Introduction
While most employment coaching and other employment services are offered in a program office, school, other community location, or virtually, emerging evidence suggests that offering employment services in a participant’s home may have some important advantages. It puts the program staff and the participant on a more equal footing and encourages a strong relationship between them; it allows the program staff to gain richer information about participants’ strengths and areas of need; and it is easier, less costly, and less time-consuming for participants.
Employment coaching involves trained staff working collaboratively with participants to help them set individualized goals—directly or indirectly related to employment—and providing motivation, support, and feedback as participants work toward those goals. It is distinct from case management, a traditional approach for helping participants find and maintain employment, in that it is not directive but rather involves a collaborative relationship between coach and participant. Coaches guide the participants but do not specify goals for participants, develop plans for them to achieve those goals, or tell them what to do next.
Purpose
This brief describes why employment coaching programs and employment service practitioners more generally might consider offering services in participants’ homes. It also offers some considerations for program practitioners.
Key Findings and Highlights
Studies of two home-based employment coaching programs serving families who use TANF benefits—Building Nebraska Families (BNF) and of Family Development and Self-Sufficiency (FaDSS)—yielded some promising findings related to economic well-being. Home visiting is widely used to deliver parenting and child well-being services. These early childhood home visiting services have generally been found effective in improving parenting, maternal and child health, and child development and school readiness. Even though these outcomes are not directly related to employment, these findings provide some evidence that home-based services can change behavior.
Home-based services have three main advantages over providing services virtually or outside the home. First, they can offer an environment to build a high-quality relationship between a program staff member and a participant. Second, employment coaches can access a more holistic view of the family when visiting the home. Third, home-based delivery can increase participants’ access to program services.
Considering findings from the evaluations of BNF and FaDSS, and the research literature on early childhood home visiting services, we suggest that providers of employment coaching and other employment services should consider offering services in the home. Because of the higher cost of home-based services, providers may want to consider offering services in the home to participants likely to benefit from them most. Such participants could include those who would find it more challenging to visit a program office, for example, participants with caregiving responsibilities, or those who live in rural areas or have mobility challenges. An understanding of the participants’ needs and a closer relationship between program staff and participants are particularly important to inform the delivery of home-based services.
Methods
This brief presents findings from an implementation and experimental impact study of FaDSS conducted as part of OPRE’s Evaluation of Employment Coaching for TANF and Related Populations. It also draws on an experimental study of BNF conducted under OPRE’s Rural Welfare-to-Work Demonstration Evaluation. The brief also draws on published evidence on early childhood home visiting programs.
Citation
Emily Sama-Miller and Pamela Holcomb. “The Potential of Home-Based Employment Coaching to Support Economic Stability.” OPRE Report #2023-300. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.