This report provides demographic and employment information for those participants enrolled in the Becoming Employed Starts Today (BEST) program during the first year of its five-year implementation period. BEST offers evidence-based supported employment services to individuals with severe mental illnesses and co-occurring substance disorders in an effort to reduce long-term unemployment and improve participant well-being. Of the 102 participants who enrolled in the first year of the program, 57% were unemployed for the entirety of the year prior to joining the program. Participants in Grant and Clark counties received intensive supported employment services and other types of mental health outpatient services to manage their behavioral health needs. Preliminary comparisons of pre- and post-enrollment employment rates indicate that participant employed increased by 23%, with 53% of all participants having some form of employment following enrollment in the program. Future analyses will focus on longer-term outcomes and will include a statically matched comparison group to control for other sources of change.
