A survey of staff opinions on basic values of supported employment

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Pirttimaa, Raija | Saloviita, Timo

Affiliations: University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland | University of Jyväskylä, Finland

Note: [] Address for correspondence: Raija Pirttimaa, University of Helsinki, Section of Special Education, P.O. Box 47, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland. Tel: +358 40 539 44 67; E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: The development of supported employment internationally has been slow in terms of persons thus employed. Some studies have assumed that the reason for slow development resides in the conflict which is created when supported employment is embedded as an additional service option in the facility-based services. In this study, the existence of this conflict was examined by surveying the opinions of Finnish supported employment job coaches on the acceptability of supported employment values. The results confirmed that the acceptability of some values of supported employment was indeed low among staff that was supposed to provide these services. An alternative form of service organisation is discussed as a means to overcome the value conflict and staff resistance produced by it.

Keywords: supported employment, staff, values

Journal: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 95-101, 2004