Supported Employment

Supported Employment

Supported employment works for the benefit of mentally ill persons to help them get a position in the labour market. The supported employment does not only work to ensure that its consumers get jobs, but it should be competitive employment. Competitive employment is whereby its clients get a job in places where they are paid at least the minimum wage, and it is not in a work environment comprising of disabled persons. Support employment is an evidence-based practice and research on how effective it is in helping mentally ill clients have been conducted and found that the method is sufficiently effective (Cook et al., 2005).

Support employment helps consumers like Joe, who have shown interest in getting work in job searching. After getting the jobs for the consumers, the practice ensures that they continue offering to follow-ups and support until the individual can function independently. With supported employment, Joe will gain from the programme because it integrates comprehensive mental health treatment by ensuring that the employers coordinate with specialized service providers to their employees such as psychologists and nurses (Akabas, Gates & Oran-Sabia. 2006).

Joe is an alcohol and drugs abuse and supported employment does not exempt clients because of this condition, and therefore the programme will help him get employed. Joe has had instances of paranoia and schizophrenia (Miller, 2011), and he will need continued support from the supported employment program to remain helpful at the workplace. The services provided by the programme will, therefore, come in handy. With his mental status, however, Joe has been seen to have competent skills and is task-oriented and has the desire to work, the programme will help him get a job, and in the job search, his preference will be taken into consideration. Joe will also continue receiving counselling and rehabilitation services offered by the program in his pursue to alleviate poverty gain skills and get well health-wise (Drake, Merrens & Lynde, 2005).

References

Akabas, S. H., Gates, L. B., & Oran-Sabia, V. (2006). Work Opportunities for Rewarding Careers (WORC): Insights from Implementation of a Best Practice Approach Toward Vocational Services for Mental Health Consumers. Journal of Rehabilitation, 72(1).

Cook, J. A., Leff, H. S., Blyler, C. R., Gold, P. B., Goldberg, R. W., Mueser, K. T., … & Dudek, K. (2005). Results of a multisite randomized trial of supported employment interventions for individuals with severe mental illness. Archives of general psychiatry, 62(5), 505-512.

Drake, R. E., Merrens, M. R., & Lynde, D. W. (2005). Evidence-based mental health practises A textbook. WW Norton & Co.

Miller, R. (2011). Diagnosis: Schizophrenia: A Comprehensive Resource for Consumers, Families, and Helping Professionals. Columbia University Press.