Internet Assisted Career-Oriented Soft-skills Training for Transition Age Youth with Mental Health Conditions

NCT ID: NCT05766280

Last Updated: 2024-11-14

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 126 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-06-23
• Study Completion Date: 2027-03-01

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an internet- assisted Career-Oriented Work-Related Soft-skills Training (iCareer) intervention, infused with cognitive behavioral therapy, targeting individuals ages 16-24 with mental health conditions, to improve employment outcomes. The overall objective is to help transition-age youth (TAY) with psychiatric disabilities achieve optimal employment outcomes as part of successful transition to adulthood. Findings will have implications for enhancing and developing pre-employment services for TAY with psychiatric disabilities.

Detailed Description

The investigators propose to perform an open trial research study directed toward producing new knowledge about the Direct Skills Teaching intervention for employment related interpersonal "soft" skills. Soft skills are generally defined as social, emotional, interpersonal, adaptive, and problem-solving skills (Grugulis et al., 2009). The investigators will examine the feasibility of integrated Direct Skills Training modules in social, emotional, interpersonal, adaptive, and problem-solving skills (Soft Skills at Work (SSW)) on improving employment participation and success among transition age youth and young adults (TAY) with disabilities ages 18-24.

Conditions

Mental Health Wellness 1; Mental Health Wellness 2; Occupational Problems

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: FACTORIAL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Treatment

Soft Skills Training Intervention via telehealth

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

iCareer Soft Skills Training for Employment

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The telehealth iCareer intervention will be delivered during regular educational or vocational services (i.e., services from the Office of Disability Services (ODS) and/or from the school or college counseling center). Six modules of Soft Skills Training (SST), four group sessions for each module with 60 to 90 min for each session (depending on group size) will be delivered by trained project staff (graduate counseling student assistant or graduate counseling intern) via HIPAA-compliant Zoom videoconferencing. If participants are unable to join by Zoom videoconferencing, telephone (a format widely used in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) treatment delivery and in CBT for depression) will be utilized. Ethical guidelines for providing telehealth over videoconferencing or phone will be followed.

Control

Treatment as Usual (TAU)

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

iCareer Soft Skills Training for Employment

The telehealth iCareer intervention will be delivered during regular educational or vocational services (i.e., services from the Office of Disability Services (ODS) and/or from the school or college counseling center). Six modules of Soft Skills Training (SST), four group sessions for each module with 60 to 90 min for each session (depending on group size) will be delivered by trained project staff (graduate counseling student assistant or graduate counseling intern) via HIPAA-compliant Zoom videoconferencing. If participants are unable to join by Zoom videoconferencing, telephone (a format widely used in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) treatment delivery and in CBT for depression) will be utilized. Ethical guidelines for providing telehealth over videoconferencing or phone will be followed.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. Age between 16 and 24 years

2. Must speak English fluently

3. Receiving Individualized Education Program (IEP)/504 Plan or disability services within the past 24 months with primary disability types of psychiatric disability

4. No hospitalizations or suicide attempts within the past 2 months

5. Willing to provide informed consent (if younger than 18, parental consent) to participate in the study

6. Interested in improving work-related social skills

Exclusion Criteria

1. Current presence of neurological disease or brain injury

2. Psychiatric instability such as gross psychosis or acute suicidality

3. Current alcohol or substance dependence

4. Hospitalization or suicide attempts in the past 2 months

• Minimum Eligible Age: 16 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 24 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Weili Lu, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Weili Lu, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Rutgers University, School of Health Professions

Locations

Rutgers Univeristy, Newark- Office of Disability Services

Newark, New Jersey, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

United States

Central Contacts

Weili Lu, PhD

Role: CONTACT

luwe1@shp.rutgers.edu

908-889-2453

Janice Oursler, PhD

Role: CONTACT

ourslejd@shp.rutgers.edu

908-889-2462

Facility Contacts

Lorren Whitaker, PhD

Role: primary

lorren.whitaker@rutgers.edu

973-353-5375

Other Identifiers

90IFRE0071

Identifier Type: OTHER_GRANT

Identifier Source: secondary_id

2022001761

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id