abstract: 'Objective: This study''s objective was to determine the efficacy of

  benefits counseling in a clinical trial. There has been concern that

  disability payments for psychiatric disorders reduce incentives for

  employment and rehabilitation. Benefits counseling, with education about

  opportunities to work and the financial implications of work on receipt

  of disability benefits, may counter these disincentives. Methods: This

  single-blind, six-month randomized clinical trial enrolled 84 veterans

  who had applied for service-connected compensation for a psychiatric

  condition. Veterans were randomly assigned to either four sessions of

  benefits counseling or of a control condition involving orientation to

  the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs health care system and services.

  Days of paid work and work-related activities were assessed at follow-up

  visits by using a time-line follow-back calendar. Results: Veterans

  assigned to benefits counseling worked for pay for significantly more

  days than did veterans in the control group (effect size=.69, p<.05),

  reflecting an average of three more days of paid employment during the

  28 days preceding the six-month follow-up. Benefits counseling was

  associated with increased use of mental health services, but this

  correlation did not mediate the effect of benefits counseling on

  working. Conclusions: Barriers to employment associated with disability

  payments are remediable with basic counseling. More research is needed

  to understand the active ingredient of this counseling and to strengthen

  the intervention.'
affiliation: 'Rosen, MI (Corresponding Author), Yale Univ, Sch Med, Dept Psychiat,
  New Haven, CT 06520 USA.

  Rosen, Marc I.; Ablondi, Karen; Black, Anne C.; Serowik, Kristin L.; Martino, Steve;
  Rosenheck, Robert A., Yale Univ, Sch Med, Dept Psychiat, New Haven, CT 06520 USA.

  Rosen, Marc I.; Ablondi, Karen; Black, Anne C.; Serowik, Kristin L.; Martino, Steve,
  VA Connecticut Healthcare Syst, US Dept Vet Affairs, Dept Psychiat, West Haven,
  CT USA.

  Rosenheck, Robert A., VA New England Healthcare Syst, Mental Illness Res Educ \&
  Clin Ctr, Bedford, MA USA.

  Mueller, Lisa, Edith Nourse Rogers Mem Vet Hosp, Bedford, MA USA.

  Mobo, Ben Hur, Christiana Care Hlth Syst, Newark, DE USA.'
author: Rosen, Marc I. and Ablondi, Karen and Black, Anne C. and Mueller, Lisa and
  Serowik, Kristin L. and Martino, Steve and Mobo, Ben Hur and Rosenheck, Robert A.
author-email: marc.rosen@yale.edu
author_list:
- family: Rosen
  given: Marc I.
- family: Ablondi
  given: Karen
- family: Black
  given: Anne C.
- family: Mueller
  given: Lisa
- family: Serowik
  given: Kristin L.
- family: Martino
  given: Steve
- family: Mobo
  given: Ben Hur
- family: Rosenheck
  given: Robert A.
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201300478
eissn: 1557-9700
files: []
issn: 1075-2730
journal: PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES
keywords-plus: 'POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER; SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT; DISABILITY

  COMPENSATION; SOCIAL-SECURITY; MENTAL-ILLNESS; SUBSTANCE-ABUSE;

  PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES; HOMELESS VETERANS; BENEFICIARIES; SEEKING'
language: English
month: DEC
number: '12'
number-of-cited-references: '47'
orcid-numbers: Serowik, Kristin/0000-0001-6608-9069
pages: 1426-1432
papis_id: ad83f2f5facbb1732994e5e80cfad620
ref: Rosen2014workoutcomes
times-cited: '10'
title: Work Outcomes After Benefits Counseling Among Veterans Applying for Service
  Connection for a Psychiatric Condition
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000346599500019
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '13'
volume: '65'
web-of-science-categories: 'Health Policy \& Services; Public, Environmental \& Occupational
  Health;

  Psychiatry'
year: '2014'