Acceptability and Feasibility of Peer Specialist-Delivered Virtual Reality Job Interview Training for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

This study explored peer specialists’ perspectives on delivering vocational interventions, especially Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR-JIT). Five focus groups of peer specialists (N = 34) explored their beliefs about vocational services, including VR-JIT. We trained eight peer specialists to be VR-JIT “instructors” and interviewed them about using VR-JIT in their mental health practice. Generally, participants discussed tailoring their vocational services to include sharing their story of recovery. Specifically, participants perceived VR-JIT as acceptable and feasibly implemented within their practice. Overall, participants viewed VR-JIT as a higher level of service and they would be uniquely qualified to support consumers using the tool.

Keywords:

• Peer support specialists
• virtual reality training
• job interview skills
• vocational interventions
• mental health recovery
• vocational rehabilitation

Disclosure statement

Dr. Matthew Smith will receive royalties on sales of an adapted version of virtual reality job interview training that his team designed to meet the needs of transition-age youth with autism spectrum disorders. Dr. Smith’s research on this newly adapted version of VR-JIT is independent of the data reported in this manuscript. No other authors report any conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to thank Community Advisory Board members Lara Snider and Pamela Werner. This research was supported by a grant to Dr. Lapidos from Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan, and a grant to Dr. Smith from the National Institutes of Health (R01 MH110524).