Absence of conflict of interest.
Citation
Highlights
- The study’s objective was to determine whether a job skills training intervention, the Job Seekers’ Workshop (JSW), improved employment outcomes and reduced alcohol use among an American Indian population with substance use disorder.
- The study was a randomized controlled trial that used interviews to compare outcomes of individuals randomly assigned to receive the JSW intervention to outcomes for individuals assigned to a control group who watched short job interviewing videos (JIV).
- The study found no statistically significant effect of the JSW intervention on employment, hours worked, or alcohol use relative to the control condition.
- The quality of causal evidence in this study is high because it is based on a well-implemented randomized controlled trial. This means we would be confident that any estimated effects would be attributable to the Job Seekers' Workshop (JSW), and not to other factors. However, the study did not find statistically significant effects.
Intervention Examined
Job Seekers’ Workshop
Features of the Intervention
The Job Seekers’ Workshop is a job search training program focusing on skills necessary to find employment. The intervention was developed in the 1970s and multiple studies from this period concluded that it had positive effects for individuals with substance use disorder. The intervention offered in this study was an updated version of the JSW training originally manualized by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, to reflect recent technology changes in job search methods. The 12-hour training was offered in three four-hour sessions over two weeks that focused on identifying available jobs (for instance through computer-based job searches and conducting “cold calls”), writing a resume, completing a job application, and conducting job interviews. JSW included substantial time for practice, especially for job interviewing skills, including role play, videotape feedback, and small group discussions, with the goal of helping reduce participant anxiety about the job search process.
Features of the Study
The study was a randomized controlled trial studying the impact of the JSW program on employment and substance use outcomes for individuals with substance use disorder. The study was conducted at the Na 'Nizhoozhi Center (NCI), a residential treatment program providing culturally specific services for American Indian people in New Mexico. The study sample included individuals who had been in treatment for at least 10 days, were interested in the intervention and in finding employment, were age 18 or older, were unemployed or under-employed (i.e., worked no more than 20 hours per week in any week of the prior month), and were able to provide informed consent. At entry into the study, study participants were on average 36 years old, 80% were male, and all were American Indian (85% Navaho tribe), with the majority speaking Dine’ (Navaho language). The study included 102 individuals, 53 randomly assigned to the treatment group and 49 randomly assigned to the control group; there was no sample attrition. Those randomly assigned to the treatment group attended the JSW workshops offered in Dine’ by native speakers, with English used for terms that were not translatable to Dine’. Those randomly assigned to the control group watched two English-language videos on job interviewing skills, developed by the Career Consulting Center, with a Dine’-fluent facilitator available to answer questions. These approximately 20-minute videos focused on job interviewing skills (e.g., making a good impression, communication skills) and how to answer difficult questions (e.g., “why don’t you tell me about your personal situation?”). The study measured outcomes using interviews conducted at 3 and 6 months after entry into the study. The study estimated the impact of the JSW program by using statistical methods to compare average outcomes between those randomly assigned to the treatment group compared to those randomly assigned to the control group.
Findings
Employment and earnings
- The study found no effect of the intervention on employment or hours worked at either three- or six-months after the intervention, relative to the control condition.
Health and safety
- The study found no impact on alcohol use over the six months after the intervention, relative to the control condition.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
Although the study was a well-implemented randomized controlled trial, the intervention to improve job-seeking skills was delivered early in treatment, when participants were dealing with other issues related to their recovery.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of causal evidence in this study is high because it is based on a well-implemented randomized control trial. This means we would be confident that any estimated effects would be attributable to the Job Seekers’ Workshop (JSW), and not to other factors. However, the study did not find statistically significant effects.