Supportive Housing & Individual Placement and Support (SHIPS) Study

The SHIPS study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) designed to determine whether participation in Individual Placement and Support (IPS) improves the employment, income, health, and self-sufficiency of people who are recently homeless and living in supportive housing. The SHIPS study will mark the first study testing the effectiveness of implementing IPS in a supportive housing program. SSA hypothesizes that combining the two most successful evidence-based practices that separately address homelessness and supported employment will yield a single intervention that effectively addresses both. The intent of the SHIPS study is to measure the effectiveness of evidence-based IPS compared to the services provided by local WorkSource Centers broadly available to jobseekers in the Los Angeles area, The housing case managers will refer PATH clients interested in finding employment and will randomly assign participants to one of two groups: 1. IPS: The Individual Placement and Support (IPS) service team will offer a range of structured services customized to participants’ personal needs, preferences, and challenges related to disabilities and/or mental health conditions. IPS was specifically designed as a supported employment model for individuals with serious mental illness and includes standardized training and fidelity requirements. Components of IPS that differ from those offered by WorkSource Services include integrated treatment that incorporates vocational and mental health services; benefits planning; and focus on rapid job search without extensive training. 2. WorkSource Centers: Under PATH’s current housing model, housing case managers refer PATH clients who express interest in finding employment to local American Job Centers, known as WorkSource Centers in Los Angeles. The WorkSource Centers are operated by the City of Los Angeles Economic and Workforce Development Department, and follow an employment services model that varies by WorkSource Center, is not evidence-based or subject to fidelity monitoring and is not necessarily responsive to the individual needs of jobseekers with disabilities.

The latest form for Supportive Housing & Individual Placement and Support (SHIPS) Study expires 2028-08-31 and can be found here.

Study participants baseline interview

Federal Enterprise Architecture: Income Security - General Retirement and Disability