A retrospective study of clubhouse-based transitional employment.

This study of clubhouse-based transitional employment (TE) examined the ability of demographic data, diagnosis, and data on TE participation to predict TE tenure and a one-year competitive employment outcome following TE among clubhouse members. Baseline data on 138 club members who participated in TE over a 6-year period were retrospectively retrieved from a computerized database and written records. Most of the jobs held by members were maintenance or production jobs; members' average tenure on TE was 131.26 days. Older members, those with a longer club membership before their last TE job, and those working more days per week had longer average tenure on TE. Average tenure was unrelated to the severity of disability. Forty-two (30.4%) members obtained competitive employment in the one year following their last TE job. Members who worked more total hours on TE were more likely to obtain competitive employment. While aspects of the TE experience predict the move to competitive employment, further studies are needed.