Results of a multisite randomized trial of supported employment interventions for individuals with severe mental illness.

Context: National probability surveys indicate that most individuals with schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses are not employed. This multisite study tested the effectiveness of supported employment (SE) models combining clinical and vocational rehabilitation services to establish competitive employment.

Methods: We randomly assigned 1273 outpatients with severe mental illness from 7 states in the United States to an experimental SE program or to a comparison or a services-as-usual condition, with follow-up for 24 months.