Enhancing Work-Focused Supports for People with Severe Mental Illnesses in Australia

Persons with severe mental illness (SMI) have reduced workforce participation, which leads to significant economic and social disadvantage. This theoretical review introduces the strategies that have been implemented to address this issue. These include Individual Placement and Support (IPS) services, the most widely researched form of supported employment, to which cognitive remediation has more recently been recognised in the USA, as an intervention to improve employment outcomes by addressing the cognitive impairments often experienced by people with SMI. The authors review the international literature and discuss specifically the Australian context. They suggest that Australia is in a prime position to engage clients in such a dual intervention, having had recent success with increasing access to supported employment programs and workforce reentry, through implementation of the Health Optimisation Program for Employment (HOPE). Such programs assist withgainingandmaintainingemployment. However, they do not address the cognitive issues that oftenpreventpersons with SMI from effectively participating in work. Thus, optimising current interventions, with work-focused cognitive skills development is critical to enhancing employment rates that remain low for persons with SMI.

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Generalisability of the individual placement and support model of supported employment: results of a Canadian randomised controlled trial

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.bp.105.012641 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 189 (1) ◽

pp. 65-73 ◽

Cited By ~ 91

Author(s):

Eric A. Latimer ◽

Tania Lecomte ◽

Deborah R. Becker ◽

Robert E. Drake ◽

Isabelle Duclos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Severe Mental Illness ◽

Supported Employment ◽

Control Group ◽

Competitive Employment ◽

Individual Placement And Support ◽

Vocational Services ◽

The Usa ◽

The Individual ◽

Individual Placement

BackgroundStudies conducted in the USA have found the individual placement and support model of supported employment to be more effective than traditional vocational rehabilitation at helping people with severe mental illness to find and maintain competitive employment.AimsTo determine the effectiveness of the individual placement and support (supported employment) model in a Canadian setting.MethodA total of 150 adults with severe mental illness, who were not currently employed and who desired competitive employment, were randomly assigned to receive either supported employment (n=75) or traditional vocational services (n=75).ResultsOver the 12 months of follow-up, 47% of clients in the supported employment group obtained at least some competitive employment, v. 18% of the control group (P<0.001). They averaged 126 h of competitive work, v. 72 inthe control group (P<0.001).ConclusionsSupported employment proved more effective than traditional vocational services in a setting significantly different from settings in the USA, and may therefore be generalised to settings in other countries.

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IPS Supported Employment for Transition Age Youth: Helping Youth with Serious Mental Health Conditions to Access Jobs, Education and Careers

Psychiatry Information in Brief ◽

10.7191/pib.1143 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Sarah Swanson ◽

Deborah Becker ◽

Gary Bond ◽

Kimberly Reeder ◽

Marsha Ellison

Keyword(s):

Supported Employment ◽

Age Groups ◽

Mental Illnesses ◽

Health Conditions ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Transition Age Youth ◽

Individual Placement And Support ◽

Transition Age ◽

Serious Mental Health Conditions ◽

Individual Placement

This manual describes IPS supported employment and education services for adolescents and young adults (IPS-Y). IPS stands for Individual Placement and Support and indicates a type of supported employment program that is evidence-based for people who have mental illnesses. Growing evidence indicates that IPS may be an effective approach for other populations and age groups as well. IPS practitioners in Maryland and other states helped us learn more about serving youth as a part of developing this manual. Young workers and students also described what helped them and what may benefit other youth. We appreciate their assistance in developing this manual.

