Affiliations: Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging
Research, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901,
USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Cynthia L. Blitz, Ph.D. Associate
Director, Center for Mental Health Services & Criminal Justice Research,
Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, Rutgers, The State
University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA. Tel.: +1 732 932 2183;
E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Unemployment rates remain high among individuals with psychiatric
disabilities despite growing evidence that supported employment programs (SEPs)
can help such individuals to obtain and retain competitive employment. A
complete understanding of factors that may facilitate or hinder the success of
such supported employment efforts is urgently needed to increase the efficacy
of SEPs and move more individuals with psychiatric disabilities from welfare to
work. This exploratory study provides insight into potential facilitators and
barriers to employment among individuals with psychiatric disabilities from the
perspective of job coaches. Twenty-eight job coaches from 14 SEPs in a
Northeastern state reported on their experience with four recent clients, two
who were successful in obtaining employment and two who failed, through a
semi-structured mail survey. Findings suggest that job coaches use similar
strategies to assist clients, but in each case try to tailor specific
strategies to client's needs and characteristics. Factors that influence
successful job placement and research and policy implications are
discussed.
