Community Support Programs Branch

Employment and Education Grant Programs

The Community Support Programs (CSP) Branch funded the Employment Intervention Demonstration Program (EIDP) to explore ways of helping mental health consumers obtain and retain mainstream, competitive jobs. EIDP was a multisite research study of innovative models for integrating vocational rehabilitation with clinical services and supports.

The EIDP included eight demonstration sites as well as a coordinating center, charged with overall program administration, data management, and data analyses. Participants were randomly assigned to innovative, supported employment programs or “services-as-usual” programs and were tracked for 2 years. Supported employment interventions were based on:

Integration of mental health and vocational services,
Job searches tailored to each consumer’s preferences, and
Ongoing support during employment.

The study found that supportive employment programs work.

For more information on the EIDP study see:

The Employment Intervention Demonstration Program Home Page

For additional information:

Employment: Help for People with Mental Illness — Part I (SAMHSA News)
Employment: Help for People with Mental Illness — Part II (SAMHSA News)
Employment: A Workable Option Despite Mental Illness (SAMHSA News)