Evaluating Purposeful Pathways for Veterans' Employment

This study is testing a new approach called "Purposeful Pathways" to help Veterans who are unemployed and have mental health or substance use disorders find meaningful work. Purposeful Pathways is a counseling program that focuses on career exploration and job searching. It's being compared to a standard program called Transitional Work (TW), which offers paid jobs within the VA or community. The study wants to see if adding Purposeful Pathways to TW helps Veterans get competitive jobs, work more hours, and improve their overall quality of life and mental health. You may be able to join if you are a Veteran aged 18 or older, are currently unemployed, interested in returning to work, and have a documented mental health or substance use disorder. The study is currently recruiting participants.

Study design
This study is an interventional trial comparing two groups of participants, with 254 Veterans planned to enroll. One group will receive Purposeful Pathways plus Transitional Work, and the other will receive Transitional Work alone.
What's involved
If you join, you would participate in individual counseling sessions weekly for up to 12 sessions, each lasting 50 minutes. You would also participate in the Transitional Work program.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
The study will measure outcomes like competitive employment and hours worked through study completion, which is an average of 15 months.

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NCT07097376

Evaluating the Efficacy of a Vocational Counseling Intervention to Improve Occupational Functioning and Employment Quality Among Veterans With Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders

Not Yet Recruiting
NAAges 18+InterventionalTreatment
VA Office of Research and Development
~254 participants
Updated 2026-07-23 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Purposeful PathwaysTransitional Work

At a glance

Recruiting sites
0 of 3 listed sites are recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Number of Participants with Competitive Employment
Measured over through study completion, an average of 15 months
+5 more outcomes measured
Unemployment
3 sites across 3 states
Illinois1
Massachusetts1
Texas1
  • Brian J Stevenson, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · VA Bedford HealthCare System, Bedford, MA

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Do you actually qualify for this trial?

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

enrolled in VHA TW at one of the three VA recruitment sites
be unemployed
report interest/intention to return to paid work within the upcoming three years
presence of a psychiatric disorder as indicated by documented ICD-10 diagnosis (mental health disorder and/or substance use disorder) addressed in an encounter at VHA within the 24 months preceding study enrollment
willing to participate in weekly vocational counseling sessions

Exclusion

report a plan to remain unemployed during the upcoming 12 months
report plans to retire within the next 12 months
be currently retired
be a full-time student
enrolled in Supported Employment
experiencing significantly elevated mental health symptoms as indicated by a score greater than 26 on the Symptom Checklist-6 (SCL-648)
have a guardian or conservator
  • Number of Participants with Competitive Employmentthrough study completion, an average of 15 months

    Number of participants who were competitively employed at any point over the previous month. We define competitive employment as a non-sheltered job that earns salary, wages, or commission, excluding military drill and transient cash-based jobs, such as yard work, babysitting, and manual day labor.

  • Number of days workedthrough study completion, an average of 15 months

    The number of days worked in competitive employment over the past month

  • Total hours workedthrough study completion, an average of 15 months

    The number of hours worked in competitive employment during previous month

  • Income earnedthrough study completion, an average of 15 months

    Total wages from competitive employment earned over the past month

  • Career Adapt-Ability Scalethrough study completion, an average of 15 months

    One's functional abilities/strengths to successfully manage career-related tasks. Possible scores range from 24 - 120, with greater scores indicating greater career adaptability functioning.

  • Positive Meaning Scale of the Work as Meaning Inventorythrough study completion, an average of 15 months

    Degree to which someone perceives their work as meaningful. Scores range from 4 - 28, with higher scores representing greater levels of meaningful work.