Assessing the Fidelity of Supported Education Programs for First-Episode
Psychosis To the Supported Employment Guidelines Adapted for Education
Abstract
Introduction. Psychotic disorders are associated with academic
difficulties. Supported Employment Program (SEP) guidelines have become
the gold standard to improve occupational functioning in psychotic
disorders. More recently, these guidelines have been adapted to
education. In Canada, several community organizations and hospital
programs offer supported education to young people with psychotic
disorders. However, SEP guidelines are not systematically used. The
objective of this study was to assess the fidelity of 6 Canadian
(Quebec) organizations offering supported education services to young
people with psychotic disorders to the SEP guidelines adapted to
education. Methods. Six sites offering educational services to
young people with psychotic disorders were recruited. Semi-structured
interviews were conducted with one supported education professional and
one manager of each site, using the Quality of Supported Education
Implementation Scale (QSEDIS). This new scale has been developed from
the Quality of Supported Employment Implementation Scale. The QSEDIS
assesses the fidelity of the quality of the implementation of supported
education programs, using three subscales (Employees, Organization and
Services). Results. Acceptable fidelity scores were observed in
the three QSEDIS subscales for all six sites combined. The Services
subscale received the highest score of fidelity (4.4./5), followed by
the Supported Education Employee (4.1/5) and the Organization (3.7/5).
Conclusion. The results suggest that supported education
services offered to young people with psychotic disorders in the six
sites are generally consistent with SEP guidelines adapted to education.
Further research is warranted to validate whether acceptable SEP
guidelines fidelity according to the QSEDIS translates into educational
outcomes.