Study Details | Pathways to Work

28408-Study of Employment

Study quality: High

High

Reason for the rating: This study received a high study quality rating because it is a randomized controlled trial with low attrition, suggesting the findings can be attributed to the program.

Program: Employment Intervention for Justice-Involved and Substance-Dependent Adults

Characteristics of study participants:

Justice involvement, Substance use disorder

Services provided:

Case management, Employment coaching, Job placement, Job readiness, Job search assistance, Post-employment participant follow-up, Soft skills training

Setting: Urban only

Methods and Standards Protocol version used for review: Version 1.0

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Study design

Design:

Randomized controlled trial

Study group formation:

The study was a randomized controlled trial. Researchers recruited people from two Kentucky drug court sites to participate. Eligibility criteria for the study were the same as the criteria for the drug court program. Participants were required to have nonviolent charges, self-identify as facing challenges with drug misuse, be classified as having a substance use disorder using the Addiction Severity Index, and consent to urine testing. After completing baseline interviews, researchers randomly assigned eligible people from both drug courts to receive the enhanced employment program or receive drug court services.

Time period of study:

Recruitment for the study occurred from March 2000 to December 2002. Interested participants were interviewed within two weeks of entering the drug court program. Participants were then contacted for 12-month follow-up interviews.

Primary outcome domains examined:

Increase short-term employment

Other outcome domains examined:

None

Study funded by:

The National Institute on Drug Abuse

Results

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Outcome domain	Measure	Timing	Study quality by finding	Comparison group mean	Program group mean	Impact	Units	Sample size
Increase short-term employment	Currently employed full time	12 months	High	59.70	67.60	7.90	Percentage points	477
Increase short-term employment	Currently employed part time	12 months	High	15.90	12.90	-3.00	Percentage points	477
Increase short-term employment	Days of paid employment	12 months	High	199.10	210.10	11.00	Days	477

Short-term outcomes are those measured 18 months or fewer after participants are first offered services. Long-term outcomes are those measured between 18 months and 5 years after participants are first offered services. Very long-term outcomes are those measured 5 years or more after participants are first offered services.

Means are not displayed when not reported or not aligned with the impact estimates. For example, if the impact estimate is regression-adjusted but only unadjusted means are reported in the study, the unadjusted means are not displayed as they are not aligned with the adjusted impact estimate.

Impact estimates are not shown when the estimate units cannot be converted to natural units.

Findings quality key:

High
Moderate

Study quality terms?

The findings quality describe our confidence that a given study’s finding is because of the program. We do not display findings that rate low.

Findings key:

A moderate-to-large favorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A moderate-to-large favorable finding that might to be due to chance
A small favorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A small favorable finding that might be due to chance
A favorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
A favorable finding that might be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
A moderate-to-large unfavorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A moderate-to-large unfavorable finding that might to be due to chance
A small unfavorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A small unfavorable finding that might be due to chance
An unfavorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
An unfavorable finding that might be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
A finding that is unlikely to be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size or direction
A finding of no effect that might be due to chance

Favorable findings are impacts in a direction that is socially desirable. Statistical significance indicates the likelihood that a study finding is due to the program, rather than due to chance. Findings are described as moderate-to-large if the program produced a sufficiently large change in the outcome. An impact receives this designation if the standardized effect size is equal to or greater than 0.25 or equal to or less than -0.25.

Sample characteristics

These characteristics are for the sample assigned to the program and comparison groups. Most participants were male (65 percent), and most were White (62 percent). Participants' average age was 31. On average, participants had been previously incarcerated about 5 times and had completed almost 12 years of education. About half of the participants were employed at baseline (54 percent).

Age

Mean age

31 years

Sex

Female	65%
Male	35%

Race and ethnicity

White

62%

The race and ethnicity categories may sum to more than 100 percent if the authors reported race and ethnicity separately; in these cases, we report the category White, rather than White, not Hispanic.

Family status

Married

18%

Employment and public benefit status

Were employed	54%
Were unemployed	46%

Specific employment barriers

Had a mental illness	11%
Had a substance abuse disorder	100%
Were involved with the justice system	100%

Program implementation

Implementing organization:

Center on Drug and Alcohol Research at the University of Kentucky

Program history:

Researchers developed the enhanced drug court employment program as a part of the drug court employment trial. This program did not exist before the start of the trial.

Program services:

Drug court participants who were randomly assigned to the employment program condition received 26 weeks of employment services, case management, and life-skills training by trained clinicians with experience in employment and substance abuse counseling. Program services were offered in three phases. The first four- to five-week phase focused on obtaining immediate employment and initiating case management services. Before job search activities, program participants completed a behavioral contract with their caseworker, and then the caseworker assessed the participant for job readiness. The second 13- to 15-week program phase focused on maintaining employment through the development of soft skills. During the maintaining employment phase, program participants received training to resolve conflicts at work, set goals and problem-solve, and develop other life skills to lead to successful longer-term employment. The final six-week program phase focused on upgrading participants' recently obtained employment by identifying possible employers, enhancing employment skills and job development, and conducting job search and placement activities. Upgrading employment training sessions covered topics such as networking, resume and cover letter writing, filling out job applications, overcoming a criminal record during the hiring process, and workplace behavior.

Mandatory services:

None

Comparison services:

The comparison group received regular drug court services.

Service receipt duration:

The enhanced drug court employment program occured in three phases. The first phase—obtaining employment—was 4 to 5 weeks long. The second phase—maintaining employment—was 13 to 15 weeks long. The final phase—upgrading employment—was 6 weeks long. The enhanced drug court employment program lasted a total of 23 to 26 weeks.

Program funding:

The National Institute on Drug Abuse

Study publications

Leukefeld, Carl, Hope Smiley McDonald, Michele Staton, Allison Mateyoke-Scrivner, Matthew Webster, T.K. Logan, and Tom Garrity (2003). An employment intervention for drug-abusing offenders, Federal Probation 67(2): 27-32. Available at https://www.uscourts.gov/federal-probation-journal/2003/09/employment-intervention-drug-abusing-offenders.

Webster, J. Matthew, Michele Staton-Tindall, Megan F. Dickson, John F. Wilson, and Carl G. Leukefeld (2014). Twelve-month employment intervention outcomes for drug-involved offenders, The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 40(3): 200-205.

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Pathways to Work refers to programs by the names used in study reports or manuscripts. Some program names may use language that is not consistent with our style guide, preferences, or the terminology we use to describe populations.

Study of Employment Program for Justice-Involved and Substance-Dependent Adults

28408-Study of Employment

Study design

Design:

Study group formation:

Time period of study:

Primary outcome domains examined:

Other outcome domains examined:

Study funded by:

Results

Sample characteristics

Age

Sex

Race and ethnicity

Family status

Employment and public benefit status

Specific employment barriers

Program implementation

Implementing organization:

Program history:

Program services:

Mandatory services:

Comparison services:

Service receipt duration:

Program funding:

Study publications