Previous research reveals high unemployment rates among LGBTQ2S youth experiencing homelessness. This chapter provides an overview of the vocational needs of LGBTQ2S youth experiencing homelessness and introduces the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model of supported employment as one evidence-based solution to help this population gain and maintain competitive employment. The author illustrates the chapter with findings from a pilot adaptation study of the IPS model in the United States with 20 LGBTQ2S youth experiencing homelessness (ages 18-24), who met the criteria for diagnosis for one of six possible mental illnesses. Participants received the IPS intervention over 10 months.

Using a pre-post, self-comparison, quasi-experimental design, the impact of the IPS was assessed on five employment outcomes: 1) Ever-worked rate, 2) Working-at-follow-up rate, 3) Monthly work rate, 4) Weekly work hours and 5) Weekly income. IPS participants were significantly more likely than the comparison group to have worked at some point over the 10-month study and to have worked a greater number of months overall.