The objective of this study is to test the effectiveness of supported employment plus Using Strengths in Employment Services (USES), an enhancement to supported employment that seeks to identify and increase the use of personal strengths, as compared to supported employment alone, for veterans with severe mental illness and/or substance abuse disorders. We hypothesize that rates of competitive employment will be greater in the experimental group than the control group. We also expect that individuals in the USES group will have greater job tenure, and will show greater improvements in recovery measures such as empowerment, self-efficacy and self-esteem.
The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of USES, a strengths-based enhancement to supported employment (SE), as compared to supported employment alone.