ACE WA discuss Mental Health Recovery project
Jul 21, 2011
ACE WA Council has continued the discussion with Helen Lynes from WAAMH regarding a partnership project to help people recovering from significant mental health issues back into employment. Details and an extract from the project proposal can be found below and by clicking on the following attachments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Mental Health and Recovery – Employment Project: An Evidence–Based Practice Initiative
Employment is one of the main elements of recovery from mental illness. This is also recognized in WAAMH’s draft strategic directions where it has been listed as one of the ‘Major Areas of Priority Focus’.
Employment is a key to poverty reduction and social inclusion. It is also regarded as an (early) intervention strategy in itself on the recovery journey.
Positive and meaningful employment is linked to improved self-concept and self-efficacy, higher ratings of subjective well-being, regaining self esteem, reduced symptoms and hospitalizations, and increased personal empowerment.
The majority of people admitted to mental health services in Western Australia are between the ages of 15 to 30 years of age. As this is a critical life course window in a person’s vocational life journey, it is imperative that valid and reliable practices are in place across the mental health and employment sectors to facilitate employment and education participation, to ensure that the years of life spent by people living with serious mental illness in marginalized settings, in poverty, are reduced.
In Australia, the employment outcomes achieved by people with mental illness are low when compared to outcomes achieved under the Individual Placement and Support Evidence Based Model (IPS).
For example disability employment services in Australia generally achieve outcomes of 16% - 30%. By contrast, the Evidence Based Model has a proven record with employment outcomes for people with serious mental illness of 60%, or more.
Project Description
The objective of WAAMH’s Employment Project is to initiate a number of stage one Evidence-Based Model sites in WA, and, by so doing, improve the employment outcomes of people living with mental illness at the sites...