Remotely-Delivered Benefits Counseling for Service Connection Applicants

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Job Satisfaction, Unemployment

In brief

A significant portion of Veterans who apply for disability benefits have difficulty finding and sustaining employment, and are concerned that working for pay will jeopardize their receipt of service-connection benefits. In a completed clinical trial, Veterans who received Motivational Interview-formatted counseled about opportunities to work and receive service-connection went on to work for pay significantly more often than controls. The proposed clinical trial will test this counseling's efficacy when it is delivered by an automated computer program.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT02677428

Run by

VA Office of Research and Development

People needed

150

Starts

2015-12-01

Expected to finish

2020-11-01

Last updated by the study team

2020-11-20

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 64. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• All enrolled participants will have difficulty working as evidenced by a "Yes" response to any sub-part of the following question:
• During the past 4 weeks, have you had any of the following problems with your work or other regular daily activities as a result of any emotional problems (such as feeling depressed or anxious):
• (a) Cut down on the amount of time you spent on work or other activities?
• (b) Accomplished less than you would like?
• (c) Didn't do work or other activities as carefully as usual?
• Participants will also meet the following inclusion criteria:
• i. A Compensation and Pension evaluation by a psychiatrist or psychologist is scheduled
• ii. Does not have a service-connected physical disability rated over 30%
• iii. Is not service-connected for a psychiatric condition (0% service-connection is allowed, as Veterans with 0% service-connection have not received any benefit payments)
• iv. Age 18-65
• v. Reports access to an internet-connected computer/tablet and a working telephone
• vi. Reports working an average of two or fewer days per week for pay over the preceding 4 weeks
• vii. Self-reported ability to participate psychologically and physically, able to give informed consent and complete assessments; viii. Reports being able to read (this is necessary for understanding the website)
• ix. Expressed interest in sampling whatever website is provided

You may not qualify if…

• Already receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
• Has a conservator

Where it is running

• VA Connecticut Healthcare System West Haven Campus, West Haven, CT — West Haven, Connecticut, United States
• VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System, Leeds, MA — Leeds, Massachusetts, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

Trial information comes from ClinicalTrials.gov and is refreshed daily. TrialsForMe does not provide medical care and does not run the studies it lists.