Browsing by Author "Strasburger, Amy M."

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Helping veterans achieve work: A Veterans Health Administration nationwide survey examining effective job development practices in the community.
    (APA, 2018-06) Kukla, Marina; McGuire, Alan B.; Strasburger, Amy M.; Belanger, Elizabeth; Bakken, Shana K.; Psychology, School of Science
    Objective: Veterans Health Administration vocational services assist veterans with mental illness to acquire jobs; one major component of these services is job development. The purpose of this study was to characterize the nature of effective job development practices and to examine perceptions and intensity of job development services. Method: A national mixed-methods online survey of 233 Veterans Health Administration vocational providers collected data regarding frequency of employer contacts, perceptions of job development ease/difficulty, and effective job development practices when dealing with employers. Qualitative responses elucidating effective practices were analyzed using content analysis. Results: Vocational providers had a modest number of job development employer contacts across 2 weeks (M = 11.0, SD = 10.6) and fewer were face-to-face (M = 7.6, SD = 8.4). Over 70% of participants perceived job development to be difficult. Six major themes emerged regarding effective job development practices with employers: using an employer-focused approach; utilizing a targeted marketing strategy; engaging in preparation and follow-up; going about the employer interaction with genuineness, resilience, and a strong interpersonal orientation; serving as an advocate for veterans and educator of employers; utilizing specific employer-tailored strategies, such as arranging a one-on-one meeting with a decision maker and touring the business, individualizing a prescripted sales pitch, connecting on a personal level, and engaging in ongoing communication to solidify the working relationship. Conclusions and implications for practice: Respondents highlight several potentially effective job development strategies; tools and resources may be developed around these strategies to bolster job development implementation and allow opportunities for fruitful employer interactions.
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    A Pilot Test of Group Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Augment Vocational Services for Persons With Serious Mental Illness: Feasibility and Competitive Work Outcomes
    (Wolters Kluwer, 2018-05) Kukla, Marina; Strasburger, Amy M.; Salyers, Michelle P.; Rollins, Angela L.; Lysaker, Paul H.; Psychology, School of Science
    Persons with serious mental illness (SMI) struggle with work functioning even with the assistance of vocational services. The current study sought to address this problem by examining a cognitive-behavioral therapy to augment vocational services. Fifty-two adults with SMI receiving vocational services participated in a pre-post feasibility trial of the Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Work Success (CBTw) intervention. CBTw is a 12-week manualized intervention that addresses cognitive and behavioral factors that impact work functioning. Competitive work outcomes were assessed in the 12 weeks preceding baseline and after the intervention. The results demonstrate strong session attendance and a low attrition rate. There were also significant improvements in work outcomes. Specifically, among participants unemployed at baseline, 50.0% attained work during follow-up. These findings provide preliminary evidence that CBTw may be a feasible intervention to augment vocational services; further controlled research should examine its benefit to work outcomes in people with SMI.
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    Spiritual direction of individuals with intellectual disability
    (2021-06) Koch, Steven M.; Strasburger, Amy M.
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    Subjective Experiences of the Benefits and Key Elements of a Cognitive Behavioral Intervention Focused on Community Work Outcomes in Persons With Mental Illness
    (Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins, 2017-01) Kukla, Marina; Strasburger, Amy M.; Salyers, Michelle P.; Rattray, Nicholas A.; Lysaker, Paul H.; Department of Psychology, School of Science
    New research suggests that group-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may help improve employment outcomes in persons with mental illness, yet the effects and potential key elements facilitating change in such interventions are unclear. Using a mixed methods approach, this study examined the perspectives of persons with mental illness after participating in a pilot study of the “CBT for Work Success” intervention. Findings demonstrate that participants valued the intervention and perceived that it assisted them in achieving work goals. Therapeutic effects included improved self-efficacy, work motivation, enhanced sense of self as workers, and increased beliefs that work success is attainable. CBT for Work Success elements perceived to be important in facilitating work goals included cognitive restructuring, behavioral coping strategies, problem solving work barriers, meaningful reflection on oneself as a worker, and important factors associated with the group process. The authors discuss the implications of these findings and future research directions.
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    Work-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Complement Vocational Services for People With Mental Illness: Pilot Study Outcomes Across a 6-Month Posttreatment Follow-Up
    (APA, 2019) Kukla, Marina; Salyers, Michelle P.; Strasburger, Amy M.; Johnson-Kwochka, Annalee; Amador, Emily; Lysaker, Paul H.; Psychiatry, School of Medicine
    Objective: People with mental illness frequently have trouble obtaining and keeping competitive employment and struggle with on-the-job performance. To address these issues, the manualized, group-based, 12-session Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Work Success (CBTw) intervention was developed and tested in an open trial. Although posttreatment work outcomes were promising, lasting effects associated with the intervention are unknown. Method: This article presents the 6-month posttreatment work outcomes of the open trial of CBTw in 52 adults with mental illness who were concurrently receiving VA vocational services. Work outcomes included work status, hours worked and wages earned, steady work status, and work performance and effectiveness. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variances (ANOVAs) and within groups t tests. Results: Findings demonstrate that 75% of unemployed participants at baseline obtained competitive work during the study period. During the 6-month follow-up period, 73% of workers attained steady work status (i.e., working at least 50% of the follow-up period). In addition, during the 6-month follow-up period, working participants averaged significantly more hours of work per week and higher wages earned per hour as compared with the baseline period and the 12-week postintervention period. Finally, among workers, reports of work effectiveness remained high at 6 months and work productivity disruptions remained low at follow-up. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: These findings suggest that CBTw may potentially be a useful tool to enhance the effects of vocational programs. Future work should test CBTw in a randomized controlled trial and examine strategies for implementation in real-world vocational service settings.