SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Employment is an important part of recovery and mental health experts said society should see it as essential.
It is cost effective and reduces stigma, ultimately saving taxpayers money.
“We’re reducing the stigma,” says Sharon Cook, Employment Support Administrator for the Utah Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Substance Use and Mental Health.
Cook helps connect employers with individuals recovering from mental health conditions.
“People ask if employment is too stressful for those with mental health issues. I say, have you heard about unemployment? That’s too stressful,” she said.
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One in five Americans will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime. Although 66% of those with mental health problems want to work, only 15% are employed, Cook said.
“We need to do a better job of hiring and retaining people with co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders,” she said.
This effort is supported by the Individual Placement and Support program, an evidence-based initiative under DHHS.
One of its principles is zero exclusion, meaning that no one is excluded from screening based on readiness, diagnosis, symptoms, psychiatric hospitalizations, homelessness, level of disability or involvement with the legal system.
“It doesn’t matter where they are in their recovery process, everyone can work,” Cook said.
The process begins with a referral from treatment facilities such as First Step House.
Patrick Blythe, Employment Readiness and Placement Program Manager at First Step House, oversees a team that provides employment support for people transitioning from reception to independent living. They help with tasks like resume building and interview training.
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“We help them prepare for the transition to full-time work, which mirrors life outside of the treatment world,” Blythe said.
Blythe creates relationships with employers, who then come to them for candidates.
“We help build a bridge for our residents to have opportunities to work and for employers to have access to a workforce ready to get back to work,” Blythe said.
People with various mental health conditions are placed in all kinds of jobs, from those with Master’s degrees to others who have never held a job.
The battle against stigma continues.
“They have support, job coaches, therapists and peer support specialists to ensure that this employee is everything they want to be,” Blythe said.
He argued that when more people are employed, taxpayers benefit.
“If someone is repeatedly going through the justice system, we end up paying for the services they receive,” Blythe said.
Employers are encouraged to create safe spaces, provide mental health days, train employees on suicide prevention tools, and offer a suicide prevention hotline.
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