Evidence-Based Practices:
Shaping Mental Health Services Toward Recovery
Supported Employment
Workbook
Chapter 7: Job Finding
Chapter overview
This chapter explores the issues involved in searching for a job.
The job search is where the “rubber hits the road” in supported employment. Guided by the profile of consumers’ work experience, job interests and preferences, personal strengths, unique challenges, and input from treatment team members and family, an energetic job search is crucial to finding the right job for the consumer. In order to maintain high levels of consumer motivation to work, job finding should begin as soon as possible after the initial assessment has been completed, usually within one month of beginning the supported employment program. Successful job searches involve extensive networking to identify potential job leads (e.g., talking to family members, friends, other practitioners on the team, previous employers, community groups such as churches, Chamber of Commerce, and Rotary Club) and active exploration of businesses in the community. While the employment specialist takes the lead in guiding the consumer through the process of finding a job, the decisions themselves, ranging from the type of job to the job setting to determining whether to disclose one’s mental illness, are made by the consumer.
Using this chapter
In the sections that follow, case examples are used to demonstrate the components of job finding:
- Beginning the job search soon after entering the supported employment program
- Individualizing job finding based on consumers’ strengths, preferences, and experiences
- Networking to identify job leads
- Involving the treatment team and family to maintain support
Please challenge yourself by listing possible strategies for searching for jobs for the consumer described in the vignette before reading on.
Remember:
Successful job finding:
- begins soon after entering the program
- is based on consumer preferences
- involves networking
- requires the ongoing support of the treatment team and family
Supervisor’s note
This chapter lends itself to group teaching and discussion.
Use these vignettes, or others from your experience, to stimulate creative problem-solving discussions. You can begin each group supervision by discussing the issues presented by one of the vignettes. When possible, generalize the lessons to current issues before the group.
Making contact with employers is often a difficult task for employment specialists who are new to this kind of work. Encourage the employment specialists to share with each other what strategies they have found effective in negotiating jobs with employers. Set up role playing situations in which the employment specialists practice what to say when contacting employers.
Supervisors reinforce these skills by accompanying employment specialists when they are making contact with employers. Supervisors provide suggestions on how the employment specialists can improve their presentations.
Beginning the job search
This section describes Steven, who was referred to the supported employment program three weeks ago. The employment specialist has met with Steven four times to discuss the program and collect information about Steve’s job history and preferences, and with Steve’s family to describe the program. The employment specialist and Steve are ready to commence looking for a job for Steve.
Case history: Steven’s Story
Steve is a 47-year-old man with schizophrenia who lives alone and has weekly contact with his family, including his mother, brother, sister, and their spouses. Steve’s social skills are quite impaired; he tends to have poor eye contact and does not speak very clearly. He also has some delusions and hallucinations, but they have minimal impact on his behavior. When he is alone, family members say that he talks to himself and laughs sometimes, but he does not do this when he is around or interacting with others. Although Steve forgets to do things (such as taking medication), his cognitive functioning is otherwise good, and he is above average intelligence.
The vocational profile revealed that Steve became ill shortly after completing college, and he has never worked a regular job, either competitive or other. Steve is a musician who has received professional training as a drummer, and he has taught himself piano and guitar. He has been in the local musicians’ union since his early 20s, and occasionally (about once a year) gets paid work as a drummer. Steve spends most of his time alone, but he goes to the local psychosocial clubhouse once a week to jam with several other musicians. For many years Steve rejected his case manager’s suggestion that he enroll in a vocational program because he views himself as a musician and is not interested in clerical or service work. However, with a new supported employment program at the agency, Steve’s case manager began to discuss work again with Steve, this time focusing more on Steve finding work in his area of interest. He agreed to meet with the employment specialist who reinforced the idea that Steve could find work in the area of his interest. Subsequent meeting with the employment specialist confirmed Steve’s interest in music, and his preference for work in the music business. Steve can read music and has an excellent fund of knowledge about music, especially jazz, blues, and rock. Although Steve’s social skills are not great, he likes interacting with other people, especially around the topic of music. Steve said he would most like to play more music professionally, but that he would consider other possible jobs involving music.
Tackling the issues
If you were the employment specialist, how would you try to find a job for Steve? How might you network with others to identify possible jobs in Steve’s area of interest?
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Reasonable responses
Some Possible Responses: There is no single correct answer as to how to handle this situation, but here are a few ideas.
