Preventing unemployment and disability benefit receipt among people with mental illness: Evidence review and policy significance.

Abstract

States can fund employment supports to help prevent the need for disability benefit receipt by creatively combining federal sources, but the funding picture is imperfect. Medicaid expansion and other provisions of the Affordable Care Act may fund employment supports and assist in reducing dependence on disability benefits. (PsycINFO Database Record

Facilitating the employment of people with mental health difficulties in Ireland

“…These illnesses produce severe and debilitating symptoms for clients, often requiring admissions to psychiatric hospitals and the need for long-term care with mental health treatment teams (Hodgson, et al, 2011). Another important concern for clients who are returning to employment is the effect this may have on a person's social welfare entitlement and other secondary benefits they may be receiving (O'Day, et al, 2017). A fear of losing a social welfare payment can act as a disincentive to returning to employment for those with a mental health illness or may act as a constraint to them returning to full-time employment, causing them to seek part-time hours as a way of retaining welfare payments (Krupa, et al, 2009;O'Day, et al, 2017).…”

“…Another important concern for clients who are returning to employment is the effect this may have on a person's social welfare entitlement and other secondary benefits they may be receiving (O'Day, et al, 2017). A fear of losing a social welfare payment can act as a disincentive to returning to employment for those with a mental health illness or may act as a constraint to them returning to full-time employment, causing them to seek part-time hours as a way of retaining welfare payments (Krupa, et al, 2009;O'Day, et al, 2017). Research suggests that earnings from supported employment are typically low and that this is strongly associated with disincentives in the welfare payment system for those with a disability to return to employment (Campbell, et al, 2011).…”

“…The IPS model is currently the most empirically researched and successful supported employment model internationally developed for specifically supporting people with severe and enduring mental health difficulties and their employers or potential employers (Meuser, et al, 2016;O'Day, et al, 2017). The IPS model emphasises a 'place and then train' approach, rather than the traditional model of vocational rehabilitation that favours a 'train and then place' approach (Drake, 1998).…”

“…Non-clinical barriers include interpersonal barriers such as stigma and discrimination (Krupa, et al, 2009). The unemployment rate among those diagnosed with a mental health disability is disproportionately high in comparison with the general population (O'Day, et al, 2017;Watson, et al, 2015). Targeted and evidencedbased support for those with a mental health diffi culty to return to the workforce has been cited as an unmet need for service users attending Mental Health Services in Ireland (Cullen, et al, 2017;Mental Health Reform, 2018).…”

Exploring Counselor‐Client Agreement on Clients’ Work Capacity in Established and Consultative Dyads

“…Although significant advances in psychiatry and psychotherapy have been made on the assessment and amelioration of symptoms, research on functional assessments and work capacity has yet to receive the same attention (Anthony et al, 2005; Rogers & Holm, 2016). As a result, individuals living with serious mental illnesses continue to experience significant employment‐related disparities (O'Day et al, 2017). Counselors who provide therapeutic or employment‐related services are confronted with the challenge of assessing their clients’ work capacity in the context of minimal knowledge of how best to assess and support their clients’ vocational lives.…”