Integrating chronic disease prevention and management programs and occupational therapy into a workforce development program for low-skilled, low-resourced individuals

The Career Support Network (CSN), a partnership between the Federation of Neighborhood Centers and an Academic Health Center and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Local Funding Partnerships Program, is an innovative, community-based project to improve the health of low-skilled, low resourced unemployed men and women, including those recently released from prison, in Philadelphia neighborhoods where the unemployment rate is 35% or higher. The unemployed often have multiple chronic health problems that are barriers to obtaining and retaining jobs and achieving economic stability. The CSN was developed  to help underserved, unemployed adults, enrolled in workforce development programs to overcome these barriers and succeed in long-term careers by creating an integrated, one-stop neighborhood center that weaves together occupational counseling, job training, peer support, mental health services, and chronic disease self management programs. The goal of the CSN is to enable vulnerable adults with limited skills, physical and/or behavioral health problems to become independent and productive members of the community through retaining sustainable jobs. The objectives to meet these goals focus on: 1) increasing healthy lifestyle behaviors related to chronic disease prevention and/or management among program participants, 2) improving chronic disease self management such as diabetes and hypertension, asthma, and arthritis, among program participants, and 3) assisting participants in developing skills and obtaining the supports necessary for independent productive living and job retention. The presentation will review the development, implementation and evaluation strategies, including health outcomes and job retention and recidivism. Outcomes for the first 130 participants will be presented.