Survey of exemplary Supported Employment programs for persons with psychiatric disabilities

Abstract

This survey of 12 exemplary Supported Employment (SE) programs identified through NIDRR examines the salient issues in developing and implementing SE for persons with psychiatric disabilities. Although SE was originally designed for persons with developmental disabilities, approximately one-quarter of the individuals currently served by SE are persons with psychiatric disabilities. The survey findings suggest that the original SE model requires some modifications for programs serving persons with psychiatric disabilities. Therefore, the mental health field needs to establish its own set of standards and/or guidelines for implementing and administering SE programs for persons with psychiatric disabilities. The extraordinarily high performance rates (e.g., drop-out and placement rates) reported by survey respondents are encouraging but need to be viewed within the limitations of the current study. Controlled research is required prior to the establishment of performance guidelines for SE programs. Nonetheless, this survey suggests that SE holds great promise for persons with psychiatric disabilities.