Supportive Housing & Individual Placement and Support (SHIPS) Demonstration
Objective
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is partnering with Westat to implement the Supportive Housing & Individual Placement and Support (SHIPS) study. Westat is working with People Assisting the Homeless, the University of Southern California, and the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene to implement this study.
The SHIPS study is a randomized controlled trial 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 be the first to test the effectiveness of implementing IPS within a supportive housing program. SSA hypothesizes that combining two 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 providing IPS to this population compared to the services provided by local WorkSource Centers broadly available to jobseekers in the Los Angeles area.
Status
Start-up activities for the SHIPS project began in January 2023, and enrollment began in November 2024. The SHIPS project is currently scheduled to end in December 2027 but may be extended to allow sufficient time for the evaluation.
The project is a randomized controlled trial with one treatment group and one control group. The treatment group will receive IPS services, including integrated treatment that incorporates vocational and mental health services, benefits planning, and rapid job search without extensive training. The control group will receive supportive housing and workforce development services currently available to this population, including referrals to local American Job Centers, known as WorkSource Centers in Los Angeles. Project evaluation will include an analysis of the employment, income, health, and self-sufficiency of people who are recently homeless and living in supportive housing.
Enrollment for SHIPS began in November 2024, and we anticipate that the study will enroll 200 participants. Enrollment and baseline data collection, currently underway, will continue over a period of 12 months. Additional follow-up data collection will begin on a rolling basis after enrollment. The project period for SHIPS currently ends in 2027, and we expect a final evaluation report in 2028.
Not applicable at this time.
The final evaluation report is expected at the end of the project.
The final evaluation report, which will include study findings and project summary data, is expected at the end of the project.