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Work Experiences and Challenges to Employment Sustainability for People With Mental Illness in Supported Employment Programs

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  • Janki Shankar
  • Lun Li
  • Shawn Tan

Abstract

Supported employment (SE) is an evidence-based program that has shown much promise in helping people with severe mental illnesses (SMIs) to gain and sustain competitive employment. However, there are significant variations in employment outcomes across SE programs in Canada that can be partly explained by SE service users’ experiences in their work environment. The work environment can exert a considerable influence on the interest in and ability to sustain the employment of a person with an SMI. This study explores the work experiences of individuals with SMIs who are involved in an SE program and who understand the challenges of and barriers to sustaining such employment. Semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 individuals with SMIs, and the data were analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory approach. Challenges to the employment sustainability of an individual with SMI were found to arise primarily from three intersecting contexts: the SE program, the work environment, and the larger Canadian labor market. The findings suggest that SE programs will better promote employment sustainability if they adhere closely to individual placement and support model of SE. SE service providers (employment specialists) must be equipped with a wide range of knowledge and skills to meet the needs of individuals with SMIs if sustainable employment is to be achieved. It is recommended that there must be investment in training for employment specialists to assist SE service users to achieve sustainable employment outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Janki Shankar & Lun Li & Shawn Tan, 2021. "Work Experiences and Challenges to Employment Sustainability for People With Mental Illness in Supported Employment Programs," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(3), pages 21582440211, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:sagope:v:11:y:2021:i:3:p:21582440211033558
    DOI: 10.1177/21582440211033558
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Menear, Matthew & Reinharz, Daniel & Corbière, Marc & Houle, Nathalie & Lanctôt, Nathalie & Goering, Paula & Goldner, Elliot M. & Kirsh, Bonnie & Lecomte, Tania, 2011. "Organizational analysis of Canadian supported employment programs for people with psychiatric disabilities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(7), pages 1028-1035, April.
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    4. Janki Shankar & Lili Liu & David Nicholas & Sharon Warren & Daniel Lai & Shawn Tan & Rosslynn Zulla & Jennifer Couture & Alexandra Sears, 2014. "Employers’ Perspectives on Hiring and Accommodating Workers With Mental Illness," SAGE Open, , vol. 4(3), pages 21582440145, August.
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    1. Emi Patmisari & Yunong Huang & Mark Orr & Sumathi Govindasamy & Emily Hielscher & Helen McLaren, 2024. "Supported employment interventions with people who have severe mental illness: Systematic mixed-methods umbrella review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(6), pages 1-36, June.

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