Supported Employment Background

Supported employment is a well-defined approach to helping people with disabilities participate as much as possible in the competitive labor market, working in jobs they prefer with the level of professional help they need. According to the federal definition, supported employment means "competitive work in integrated work settings...consistent with the strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed choice of the individuals, for individuals with the most significant disabilities for whom competitive employment has not traditionally occurred; or for whom competitive employment has been interrupted or intermittent as a result of a significant disability."

Supported employment programs for persons with mental illness typically provide individual placements in competitive employment-that is, community jobs paying at least minimum wage that any person can apply for-in accord with client choices and capabilities, without requiring extended prevocational training. Unlike other vocational approaches, supported employment programs

• do not screen people for work readiness, but help all who say they want to work;
• do not provide intermediate work experiences, such as prevocational work units, transitional employment, or sheltered workshops;
• do actively facilitate job acquisition, often sending staff to accompany clients on interviews;
• do provide ongoing support once the client is employed.