Benefits Counseling to Preserve Function Among Disability Applicants

NCT00715650 | Completed Phase 2 Results

• 1 other identifier: D6432-R
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 92
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study will address the problem that claimants with psychiatric disabilities who apply for and receive disability benefits go on to work less than those whose claims are denied.

Conditions

Veterans' Disability Claims

Keywords

Rehabilitation, Vocational; Compensation and Redress; disability evaluation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Days of Work and Work-related Activity

  Number of days in the past 28 spent engaged in any kind of work or related activity. Measured using a timeline follow-back calendar.

  Baseline

• Days of Work and Work-related Activity

  Number of days in the past 28 spent engaged in any kind of work or related activity. Measured using a timeline follow-back calendar.

  Month 1

• Days of Work and Work-related Activity

  Number of days in the past 28 spent engaged in any kind of work or related activity. Measured using a timeline follow-back calendar.

  Month 3

• Days of Work and Work-related Activity

  Number of days in the past 28 spent engaged in any kind of work or related activity. Measured using a timeline follow-back calendar.

  Month 6

Study Arms (2)

Arm 1

EXPERIMENTAL

This counseling consists of four sessions each approximately 60 minutes each. The four sessions are organized as follows: a) Orientation to Benefits Counseling: Your Benefits and Your Goals b) Work and Claims c) Financial Review: Implications of Your Work Plan and d) Your Plans After the Benefits Notice. The first session focuses on the disability application process as a non-confrontational way to explore attitudes towards work. The second session more directly addresses the claimant's attitudes about work and beliefs about whether work will prevent receipt of disability benefits. The third session addresses the same issue as the second, ambivalence about work and disability, from a financial perspective. The fourth session occurs after the disability determination has been made, and it is possible the veteran may feel differently about a benefit that has been awarded.

Behavioral: Benefits Counseling

Arm 2

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

This will consist of four-session orientation with the sessions organized as follows: a) overview of VHA services, b) Primary Care c) Pharmacy and laboratory services and d) specialty services. After the description of each service, participants will be invited to discuss which services they plan to utilize. The counselor will provide telephone numbers and directions to the sites at which these services are provided.

Behavioral: VA Orientation

Interventions

Benefits Counseling BEHAVIORAL

Benefits counseling is designed to improve the quality of life of disability applicants by accomplishing two functions: 1) Providing information concerning what vocational rehabilitation services are available and how they will affect receipt of disability payments, 2) Amplifying applicants' existing motivation to engage in work and related-activities, using a Motivational Interviewing approach.

Also known as: Motivational Interviewing

Arm 1

VA Orientation BEHAVIORAL

VA Orientation is designed to provide the Veteran with information regarding the services available, how to access the services and where the service is located on the VA campus.

Also known as: New patient orientation

Arm 2

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Has never received VBA benefits
• Able to provide valid consent
• Expresses willingness to discuss benefits with a counselor
• Difficulty working as evidenced by a "Yes" to either (a), (b), or (c) of the question below about work-related difficulties: During the past 4 weeks, have you had any of the following problems (such as feeling depressed and anxious):
• Cut down on the amount of time you spent on work or other activities?
• Accomplished less than you would like?
• Didn't do work or other activities as carefully as usual?
• Expresses willingness to try Benefits Counseling if assigned to it
• An evaluation by a psychiatrist or psychologist is scheduled

You may not qualify if:

• Already receiving VA payments
• Already receiving SSI or SSDI payments
• Has a conservator

Sponsors & Collaborators

• VA Office of Research and Development: lead
• Yale University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

VA Connecticut Healthcare System West Haven Campus, West Haven, CT

West Haven, Connecticut, 06516, United States

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Meshberg-Cohen S, Reid-Quinones K, Black AC, Rosen MI. Veterans' attitudes toward work and disability compensation: associations with substance abuse. Addict Behav. 2014 Feb;39(2):445-8. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2013.09.005. Epub 2013 Sep 11.

  PMID: 24090622 RESULT

• Rosen MI, Ablondi K, Black AC, Mueller L, Serowik KL, Martino S, Mobo BH, Rosenheck RA. Work outcomes after benefits counseling among veterans applying for service connection for a psychiatric condition. Psychiatr Serv. 2014 Dec 1;65(12):1426-32. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201300478. Epub 2014 Oct 31.

  PMID: 25082304 RESULT

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Motivational Interviewing

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Directive Counseling; Counseling; Mental Health Services; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities; Health Services; Health Care Facilities Workforce and Services

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Dr. Marc Rosen
• Organization: Yale University

marc.rosen@yale.edu

203-932-5711

Study Officials

• Marc I. Rosen, MD

  VA Connecticut Healthcare System West Haven Campus, West Haven, CT

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: phase 2
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: FED
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 11, 2008
• First Posted: July 15, 2008
• Study Start: December 1, 2008
• Primary Completion: June 1, 2012
• Study Completion: December 1, 2015
• Last Updated: March 11, 2016
• Results First Posted: October 17, 2014

Record last verified: 2016-02

Locations

US (1)