Creating a Culture that of Employment and Economic

Self-SufficiencyNYAPRS

Len Statham, Employment and Economic Self Sufficiency Specialist

lens@nyaprs.org(585) 490-3979

New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS)

A statewide coalition of people who use and/or provide community mental health recovery services and supports dedicated to improving services and social conditions for people with psychiatric disabilities by promoting their recovery, rehabilitation and rights

Members Services and Technical Assistance Grassroots Advocacy E News Regional Forums

Annual Conference Exec Seminar PROS Academy

Service Transformation Community and Economic Development Peer Services Cultural Competence website

www.nyaprs.org

Participants will learn how culture drives outcomes and outcomes drive culture

Participants will recognize the link between poverty and mental illness

Participants will come away with ten concrete steps they can implement immediately that will help them foster a culture of employment

Participants will be introduced to curriculum that will help move people along the continuum of Employment and Economic Self-Sufficiency.

Objectives

Welcome & Expectations Why Employment & Economic Self-

Sufficiency? Exercise: What do we want? “We Can Work DVD” The Tools Making Employment Work: Building a

culture that supports work Evaluations

AGENDA

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life”

Mental Illness and Poverty 10 Facts You Should Know!

1) The lower the socioeconomic status of an individual is, the higher is his or her risk of mental illness (Hudson, 2005).

2) There is a strongly negative relationship between socioeconomic status and mental illness (Hudson, 2005).

3). The conditions of poverty can cause certain mental health disorders and that alleviating poverty can have positive effects on children's mental health (Costello et al, 2003).

4) The stresses associated with low socioeconomic status lead to higher mental illness (Hudson, 2005).

5) Higher unemployment, poverty, and lack of housing affordability in poorer communities account for more than half of community differences in psychiatric hospitalization rates (Hudson, 2005).

6) Major depression occurs more frequently among people of lower socioeconomic status (Gilman et al, 2002).

7) Participants from lower socioeconomic backgrounds had nearly a twofold increase in risk for major depression compared to those from the highest socioeconomic status (Gilman 2002).

8) Poverty, acting through economic stressors such as unemployment and lack of affordable housing, is more likely to precede mental illness than the reverse (Hudson, 2005).

9) Adults with lower socioeconomic status are more likely to have serious mental illness than those with higher socioeconomic status (SAMHSA, 2002). 10) One study found that the low-income uninsured population had a higher prevalence of 1 or more psychiatric disorders (51% vs. 28%): mood disorders (33% vs. 16%), anxiety disorders (36% vs. 11%), probable alcohol abuse (17% vs. 7%), and eating disorders (10% vs. 7%) (Mauksch, 2001).

Benefits = Poverty

Benefits + Employment = Working Poor

Employment – Benefits = PRICELESS

Being able to provide for ourselves in order to meet our

essential needs and wants. When we are self-sufficient, we

are financially independent. When we have independence we can pursue the life we want for

ourselves.

Economic Self-Sufficiency

What is economic self-sufficiency?

1. Having control over one’s financial life2. Having independence from public

programs3. Having sufficient earned income4. Having assets5. Being able to contribute to one’s

communities

When poverty and dependency become barriers to psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery

Living with chronic worry or anxiety to meet one’s basic needs

Residing in neighborhoods where violence and deteriorating community ties leave individuals in isolation

Being so afraid of not making it without benefits that one prefers to stay in the benefits trap

Lacking transportation to take a job or a better paying job

Lacking the resources or supports to pursue a new career or advance professionally

The impact of poverty and dependency on all areas of wellness

Financial

Emotional

Physical

SpiritualEnvironmental

Intellectual

Social

Occupational

The benefits of work in mental health recovery

Employment

Increase self

esteem

Decrease psychiatric symptoms

Decrease potential

for relapseIncrease income

Increase social status

Increase social

contacts

Positive opinions

about the future

Name 5 things you would like to have in your life in the next year? 3 years?

How will you acquire these things?

