Chapter 13: Serving the Long-Term Unemployed: An Integrated Re-Employment and Health Fitness Delivery Model

The 2009 US recession caused many people to become not just unemployed but long term unemployed (LTU). LTU is defined as being out of work six months or longer despite an active job search. Being deluged by a large volume of LTU folks prompted the author to conduct beta testing with a service delivery model deemed useful for addressing the unique needs of the LTU. Initial Stage 1 and Stage 2 group workshop results were sufficiently positive to allow for a huge scaling up. Stage 3 involved an intensive two-year collaborative LTU project funded by the Dept. of Labor. An ongoing series of three-week group workshops were delivered to a total of 250 LTU. The workshops involved both traditional job search as well as behavioral health fitness features. The employer community and recruiters were also actively engaged in this project. Through small group workshops, 250 LTU were served, more than 90% of participants were re-employed in a timely fashion, landing jobs that were acceptable and which paid as much or more than participants had previously earned. Participant evaluations were uniformly positive, the program won a national award and this LTU initiative was deemed a huge success. For service providers, the main learning objectives associated with this project were to sharpen understanding of the LTU population, explore the benefits of an innovative and integrative delivery model, gain new tools and techniques by which to effectively serve the LTU. These objectives were achieved.