Background: Current information technology offers the promise of innovative approaches to engagement for mental health. Specific psychosocial services may also benefit from technology-based engagement interventions. Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is an evidence-based service that helps people who have a severe mental illness to gain competitive employment. Utilization of IPS services may be hindered by the absence of routine effective engagement activities. A mobile computer-based engagement intervention for IPS may help people make an initial connection with employment staff. Methods: A mobile computer-based engagement intervention for IPS was developed. This intervention was tested in a pilot study and in a randomized controlled trial, both in an urban community mental health setting. The randomized controlled trial compared the computer-based intervention to a brochure for efficacy in promoting initial engagement with IPS services. Outcomes assessed were participant behavioral engagement with IPS, participant knowledge about IPS, and participant vocational optimism. Results: In the randomized controlled trial, 11 of 22 participants who used the computer-based intervention both self-referred to IPS and attended an initial meeting with an employment specialist, whereas 1 of 23 participants who received the brochure did so (50% versus 4%; adjusted odds ratio = 82.3, p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval = 4.1 - 1660). No statistically significant differences were found on study-designed measures of vocational optimism or knowledge about IPS. Conclusions: A mobile computer-based engagement intervention can be effective at fostering initial contact between clients and employment specialists. Further work in this ii area should identify the active ingredients in these interventions, explore the potential for this class of interventions to engage those completely unengaged in services, and integrate engagement tools with other computer-based services for this population. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]