Supported Employment

An Evidence-Based Practice

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What Are Evidence-Based What Are Evidence-Based Practices?Practices?

Services that have consistently Services that have consistently demonstrated their demonstrated their effectivenesseffectiveness in helping people with mental in helping people with mental illness to achieve their desired illness to achieve their desired goals goals

Effectiveness was established by Effectiveness was established by different people who conducted different people who conducted rigorous studies and obtained rigorous studies and obtained similar outcomessimilar outcomes

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Examples of Evidence-Based Examples of Evidence-Based PracticesPractices

Supported EmploymentSupported Employment

Assertive Community TreatmentAssertive Community Treatment

Family PsychoeducationFamily Psychoeducation

Illness Management and RecoveryIllness Management and Recovery

Integrated Treatment for Co-Integrated Treatment for Co-Occurring DisordersOccurring Disorders

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Why Implement Evidence-Based Why Implement Evidence-Based Practices?Practices?

According to the New Freedom Commission According to the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health:on Mental Health:

State-of-the-art treatments, based State-of-the-art treatments, based on decades of research, are not on decades of research, are not being transferred from research to being transferred from research to community settingscommunity settings

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According to the New Freedom Commission According to the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health:on Mental Health:

IIf effective treatments were more f effective treatments were more efficiently delivered through our efficiently delivered through our mental health services system . . . mental health services system . . . millions of Americans would be millions of Americans would be more successful in school, at work, more successful in school, at work, and in their communitiesand in their communities

——Michael Hogan, ChairmanMichael Hogan, Chairman

Why Implement Evidence-Based Why Implement Evidence-Based Practices?Practices?(continued)(continued)

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What Is Supported What Is Supported Employment?Employment?

Supported Employment helps people Supported Employment helps people

with mental illnesses find and keep with mental illnesses find and keep

meaningful jobs in the communitymeaningful jobs in the community

The jobs exist in the open labor The jobs exist in the open labor

market, pay at least minimum wage, market, pay at least minimum wage,

and are in work settings that include and are in work settings that include

people who are not disabledpeople who are not disabled

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Practice Principles of Supported Practice Principles of Supported EmploymentEmployment

Eligibility is based Eligibility is based on consumer on consumer choicechoice

Supported Supported Employment Employment services are services are integrated with integrated with comprehensive comprehensive mental health mental health treatmenttreatment

Competitive Competitive employment is employment is the goalthe goal

Personalized benefits Personalized benefits counseling is counseling is important important

Job search starts soon Job search starts soon after consumers after consumers express interest in express interest in workingworking

Follow-along supports Follow-along supports are continuousare continuous

Consumer Consumer preferences are preferences are importantimportant

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Eligibility Is Based on Consumer Eligibility Is Based on Consumer ChoiceChoice

All consumers who want to work are All consumers who want to work are eligible for Supported Employmenteligible for Supported Employment

Consumers are not excluded Consumers are not excluded because of severity of symptoms, because of severity of symptoms, substance use, diagnosis or recent substance use, diagnosis or recent hospitalizationshospitalizations

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Supported Employment Is Integrated Supported Employment Is Integrated with Mental Health Treatmentwith Mental Health Treatment

Employment specialists coordinate Employment specialists coordinate services with other mental health services with other mental health practitioners (for example, case practitioners (for example, case managers, therapists, managers, therapists, psychiatrists, etc.)psychiatrists, etc.)

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Competitive Employment Is the Competitive Employment Is the GoalGoal

Employment specialists help consumers Employment specialists help consumers find jobs that exist in the open labor find jobs that exist in the open labor market and that pay at least minimum market and that pay at least minimum wage, including part-time and full-time wage, including part-time and full-time jobsjobs

Consumers are not steered into sheltered Consumers are not steered into sheltered jobs (jobs that are set aside for people jobs (jobs that are set aside for people with disabilities and that may not pay with disabilities and that may not pay minimum wag) but work in community minimum wag) but work in community settings with people who do not have settings with people who do not have disabilitiesdisabilities

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Personalized Benefits Personalized Benefits Counseling Is ImportantCounseling Is Important

Employment specialists help Employment specialists help consumers understand how benefits consumers understand how benefits (such as Social Security or Medicaid) (such as Social Security or Medicaid) are affected by working so they can are affected by working so they can make informed decisions about make informed decisions about starting or changing jobsstarting or changing jobs

Most consumers are able to work and Most consumers are able to work and continue to receive some benefits continue to receive some benefits

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Job Search Starts Soon After Job Search Starts Soon After Consumers Express Interest in Consumers Express Interest in WorkingWorking

Employment specialists help Employment specialists help

consumers start looking for jobs consumers start looking for jobs

within 1 month after they start within 1 month after they start

the programthe program

Pre-employment assessment, Pre-employment assessment,

training, and counseling are not training, and counseling are not

required and are kept to a required and are kept to a

minimumminimum

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Follow-Along Supports Are Follow-Along Supports Are ContinuousContinuous

Employment specialists continue Employment specialists continue to stay in regular contact with to stay in regular contact with consumers and (when consumers and (when appropriate) the employer— appropriate) the employer— without arbitrary time limitswithout arbitrary time limits

Consumers are never terminated Consumers are never terminated from Supported Employment from Supported Employment unless they directly request itunless they directly request it

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Consumer Preferences Are Consumer Preferences Are ImportantImportant

Employment positions are found Employment positions are found based on consumers’ individual based on consumers’ individual preferences, strengths, and work preferences, strengths, and work experiencesexperiences

Job finding is not based on a pool Job finding is not based on a pool of jobs that are available or set of jobs that are available or set aside specifically for consumersaside specifically for consumers

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SummarySummary

People with mental illnesses do want People with mental illnesses do want to work and can work in competitive to work and can work in competitive jobsjobs

Programs following evidence-based Programs following evidence-based principles of Supported Employment principles of Supported Employment have better outcomeshave better outcomes

Programs must address financial and Programs must address financial and organizational barriers to be organizational barriers to be successfulsuccessful

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Additional Resources Additional Resources

For more information about For more information about Supported Employment and Supported Employment and other evidence-based other evidence-based practices, visitpractices, visit

www.samhsa.govwww.samhsa.gov/shin/shin