Individual Placement and Support: Does Rurality Matter?

Abstract

Little is known about the relationship between population density and employment rates in individual placement and support (IPS), the evidence-based approach to supported employment. Using longitudinal employment data from 87 agencies that provide IPS to clients with severe mental illness in diverse regions of the United States, we categorized and compared agencies according to population density data as metropolitan, micropolitan, or small town. We tested for an association between population density category and employment rate. Mean program-level competitive employment rates were 43% for 66 metropolitan, 49% for 14 micropolitan, and 40% for 7 small-town IPS programs. Population density of the community in which a supported employment program is located was not associated with program-level competitive employment rates. Despite differences in the number and diversity of employers, cultural norms, and other factors associated with population density, rurality does not adversely influence the effectivenes...