Can you do it on a budget of $785 a month?

What Do You Want? - Exercise

• The role of life dreams and aspirations in the pursuit of employment and economic change– What moves people to do what they do?– Why people would consider work or becoming more

self-sufficient?• Key questions:

– What are your life dreams and aspirations?– How would you like your life to be like in 1 year? in

2 years? In 5 years?– What would you like to have? What would you like

to be doing? Where would you like to live?

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Engaging in life dreams and aspirations

WE Can Work DVD: Our Stories of Recovery and

Employment Success

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A Provider’s Guide to Promoting Economic Self-sufficiency:

A recovery-oriented approach

A Workbook for People in Recovery Seeking Economic Self-sufficiency

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Lesson 1: Why Is Economic Self-sufficiency Important to

Recovery?

Lesson 2: What Can Providers Do to Support Economic Self-

Sufficiency?

A recovery-oriented approach to financial wellness

What providers can do to support economic self-sufficiency: An overview Engaging individuals through conversations about life dreams Assessing readiness to pursue economic self-sufficiency Developing readiness to pursue economic self-sufficiency Creating a plan towards self-sufficiency Developing skills and capital to achieve self-sufficiency Linking and referring individuals to economic self-sufficiency services

Lesson 3: Strategies and Tools to Engage, Assess and Develop

Readiness towards Economic Self-Sufficiency

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Provider Guide: Contents

 Lesson 4: Strategies and Tools to Create a Plan towards Self-sufficiency

Lesson 5: Strategies and Tools to Develop Skills and Capital to Achieve Self-Sufficiency◦ Module 1: Budgeting ◦ Module 2: Accessing work incentives to increase earned income◦ Module 3: Filing taxes◦ Module 4: Saving ◦ Module 5: Clearing and building credit ◦ Module 6: Dealing with predatory lending ◦ Module 7: Getting help with addictions and financial stressors◦ Module 8: Increasing social capital

 

Lesson 6: Strategies and Tools to Increase Access to Economic Self-sufficiency Services

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Provider Guide: Contents

Making Employment Work: Building a culture that supports work

Culture drives Outcomes

Outcomes drive Culture

Zero Exclusion Application process for job

development or volunteer positions Performance Reviews Time off request Job Board Achievement Board Weekly / Monthly Forums Workshops

Culture Change

Integrated team – Everyone is on the employment team.

Everyone supports economic self-sufficiency.

Support recovery and work oriented culture Look for job leads Training Jobs are celebrated milestones Employment discussed at every staff

meeting.

Culture Change

Employment WORKS!!

“First Job Ever”

“No one ever talked to me about work.”

“I experienced that work was helpful in managing my symptoms.”

“Work gave me the confidence that I can do anything that I put my mind to.”

“Has help me to be a better person knowing that I am needed somewhere.”

Employment time vs. Human service time. Visits to employers using the 3 Cups of Tea

Method. Sits on the following Business/Association

Councils: North Clinton Business Association, Wal-Mart/City Hall Committee, Rotary Club, and Rochester Area Employment Network.

Using numerous job development strategies. Our circle is their circle.

The Role of Job Developer – There is no typical day!

• Help me determine what my level of readiness to pursue employment is

• Enhance my willingness to engage in activities/actions to pursue employment

• Find best ways to engage me in the process• Get in touch with my hopes, preferences,

values • Explore past and current experiences• Consider future possibilities• Create action steps that develop readiness

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Assess Readiness To…

NOT about labeling me as “ready” or “not ready” to work

NOT about screening me out or excluding me from vocational services

NOT about my capacity to work or improve my economic self-sufficiency

NOT about determining the achievability or realism of my goals

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What Readiness Assessment is NOT

Expectations Reflections Outcome-oriented Accountability

Change begins when they first enter your care!

THANK YOU!

NYAPRSwww.nyaprs.org

Len Statham, Economic and Employment Self Sufficiency

Specialistlens@nyaprs.org(585) 490-3979