Supported employment, job preferences, job tenure and satisfaction

Abstract

The relationships between job preferences, job satisfaction and job tenure were examined in a sample of 204 unemployed clients with severe mental illness randomly assigned to one of three vocational rehabilitation programs and followed for 2 years. These were the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model of supported employment, a psychiatric rehabilitation program (PSR) and standard services (Standard). For clients in the IPS program, those who obtained jobs that matched their preemployment preferences for type of work desired reported higher levels of job satisfaction and had longer job tenures than clients who obtained jobs that did not match their preferences. For clients in the PSR or Standard programs, job preferences were not related to job tenure or satisfaction. The findings replicate previous research in this area, and suggest that helping clients obtain work that matches their job preferences is an important ingredient of success in supported employment programs.