Promoting Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income (PROMISE): Early Impacts from a Multi-Site Random Assignment Evaluation

Abstract

Background PROMISE was a federal initiative to support youth receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) during the transition to adulthood. Objectives This article presents estimates of the impacts of the six PROMISE projects on youth and family outcomes as of 18 months after enrolling in PROMISE. Research Design The study uses a randomized controlled trial design. Subjects The six PROMISE projects each enrolled a minimum of 2000 treatment and control youth (and their parents) residing in their service areas who were aged 14 to 16 and receiving SSI. Measures We estimated impacts on outcomes related to youth and family service use, school enrollment, training, employment, earnings, and federal disability program participation using survey and administrative data. Results The projects succeeded in connecting more youth to transition services and more families to support services during the 18 months after enrollment, and most increased the likelihood that youth applied for state vocational rehabilitation services. On average, there was no impact on youth’s school enrollment, but there were favorable impacts on youth’s receipt of job-related training, employment, earnings, and total income. The projects did not affect parents’ employment, earnings, or income, on average. For most outcomes PROMISE affected, the impacts varied substantially across the projects. Conclusions The positive short-term impacts of PROMISE on youth’s use of transition services, youth employment, and families’ use of services are consistent with the program logic model and suggest there might be potential for longer-term favorable impacts on youth and family outcomes.