Comparing the Effect of Adding a Remote Self-reporting Tool for Distress and Fit-for-purpose Mental Health & Addictions Service to Usual Case Management on Dropout Rates in a Vocational Training Program
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Basic Case Management, Basic Case Management plus Distress Tool, Basic Case Management plus rapid mental health & addictions healthcare access, Basic Case Management plus Distress Tool and rapid mental health & addictions healthcare access.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Mental Health Issue, Substance Use Disorders, Distress, Emotional. Basic parameters: 18 years — 49 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Canada
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
A Cluster Randomized, 2x2 Factorial, Superiority Study to Compare the Effectiveness of Adding a Remote Self-reporting Tool for Distress and a Fit-for-purpose Mental Health & Addictions Service to Usual Case Management on Program Completion and Employment Among Unemployed Visible Minorities and Women Enrolled in a Vocational Training Program
Overview
Youth unemployment is a chronic problem in most societies. Some young adults are neither in employment, education or training (NEET), and are at high risk of chronic unemployment, social disengagement and poor quality of life. Identifying this high risk population and providing them with career skills training and opportunities is critical for their full participation in society. Vocational training programs provide an opportunity for these NEET youth to develop a skilled trade. Barriers to successful completion of these programs include high prevalence of mental health and substance use disorders among NEET youth. This study will use a daily self-report distress tool to identify vocational program trainees at risk of absence or drop-out due to mental health and/or substance abuse issues. These at-risk trainees will then be referred to a mental health crisis program through a fit-for-purpose referral process to accommodate their training program requirements. It is hypothesized that early identification and referral for mental health and substance abuse issues will reduce both program absence and drop-out rates and result in improved in long-term employment for these NEET youth.
Detailed description
The Trades \& Diversity Training Program (TDTP) is a Canadian federal government-funded vocational construction skills training program for visible minority \& female youth who are chronically under- and unemployed. The TDTP is a 12-week program that includes both in-classroom education and supervised hands-on experiential learning at participating construction sites. The trainees are supported by a case manager who identifies, plans and co-ordinates support services to minimize program absences and drop-out. The most significant barriers to successful program completion and long-term employment are mental health and substance use disorders. Historically, identification and rapid referral to mental health and addiction services has been difficult due to human resource limitations and limited access to timely healthcare services. This study will randomize cohorts enrolled in each 12-week training program located in 2 sites to the use of a self-report distress tool versus usual case management. The distress tool is a web-based self-reporting tool that is accessed by trainees on a daily basis to report their distress levels, the underlying reasons for this distress and whether this distress will prevent them from attending class or put them at-risk for drop-out. For those individuals whose distress levels threaten their program participation, the case manager is alerted immediately via an email notification. The case manager is then responsible for connecting with the trainees and engaging the rapid referral process for mental health and addictions healthcare services. The control cohorts will receive the usual case management approach of engaging students on an intermittent basis and providing support as needed.
Interventions
- Behavioral Basic Case Management
Usual case management support during 12-week training program - Behavioral Basic Case Management plus Distress Tool
Usual case management support during 12-week training program plus daily self-reports of distress using Distress Thermometer tool - Behavioral Basic Case Management plus rapid mental health & addictions healthcare access
Usual case management support during 12-week training program plus rapid access referral process for healthcare crisis services - Behavioral Basic Case Management plus Distress Tool and rapid mental health & addictions healthcare access
Usual case management support during 12-week training program plus daily distress self-reports plus rapid access referral process for healthcare crisis services
Primary outcome measures
- Program attendance [Time frame: 12 weeks from program enrolment]
- Program completion [Time frame: 12 weeks from program enrolment]
- Post-program employment [Time frame: 24 weeks post-program completion]
Secondary outcome measures (6)
- Access to healthcare services [Time frame: 12 weeks from program enrolment]
- Healthcare utilization [Time frame: 12 weeks from program enrolment]
- Apprentice satisfaction [Time frame: 12 weeks from program enrolment]
- Acceptability of self-report distress tool [Time frame: 12 weeks from program enrolment]
- Feasibility of self-report distress tool [Time frame: 12 weeks from program enrolment]
- Compliance of self-report distress tool [Time frame: 12 weeks from program enrolment]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- must be a visible minority or female
- must be fluent in English or French
- must have an active Ontario Health Insurance Plan number
- must have a valid Canadian Social Insurance Number
- Access to wi-fi network and computing device (phone, tablet, computer)
Exclusion criteria
\- none
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Factorial
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
Study locations
Canada · 1 center
- Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre — Barrie
Publications
- Bailey S, Stoner C, Cruise K, DiDiodato G. Protocol for a cluster randomized study to compare the effectiveness of a self-report distress tool and a mental health referral service to usual case management on program completion among vulnerable youth enrolled in a vocational training program. PLoS One. 2024 Aug 1;19(8):e0294806. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294806. eCollection 2024. PMID 39088460
Identifiers
NCT: NCT05626374 · R22-013