Building and Connecting

Impact report on a randomized trial of Reclaiming Employment business coaching and online learning for entrepreneurs

Design

Participants

165 Adults
Spanning 33 states, all participants were identified as ready to make a business plans.

Methodology

Randomized
Users were randomly assigned to one of three specific intervention pathways:
Control, consisting of referral to free, mainstream business development resources.
RElearn, self-guided access to business courses and other resources, plus a virtual support community.
REcoach, everything with RElearn plus 12 individual and group peer business coaching sessions.

Duration

12 Weeks
Intervention period followed by a 6-month follow-up survey.

Background

Earlier pilot studies showed that independent use of Reclaiming Employment online program — self‑paced courses, a library of practical business tools, and a supportive online community — improved self-efficacy and business outcomes. However many users wanted more personalized support.

Solution

To meet that need, we developed REcoach, a model that pairs the RE platform with individualized Peer Business Coaching delivered through a 12 week curriculum. We then tested the impact of REcoach compared to independent use (which we called RElearn), and to test both of those against usual access to supports in a Control group.

“It gave me a blueprint to start from, automatically increasing my confidence. ”
— REcoach Research Participant

Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups:

RElearn

Access to the RE online platform (courses, library, community).

REcoach

RE platform plus 12 weekly individual and group coaching sessions led by Peer Business Coaches

Control group

Received a brochure with a list of mainstream business resources.

The Participants

A total of 165 adults from across 33 U.S. states took part in the study. All identified as having mental health challenges that affected their work life.

53%
Identified as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; 13% Latinx.
25-75
Range in age of participants involved in the study.
50%+
More than half of the participants did not have a college degree.
58%
Had a household income under $40,000 per year.
24%
Received SSI or SSDI in the past year; 30% had used Vocational Rehab.
50%
About half were current Medicaid or Medicare beneficiaries.
58%
Reported chronic workplace stress and burnout.

Participant Goals

“My goal is to create a business plan that supports the community, my soul care, and my ability to generate income to support independent living.”
— RE Participant

A total of 165 adults from across 33 U.S. states took part in the study. All identified as having mental health challenges that affected their work life.

  • 72% were women; 16% male; 13% transgender, genderqueer, non-binary.

  • 53% identified as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; 13% Latinx

  • Ranged in age from 25 to 75 years old

  • More than half did not have a college degree

  • 58% had a household income under $40,000 per year

  • 24% received SSI or SSDI in the past year; 30% had used Vocational Rehab.

  • About half were current Medicaid or Medicare beneficiaries

  • 58% reported chronic workplace stress and burnout

Gender Identity

72% Identified as Women
16% Identified as Male
13% Transgender, Genderqueer, or Non-binary
“As someone with ADHD, I do better with a person, rather than a self paced course. ”
— RE Participant

All participants had a specific business idea they wanted to pursue and were ready to make a plan. Their business ideas were diverse, but their goals were similar:

  • Achieving financial self‑sufficiency (88%)

  • Using lived experience to make a social impact (86%)

  • Having more control over their work and schedule (85%)

  • Creating a business aligned with personal values (79%)

  • Flexibility to accommodate mental health needs (75%)

Most planned businesses were in:

  • Health care, social services, or personal services (51%)

  • Training and education (13%)

  • Arts, entertainment, or recreation (11%)

“Finding meaningful work that is spiritually based and flexible has not been easy.”
— RE Participant

Evaluation Design

What We Tested

RElearn

Access to the RE online platform including specialized courses, a digital library, and an active community of peers.

REcoach

Full RE platform access plus 12 weekly individual and group coaching sessions led by experienced Peer Business Coaches.

Control

Participants received a comprehensive brochure featuring a curated list of mainstream business resources for comparison.

Key Findings

The research questions focused on differences in target outcomes between coaching (REcoach), self-directed learning (RElearn), and Control groups.

Coaching and the platform both helped people complete a business plan.

The difference in proportion was significantly higher in each of the intervention conditions compared to the control group (Coach vs Control χ2= 10.13(1) , p<.001; Learn vs Control χ2= 2.89(1), p=.045)

Coaching led to the strongest progress toward self‑employment goals.

Participants were asked whether they made “better than expected” progress:

The difference in proportion was significantly higher each of the intervention conditions compared to the control group, (Coach vs Control χ2=18.82(1), p<.001; Learn vs Control χ2=3.30(1), p=.035)

Coaching helped people advance further on every part of a business plan.

Progress on each of 6 written business plan components was rated from 1-6 (1=Not started, 2=Some progress, 3=About halfway, 4=Substantially done, 5=Complete but could tweak, 6=Fully completed)

Entrepreneurial Self‑Efficacy (ESE)improved for both intervention groups.

The Coach and Learn groups had significantly greater increases in overall ESE than the Control group.

Generalized estimating equations adjust for recruitment wave, baseline report of prior use of formal and informal business supports, and time (baseline, 6-month assessment)

Engagement with the Program

Results suggests that coaching helped people stay motivated and connected.

REcoach participants logged in about 3× more often than RElearn (25.9 vs. 8.2 logins)

Login activity

REcoach participants stayed active on the platform for twice as long (60 days vs. 31 days) as RElearn

Duration

84% of REcoach participants completed all 12 coaching sessions

Attendance

What This Means

This study shows that:

✅ Self‑employment is a viable pathway

People with psychiatric disabilities can succeed when supports match their realities.

✅ Coaching matters

The platform alone helps — coaching significantly strengthens outcomes.

✅ Peer delivery works

Self‑employed peers provide credible, relatable support.

✅ This model can scale

REcoach offers a practical option for vocational rehabilitation and mental health systems.

Looking Ahead

The results of this study will help shape:

  • Future versions of the RE platform

  • Training for peer business coaches

  • Guidance for vocational rehabilitation and mental health providers

  • Policy conversations about self‑employment as an employment outcome under the Rehabilitation Act

Our goal is to make self‑employment more accessible to people with psychiatric disabilities — and to ensure they have the tools, community, and support needed to thrive.

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