A qualitative exploration of mental health workers trained and supported to deliver a cognitive remediation program, Employ Your Mind (EYM)

Background Cognitive remediation is an evidence-based intervention designed to improve the functional cognition of people with mental health conditions. Employ Your Mind is a vocational rehabilitation program with embedded cognitive remediation that is facilitated by trained mental health workers, referred to as Learning Coaches within this context. Providing effective training and support to Learning Coaches forms a significant component to the implementation of the program. To date, there has been limited examination of Learning Coaches’ experiences of delivering the Employ Your Mind program. These perspectives are important for the wider implementation of cognitive remediation interventions to improve access for people with mental health conditions. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted between March–April (2025) with purposively sampled Employ Your Mind Learning Coaches and their managers, from three community-based mental health organizations involved in a 12-month Employ Your Mind Demonstration Project (2023-2024) led by WISE IDEA. Qualitative data underwent reflexive thematic analysis procedures and were compared against the Kirkpatrick Model of Evaluation. Results Learning Coaches and their managers (N = 9) described their experiences of the Employ Your Mind training and implementation as a journey of learning and skill development. Learning Coaches noted enhancements in their therapeutic approach (Kirkpatrick Model Level 3: Behaviour), improved job satisfaction in observing positive consumer outcomes (Kirkpatrick Model Level 4: Results) and the significance of ongoing support and supervision to navigate implementation challenges. Discussion This study informs the development of future training for vocational rehabilitation programs with embedded cognitive remediation. Several enablers for the successful training and implementation of the Employ Your Mind program were identified and are discussed from the Learning Coach and managerial perspective.