Supported Employment Program Analysis

I placed in supported employment program at Center for Urban community Services. Supported employment is an approach to help individuals with mental illness that emphasizes helping people obtain competitive in the community and providing the supports to maintain job. The significance of supported employment programs is to helping individuals find employment paying competitive wages in integrated settings in the community. Supported employment program assess individuals needs based on their psychological and emotional state, emphasis on their interest and arrange necessary training and puts a premium on rapid job search and attainment. The program collaborates with individuals and their treatment teams to empower them to attain job and provides
benefit counseling to maintain financial stability( Supported employment handbook,SAMHSA).
The mission of supported employment program is support individuals with mental illness and create opportunity to make them capable of working competitively in the community. The primary goal of supported employment program is not to change the individual with mental illness, but to find a natural “fit” between the client’s strengths and experiences and a job in the community( Supported employment handbook,SAMHSA).

People with mental illness are often faces discrimination in nearly every aspects of their life.
People with mental illness are struggling with the symptoms and disabilities that result from several mental illnesses. At the same time they are challenged by the prejudice and stereotypes that society hold about them which caused them social isolation, deprivation from basic needs like employment opportunity, safe housing and health care(Corrigan and Watson,2002). In 2006 the career network introduced evidence based practice ‘Supported Employment’ program as its new service model to provide employment services to the tenants of CUCS’s supportive housing sites.The reason they implemented “supported employment’ program on the fact that a growing body of research shown the most effective approach of helping individuals who have a mental illness achieve employment. The services supported employment provides have integration of zero exclusion, rapid job search based on clients strength and interest.As client succeed in working in the community, their self-perception change and they view themselves as workers and contributors to the society. At the same time, people in the community see individuals with mental illness working, client are less stigmatized for their mental illness and they become more socially
accepted.

People with mental illness are the intended beneficiaries of the supported employment program.
CUCS’s supported employment program provides services to their supportive housing tenants and external client. Participants of supported employment program have opportunity to work based on their personal interest, hobbies or expertise and strength. Program emphasis to place participants in competitive employment at least with minimum wage and provides supports after obtaining job to maintain their work efficiently. Supported employment collaborates their services with participants physicians and psychiatrist to make sure their wellbeing, provides benefit counseling, help them to manage their finances, check on their interpersonal relationships at work place and with families and support them to attain their career goal. Supported employment program has been the most extensively studied model for persons with psychiatric disabilities and sufficient evidence to supports its effectiveness(
Supported