Steve has a strong interest in music, an identity of himself as a musician, and knowledge and skills related to music. Considering Steve’s interest and preference for a job in the music business, it is critical that you focus with Steve on finding a job that matches this interest. Indeed, past efforts to motivate Steve to work were unsuccessful because they did not attend to his interest in work as a musician.
There are many possible jobs related to music that might be considered by Steve and his employment specialist. Steve’s primary interest in working as a musician could be pursued by helping him explore job leads such as looking at public postings for bands that need a drummer, checking the want ads of local papers for the arts or the internet, striking up conversations with band members playing at local venues, talking with other consumers at the clubhouse about bands that need a drummer, or meeting with a representative from the local musicians’ union. Contacts with these individuals could lead directly to jobs. These contacts could also result in new, unpaid opportunities for playing with other musicians that could, over time, lead to paid work through networking.
While finding work as a musician is Steve’s primary vocational goal, such jobs can be very difficult to obtain, and may take a long time to develop. Thus, it may be desirable to broaden Steve’s job search to include looking for jobs that involve music, but not work as a musician. There are many such possible jobs, and Steve’s knowledge about music may be a strength in securing such a job. Examples of jobs involving music include working in a music store (selling CDs, tapes, etc.), an usher at a concert hall or theater, an assistant to a music instrument maker, at a radio station, for a publication in the music business, or working at a music school.
Steve views himself as a musician, and he may be reluctant to pursue work that does not directly involve this type of employment. You could explore with him the potential benefits of other kinds of work related to music. For example, by obtaining work in an area related to music, Steve might make valuable contacts that could eventually lead to work as a musician. Furthermore, in addition to increasing his income, Steve might find that work involving music is interesting, helps to structure his time, provides opportunities for interacting with others, and boosts his self-esteem.
Identifying possible job leads for Steve may require extensive networking. Valuable contacts may include Steve’s family and friends, the treatment team, and the consumers with whom Steve plays at the clubhouse. As Steve begins to explore different job possibilities, additional networking may take place as he visits different businesses, talks with other musicians, and learns more about music related activities in his community.
Disclosure of Disability Status During Job Finding
This section describes Anita who has decided to disclose her psychiatric disability in her search for a seamstress position. She wants her employment specialist to help her find a part-time job.
Job Finding with Consumers Who Choose to Disclose
Job Finding and Choosing to Disclose
Case history: Anita’s Story
Anita is a 30-year-old woman who lives with paranoid schizophrenia and an anxiety disorder. She has been meeting with an employment specialist for about six months. She had wanted to find her own job and not have her employment specialist involved directly with her employer. Anita wants to be treated as a regular worker and believes that she would be treated differently if her employer knows that she had a disability and an employment specialist assists her. She is sure that if she were to make mistakes on the job, they would be attributed to her mental illness.
Recently, Anita has changed her mind about disclosing her psychiatric status because she was unsuccessful obtaining employment. Anita and the employment specialist have discussed how the employment specialist would approach employers on Anita’s behalf.
The employment specialist contacted the owner of a small sewing and alterations business that she had used for her own clothing in the past. She introduced herself by saying, “My name is Janice Parker. I am a job developer for Orange County Health Services. My work involves finding good job matches for people seeking jobs and for employers and businesses who need good workers. I am assisting a woman now who has work experience as a seamstress. She wants to return to this line of work in a part-time capacity. I came to your business because I bring my clothes here for altering and always find the service to be of high quality. In addition, Anita is looking to find employment in a small business.”
Tackling the issues
If you were the employment specialist, how would you introduce yourself to the employer and how would you present Anita?
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Reasonable responses
Some Possible Responses: There is no single correct answer as to how to handle this situation, but here are a few ideas.
Anita initially did not want to disclose that she has a disability to employers. But, like many people who have a severe mental illness, she changed her mind when she had difficulty securing employment. The advantage of being willing to disclose the psychiatric status is that you, as an employment specialist, can then talk directly with potential employers.
You must be very clear with consumers about what is meant by disclosure. In many instances you do not need to reveal any details of the consumer’s psychiatric disability to employers because it is not pertinent to the person’s employability. Restrict the disclosed information to that which is needed to make the job go well. You can provide information when it is likely to be helpful (sometimes it helps for the employer to get to know the consumer as a person before talking about their need for accommodation). Disclosing diagnostic labels is usually not helpful, and is sometimes harmful, since most employers don’t know enough about psychiatric illnesses to make constructive use of the information. In Anita’s situation, for example, you might want to let the employer know at some point that she probably will work best at a private work station and not alongside a lot of people because she sometimes feels fearful around others.
