# INDIVIDUAL PLACEMENT AND SUPPORT FOR VETERANS WITH OPIOID USE DISORDER: A MIXED METHODS STUDY

> **NIH VA I01** · TUSCALOOSA VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CTR · 2022 · —

## Abstract

Background: Living with an opioid use disorder (OUD) can make finding and sustaining employment a
significant challenge and is only getting worse in the COVID-19 environment. With states reporting
unemployment rates as high as 15-20%, the negative effects of unemployment on OUD treatment outcomes are
expected to deteriorate. The COVID-19 pandemic has further resulted in treatment disruptions that are
exacerbating poor outcomes, because of unemployment, social isolation, interrupted access to medication for
OUD treatment (MOUD), and interference of daily routines that provide the necessary structure for many people
with OUD. Our group has conducted research that shows Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is efficacious
in yielding more weeks worked and higher steady employment rates for Veterans with posttraumatic stress
disorder and Veterans diagnosed with a broad range of mental conditions (including substance use) being
treated in a primary care setting; however, little is known about its efficacy in Veterans with OUD. Only one small
study in civilians (n=45) with OUD has been conducted, in which 50% of the participants assigned to IPS gained
employment compared to 5% of waitlist control at 6 months follow-up (p<0.001). A systematic review of
effectiveness of IPS with conditions other than serious psychiatric mental illness revealed major limitations in
many studies, including small sample sizes, major modifications to IPS model, weak control, and short follow-up
periods. A larger randomized controlled trial of IPS for Veterans recovering from OUD with longer follow-up
period, strong treatment control, and strict adherence to IPS fidelity, such as the one we propose, is warranted.
Methods: This is a prospective, multi-site, randomized controlled trial to determine the efficacy of IPS compared
to non-IPS Treatment-as-Usual Vocational Rehabilitation (TAU-VR) in a sample of 120 Veterans recovering from
OUD (Aim 1). Investigators hypothesize that Veterans with OUD randomized to IPS will work significantly more
weeks in a competitive job over 15 months compared to the non-IPS TAU-VR group. Additionally, compared to
non-IPS TAU-VR, IPS recipients will earn significantly more income from competitive jobs and be significantly
more likely to achieve steady employment. The investigators will also evaluate self-report measures of resilience,
quality of life, perceived stress, community engagement, depression, anxiety, abstinence self-efficacy and
suicide risk. As Aim 2, using a Community Based Participatory Research (CBRP) approach, the investigators
will identify the contextual barriers to and facilitators of implementing vocational services for Veterans in both the
IPS and non-IPS TAU-VR study arms, including evaluation of employment challenges, optimal occupational
functioning, and OUD treatment adherence, with specific emphasis on the impact of COVID-19 and social
distancing. To address Aim 2, the investigators will conduct semi-structured interview...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10536333
- **Project number:** 1I01RX003656-01A2
- **Recipient organization:** TUSCALOOSA VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** LORI L. DAVIS
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-10-01 → 2026-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10536333

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10536333, INDIVIDUAL PLACEMENT AND SUPPORT FOR VETERANS WITH OPIOID USE DISORDER: A MIXED METHODS STUDY (1I01RX003656-01A2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10536333. Licensed CC0.

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