Welfare Reform and Its Impact on the Employment Prospects of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities

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

“…In the case of people with mental illness, this could include family caregivers and mental health treatment providers. Family caregivers might harbor anxieties and fears that their relative will have a relapse if they return to work-an entirely understandable response as many caregivers themselves have had little support, and feel isolated and drained (Shankar & Collyer, 2004). In relation to barriers arising from a person's networks, a social worker's personal advocacy skills, with both family members and mental health professionals, can promote a degree of success previously difficult to achieve.…”

Fear and Distrust Within the Canadian Welfare System: Experiences of People With Mental Illness

“…Employment among welfare recipients with disabilities remains low in Canada despite ongoing efforts to remove barriers and provide support (Government of British Columbia, 2016; Ministry of Community and Social Services, 2018). Social policy analysts have highlighted the neoliberal market-based underpinnings of welfare programs, where expectations for self-sufficiency and personal responsibility have resulted in decreased attention to the needs of the most vulnerable and marginalized recipients (Chouinard & Crooks, 2005; Dean, 2003; Finn, 2000; Roulstone, 2000; Shankar & Collyer, 2004; Swenson, 2008). Under these conditions, meeting the financial targets of programs can be prioritized above the needs of recipients (Garthwaite, Bambra, & Warren, 2013; Gewurtz, Cott, Rush, & Kirsh, 2012).…”

“…Invisible conditions can raise doubt concerning the legitimacy of work limitations (Gewurtz & Kirsh, 2009; Prince, 2015), creating challenges to establishing eligibility for disability benefits. Thus, recipients might fear having to prove their disability after a period of wellness and work capacity (de Urries, Verdugo, & Benito, 2012; Gewurtz et al, 2015b; Shankar & Collyer, 2004; Vick & Lightman, 2010). People living with mental illness face particular barriers including suspicion, pervasive stigma, and the need for workplace accommodations that are often hard to negotiate (Drake et al, 2009; Gewurtz & Kirsh, 2009; Krupa et al, 2005; Marrone et al, 2005; McDowell & Fossey, 2015).…”

Emerging Areas of Practice for Mental Health Social Workers: Education and Employment

“…Nevertheless, the social work person-in-environment approach is well suited to this task. Factors that can assist the worker to arrive at a good job match may include an understanding of their client's previous work history with respect to the reasons they gave up previous jobs, their ongoing illness-related difficulties, stressors and environments that may trigger/aggravate symptoms, how the individual copes with their symptoms and limitations, and environments that will accommodate the individual's symptoms/functional limitations (Martin, McKay, & Thomas, 2005;Shankar & Collyer, 2004). Clearly, this information is also important in the case of consumers who want to undertake/complete their education.…”

“…The worker must be willing to be flexible in how they provide support because often this may have to be provided outside the work environment and working hours. Because job losses often occur as a result of problems arising from the homeÁwork interface (Shankar & Collyer, 2004), working collaboratively with treatment providers and significant carers is of considerable importance and the support provided to the client must be consistent.…”