Pilot Clinical Trial of a Website-Delivered Motivational Interviewing Program for Engaging Veterans in Paid Work

A web-based adaptation of a benefits counseling intervention was specifically developed to encourage veterans applying for service-connection to engage in work-related activities by explaining the limited risk of Veterans Administration (VA) benefit reduction if the beneficiary is employed. This study reports the efficacy of this web-based benefit counseling intervention. Altogether, 150 veterans applying for service-connection for a mental health condition were randomly assigned to a benefits counseling website or a control website. The benefits counseling website directed participants to a web-adapted benefits counseling program. The control website directed participants to a website with government links to general information about the service-connection process and VA benefits. Employment outcomes were assessed by phone at 4, 12, and 24 weeks after randomization. Three quarters (n = 117, 78%) of veterans logged into their assigned website and were included in the analysis. Web-based benefits counseling had a modest impact on attitudes toward work and benefits, but there was no significant change in employment.