SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Employment is an important part of recovery and mental health experts said society needs to see it as essential.
It is cost-effective and reduces stigma, which ultimately saves taxpayers money.
“We are reducing the stigma,” says Sharon Cook, Supported Employment Administrator for the Utah Department of Health and Human Services Office of Substance Use and Mental Health.
Cook helps connect employers with people recovering from mental health issues.
“People ask if employment is too stressful for those with mental health issues. I say, have you heard of unemployment? That’s pretty stressful,” she said.
MORE: Utah bill aims to increase mental health support for first responders and their families
One in five Americans will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime. Although 66% of people with mental health problems want to work, only 15% are employed, Cook said.
“We need to do a better job of recruiting and retaining people with mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders,” he said.
This effort is supported by the Individual Placement and Support program, an evidence-based initiative of DHHS.
One of its principles is zero exclusion, meaning that no one is excluded from consideration based on their preparation, diagnosis, symptoms, psychiatric hospitalizations, homelessness, level of disability, or involvement with the legal system.
“No matter where they are in their recovery process, everyone can work,” Cook said.
The process begins with a referral to treatment centers like First Step House.
Patrick Blythe, director of the job preparation and placement program at First Step House, oversees a team that provides employment support to people transitioning from admission to independent living. They help with tasks such as resume writing and interview preparation.
MORE: Utah clinic offers exposure therapy to help change lives for people with OCD
“We help prepare them for the transition to full-time work, which reflects 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 access a workforce ready to return to work,” Blythe said.
People with various mental health conditions are placed in all types of jobs, from those with a master’s degree to others who have never held a job.
The battle against stigma continues.
“They have support, career counselors, therapists and peer support specialists to make sure this employee is everything they want them to be,” Blythe said.
He argued that when more people are employed, taxpayers benefit.
“If someone is constantly going through the court system, we ultimately pay for the services they receive,” Blythe said.
Employers are encouraged to create safe spaces, offer mental health days, train employees on the suicide prevention toolkit, and provide the suicide prevention hotline.
___
[fifu]
Keynote USA
For the Latest Local News, Follow Keynote USA Local on Twitter.