level and item level. Although there was an overall low level of agreement between sources, there were several items that had a moderate or higher degree of agreement. Additionally, the present study did find a positive correlation between the consumer fidelity score percentage and consumer IPS program satisfaction ratings, supporting the researcher's hypothesis. Among the items that consumers had difficulty answering were several tapping program level policies such as zero exclusion. Reasons for the discrepancy in agreement between sources as well as clinical implications of the findings are discussed.

Degree

M.S.

Advisors

Bond, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Clinical psychology

COinS