4250.0: Tuesday, November 14, 2000 - 5:30 PM

Abstract #10584

Winning New Jobs: A preventive program aimed at reducing economic and health disparities in the unemployed

Richard H. Price, PhD, Michigan Prevention Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Box 1248, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248, 734-763-0446, ricprice@umich.edu

We are in the midst of a global economic transformation that places millions of individual workers and their families at risk for health problems. These economic changes provide a critical opportunity for the implementation of effective preventive interventions that can reduce health disparities associated with unemployment and economic hardship. In California, despite recent economic gains, pockets of poverty and economic stagnation, particularly in minority communities, leave many job seekers unable to find jobs.

This paper describes our experience in a collaborative community based preventive project implementing the Winning New Jobs program developed by the Michigan Prevention Research Center . Winning New Jobs is a preventive job search program shown to be effective in two previous replicated large scale randomized preventive trials in improving reemployment rates, job quality, mental health and role and emotional functioning. Our project in California involved intensive collaboration between the Michigan Prevention Research Center and their implementation partners including the Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation, the California Wellness Foundation, the Claremont Graduate University and three community based organizations serving unemployed clients at risk for health and mental health problems.

We present data from the Winning New Jobs project documenting the effective implementation of the program, and report multilevel short term outcome data demonstrating differential trainer, intervention and client effects of Winning New Jobs.

Learning Objectives: 1. Describe the Winning New Jobs program and its preventive approach to improving reemployment rates, job quality, mental health and role and emotional functioning among the unemployed. 2. Present data documenting the effective implementation of the program. 3. Report multilevel short term outcome data demonstrating differential trainer, intervention and client effects of Winning New Jobs

Keywords: Prevention, Mental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: This session based on the Winning New Jobs program funded by The California Wellness Foundation
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Winning New Jobs program grantee, funded by The California Wellness Foundation

The 128th Annual Meeting of APHA