As an employment specialist, you will provide potential employers with your business card and a description of what you do when you meet them. Doing so may automatically reveal that the employment seeker you are supporting is receiving rehabilitation-related services. In general, most employers are mostly interested in employees who will get the job done and are less interested in personal background. Employers are also interested in potential employees who have been screened by an employment specialist for a good fit with the job and work environment. They appreciate it when you offer them back-up and support in the form of follow-up services, in case the employee has difficulties on the job.
You will be more successful in negotiating jobs if you present professionally and confidently. Over time you will become skillful in determining how much information to give prospective employers. You will find that some employers are very interested in offering opportunities to qualified people who have a disability and that it is not uncommon for employers to have family members or friends who have a psychiatric disability.
Another advantage to disclosure of psychiatric disability is that consumers are able to secure reasonable accommodations at the work site. By notifying the employer that the person has a disability, the employer is required to provide reasonable accommodations so that the person can carry out the job tasks. For example, someone who has paranoid thoughts may feel more comfortable if her desk is placed so that people are not always walking behind her.
An important key to job development is being prepared. Know how you are going to introduce yourself to employers. Rehearse your script many times before you use it with employers. Employers will quickly detect if you are unsure and hesitant in your job. If you engage employers confidently because you truly believe in an individualized job match that benefits both the consumer and the employer, you will have many successes.
Job Finding and Non-Disclosure
Some consumers are willing to disclose their mental illness to prospective employers, and with these individuals the employment specialist can play a pivotal role in identifying and pursuing job leads. Others prefer not to disclose psychiatric disorder, and with these people the role of the employment specialist is to support the consumer in the process of finding jobs, while remaining “behind the scenes.” The vignette below describes the story of Cassandra, who chooses not to reveal her mental illness in the process of finding a job. Read Cassandra’s vignette, and then consider the questions that follow in planning how her employment specialist could support her efforts to find work.
Case history: Cassandra’s Story
Cassandra is a 23-year-old woman with bipolar disorder. Cassandra lives with her boyfriend and has regular contact with her parents and brother, who live in the same neighborhood. Cassandra became ill two years ago, after graduating from college with a degree in accounting. Cassandra has been hospitalized twice for the treatment of manic episodes. Between these episodes, Cassandra often experiences mild to moderate symptoms of depression. This is associated with a lower energy level, which sometimes leads to a strain in her relationship with her boyfriend.
Cassandra worked at several part-time jobs in high school and college doing childcare and at fast food restaurants, but has not worked since the onset of her disorder. She is interested in working in the business field, possibly as an accountant or business manager. Cassandra has not applied for a job for three years, and she is apprehensive about talking with employers and going on a job interview.
Tackling the issues
How could the employment specialist help Cassandra identify possible job leads in her area of interest? What could the employment specialist do to help Cassandra prepare to go on “informational interviews” and job interviews?
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Reasonable response
Some Possible Responses: There is no single correct answer as to how to handle this situation, but here are a few ideas.
Some consumers choose to conduct their job search independently. They may want some guidance and support from the employment specialist but do not want the employment specialist to have contact with potential employers. As the employment specialist, you can review with Cassandra where to look for job leads. You may encourage her to return to the college where she earned her accounting degree to gather leads from the job placement office or someone from the accounting department to find out about job leads. People learn about job openings from many sources, including family, friends, previous teachers and employers, newspaper, job fairs, churches, and community organizations. Employment specialists also assist people who are interested in self-employment.
You will also want to review with Cassandra how to contact employers, how to develop a resume if she does not have one, and how to prepare for an interview. Role play with Cassandra a job interview situation. Have Cassandra role play the part of the job seeker and then the role of the employer. Experiencing the perspective of the employer can enlighten the job seeker about ways to present during an interview. People vary by how much assistance that want. Sometimes people want to do the job search their own way but later ask for help if they are dissatisfied with their progress. In the appendix you will find a checklist that consumers can use as a guide through the job search.
Chapter summary
This chapter focused on job finding, an active and creative aspect of supported employment. When a consumer chooses to disclose that they have a disability, you can work with the employer to minimize the negative impact of the difficulty in the work setting. When a consumer chooses not to disclose, there are many ways to help behind the scenes. See Appendix D for a copy of Conducting Job Searches: Consumer Checklist that you can give to consumers to guide their job search.
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