Work, Employment, and Mental Illness: Expanding the Domain of Canadian Social Work

Abstract

Despite established evidence that work and employment are an important component of recovery for people who experience mental illness, social work education in Canada seldom offers graduate training or courses on the significance of work in peoples' lives or on the practices involved in helping to gain and retain employment for these individuals. In this article the authors argue that the high levels of unemployment among people who experience mental illness, and the rising incidence of mental health and addictions issues in workplaces, offer the opportunity, as well as the mandate, for social work educators to provide professional education in the area of employment support and assistance.

KEYWORDS:

• disability
• employment assistance
• mental illness
• social work education
• work

Notes

Supported employment refers to competitive employment in integrated settings with ongoing support (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, n.d.). In Canada, supported employment programs exist either as specialized programs or as a component of other types of vocational programs (Kirsh, Krupa, Cockburn, & Gewurtz, 2006).