Work is recovery: How supported employment helps people with psychosis

Health care professionals think about treatment. Individuals receiving care think about quality of life.

When clinicians and participants work together to identify the individual’s goals, strengths and needs, the result is paramount to a more fulfilling and meaningful life. Incorporating these into a holistic approach, produces better outcomes and health care experiences.

Employment is often one of these goals. Getting a job can be a motivator for people who are being treated for mental illness like schizophrenia. Statistics show that those who don’t work drop out of treatment at higher rates; therefore, supported employment is beneficial to incorporate into the overall treatment plan. Through evidence–based practices like individual placement and support (IPS), supported employment can help people who experience psychosis stay in treatment, have meaningful relationships, and report greater overall satisfaction in their lives.

Everyone has a role to play in helping people get and maintain employment, including physicians, social workers and families. It is important to help individuals with guidance in finding the type of work they are interested in for long-term success. By using the eight guiding principles of the IPS model, clinicians guide individuals through the process of finding jobs and careers.

BeST Center’s FIRST model (FIRST Coordinated Specialty Care for First Episode Psychosis) trains teams to identify people as early as possible when they begin to experience symptoms. This often starts in teens and young adults. This is the time when many people are developing their adult identities, going through life transitions and beginning career paths. Employment is one of the primary outcomes of the FIRST program model. The more we can do to keep the person on track with their goals, the better the illness can be managed, and they can find meaning and live their best lives.

Learn more about Coordinated Specialty Care for First Episode Psychosis.