Supported employment for individuals with severe mental illness

Abstract

Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. -Theodore Roosevelt, 1903 Occupational dysfunction is one of the most devastating and disabling consequences of severe mental illness. Supported employment (SE) is an evidence-based practice for assisting clients with severe mental illness to find and keep competitive jobs in the community. The key elements of SE include rapid, individualized job searching, job-based assessment, benefits counseling, time-unlimited job support, and integration of vocational and mental health services. Further, any client who wants to participate is eligible for SE services, and all services are based on the client's individual preferences. © Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2009.