Affiliations: The Department of Psychiatry, The University of
Queensland, Anzac Square Unit of CRS Australia, Brisbane, Australia | The Department of Psychiatry, The University of
Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Abstract: While vocational rehabilitation for people with a diagnosis of a
mental illness is recognised as a service delivery priority in Australia,
Government sector roles, policy settings, legislation and structural
characteristics of the labour market, impede its operation. The result is that
well-established models of rehabilitation, such as transitional employment,
have difficulty adapting to the Australian environment. The authors present
their views on salient aspects of the Australian environment including the
separation of clinical and rehabilitation services, public funding
arrangements, workforce regulations and high unemployment levels. Contextual
features with specific implications for Australians with psychiatric disability
are highlighted. Comparisons are drawn between the Australian framework for
vocational rehabilitation and that which exists in the United States of
America. Finally, challenges and opportunities facing service providers in
Australia are identified and discussed.