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Individual Placement and Support and/or Cognitive Remediation Therapy Added to TAU in Patients With Early Schizophrenia

Case Medical Research ◽

10.31525/ct1-nct03974620 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Remediation ◽

Cognitive Remediation Therapy ◽

Individual Placement And Support ◽

Individual Placement ◽

Early Schizophrenia

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Participation in Individual Placement and Support in the Supported Employment Demonstration

Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research ◽

10.1007/s10488-021-01180-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Justin D. Metcalfe ◽

Robert E. Drake

Keyword(s):

Supported Employment ◽

Individual Placement And Support ◽

Individual Placement

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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Supported Employment, and Outcomes in People with Severe Mental Illness

CNS Spectrums ◽

10.1017/s1092852900009779 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

pp. 913-925 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

Kim T. Mueser ◽

Susan M. Essock ◽

Michael Haines ◽

Rosemarie Wolfe ◽

Haiyi Xie

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Supported Employment ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Work Outcomes ◽

Individual Placement And Support ◽

Rehabilitation Programs ◽

The Individual ◽

Individual Placement

AbstractObjective: To evaluate whether posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is related to outcomes in persons with severe mental illness (SMI) participating in a study of vocatinal rehabilitation programsBackground: PTSD is a common comorbid disorder in people with SMI, but it is unknown whether PTSD interferes with the ability to benefit from rehabilitation programs such as supported employment.Methods: The relationships between PTSD and symptoms, health, quality of life, and work outcomes was examined in 176 clients with SMI participating in a 2-year randomized controlled trial of three vocational rehabilitation programs: supported employment based on the Individual Placement and Support model, a psychosocial rehabilitation program based on transitional employment, and standard services.Results: The overall rate of current PTSD in the sample was 16%. Compared with clients without PTSD, clients with PTSD had more severe psychiatric symptoms, worse reported health, lower self-esteem, and lower subjective quality of life. Clients with PTSD who participated in the Individual Placement and Support model (the most effective vocational model of the three studied) also had worse employment outcomes over the 2-year study period than clients without PTSD, with lower rates of compeitive work, fewer hours worked, and fewer wages earned. Employment outcomes did not differ between clients with PTSD versus without PTSD in the other two vocational rehabilitation approaches.Conclusion: The findings suggest that PTSD may contribute to worse work outcomes in clients participating in supported employment programs. Effective treatment of these clients with PTSD may improve their ability to benefit from supported employment.

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Individual Placement and Support supplemented with cognitive remediation and work-related social skills training in Denmark: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Trials ◽

10.1186/s13063-015-0792-0 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Thomas Nordahl Christensen ◽

Iben Gammelgaard Nielsen ◽

Elsebeth Stenager ◽

Britt Reuter Morthorst ◽

Jane Lindschou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Social Skills ◽

Social Skills Training ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Cognitive Remediation ◽

Skills Training ◽

Individual Placement And Support ◽

Work Related ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Individual Placement

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Cognitive Remediation for Psychological Disorders

10.1093/med-psych/9780190608453.001.0001 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Alice Medalia ◽

Tiffany Herlands ◽

Alice Saperstein ◽

Nadine Revheim

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Cognitive Skills ◽

Behavioral Treatment ◽

Learning Experience ◽

Cognitive Remediation ◽

Mental Illnesses ◽

Independent Learning ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Everyday Functioning ◽

Educational Approach

Individuals with serious and persistent mental illnesses, including schizophrenia and affective disorders, often experience cognitive deficits that make it difficult to perform everyday tasks. For example, they may have difficulty with attention, memory, processing speed, and problem solving, and this may interfere with functioning at work, school, and in social situations. Cognitive remediation is an evidence-based behavioral treatment for people who are experiencing cognitive impairments that interfere with role functioning. This edition contains all the information needed to set up a cognitive remediation program so clients can strengthen the cognitive skills needed for everyday functioning. The program described is called Neuropsychological and Educational Approach to Remediation (NEAR), which is an evidence-based approach to cognitive remediation that uses carefully crafted instructional techniques that reflect an understanding of how people learn best. The goals of NEAR are to provide a positive learning experience, to promote independent learning, and to promote optimal cognitive functioning in daily life. This second edition of the popular 2009 therapist’s guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to implement NEAR techniques with patients to improve their cognitive functioning and quality of life. Guidelines are provided for setting up and running a successful cognitive remediation program. Therapists learn how to choose appropriate cognitive exercises, recruit and work with clients, perform intake interviews, and create treatment plans. This guide comes complete with all the tools necessary for facilitating treatment, including program evaluation forms and client handouts.

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