NCT05766280

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

Internet Assisted Career-Oriented Soft-skills Training (iCareer) for Transition Age Youth with Mental Health Conditions: a Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 126 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 16 Years – 24 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

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

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	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.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-06-23
• Primary completion: 2027-03-01
• Completion: 2027-03-01
• First posted: 2023-03-13
• Last updated: 2024-11-14

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States