The work and recovery project: changing organizational culture and practice in New York City outpatient services.

Topic: Complex and multiple barriers confront out-patient programs in promoting recovery and addressing mental health recipients' work-related goals. This article describes a focused organizational change project utilizing intensive consultation and technical assistance within five New York City outpatient psychiatric services.

Purpose: The project aimed to increase staff exposure to, understanding and use of work-related and recovery-based concepts to promote consumers' recovery and attainment of employment goals.

Cognitive training for supported employment: 2-3 year outcomes of a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To address cognitive impairments that limit the effectiveness of supported employment services for patients with schizophrenia, a cognitive training program, the Thinking Skills for Work Program, was developed and integrated into supported employment services.

Method: Patients with severe mental illness (N=44) and prior histories of job failures who were enrolled in supported employment programs at two sites in New York City were randomly assigned to receive either supported employment alone or supported employment with cognitive training. Measures at baseline and 3 months included a brief cognitive and symptom assessment.

Cognitive training and supported employment for persons with severe mental illness: one-year results from a randomized controlled trial.

This study examined the effectiveness of cognitive training (the Thinking Skills for Work Program) for improving competitive employment outcomes in persons with severe mental illness who have a history of job failure. Forty-four clients receiving services at 2 inner-city community mental health agencies were randomly assigned (within each site) to receive either cognitive training and supported employment (CT + SE) or supported employment only (SE Only). Retention in the CT + SE program was high (91%).