Occupational therapy and supported employment: is there any added value?
| Date | 23 November 2012 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/20428301211281050 |
| Published date | 23 November 2012 |
| Pages | 194-200 |
| Author | Becky Priest,Kate Bones |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
Occupational therapy and supported
employment: is there any added value?
Becky Priest and Kate Bones
Abstract
Purpose – This paper’s aim is to explore the added value of occupational therapy in supported
employment, demonstrated by a case study in Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper sets out the unique contribution of occupational therapy
to the evidence based individual placement with support (IPS) model, through a case study of
implementation in Sussex.
Findings – Occupational therapists are well placed to play a central role in embedding IPS into clinical
teams, as well as supporting the work of employment specialists. They also have a wider role in
championing person centred practice, and challenging negative assumptions about the work abilities
of people with mental health problems.
Practical implications – Clarity of role design is crucial, with methods for assessing and monitoring
competence built into supervision structures. Clinicians need to be motivated and enthusiastic about
the role as well as having allocated time to carry out the discrete employment support function.
The partnership between the employment service and clinical team is central to good implementation of
the model.
Originality/value – This paper adds clarity to the role of occupational therapy in supporting people with
severe and enduring mental health problems to gain and maintain mainstream employment. There is a
need for the development of a more formal evidence base for occupational therapy interventions in the
field of supported employment; this paper is a starting point outlining key issues.
Keywords Occupational therapy, Supported employment, Individual placementand support,
Medical treatment, United Kingdom, Mental illness
Paper type Case study
Work as a means and outcome of therapy is deeply rooted in the history of occupational
therapy, and it is clear that occupational therapists can play a crucial role in services
designed to help people into work.
The College of Occupational Therapists (COT) (2006) strategy for occupational therapists
in mental health states that occupational therapists should value recovery, andwork within a
socially inclusive framework to achieve goals that make a difference to people’s lives. This
clearly includes employment.
Vocational and educational interventions are recommended in NICE guidelines for the
treatment and management of schizophrenia in primary and secondary care (NICE Clinical
Guideline, 2009). These guidelines state that ‘‘every service user should be supported to
access employment, and occupational activities and outcomes should be routinely
recorded in care plans’’. There is also substantial research highlighting the impor tance of
vocational activity for mental and physical wellbeing in the recovery process.
Evidence suggests that many interventions that fit within occupational therapy’s scope of
practice are effective for people with serious mental illness in the area of paid and unpaid
employment:
PAGE 194
j
MENTAL HEALTHAND SOCIAL INCLUSION
j
VOL. 16 NO. 4 2012, pp. 194-200, QEmerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2042-8308 DOI 10.1108/20428301211281050
Becky Priest and
Kate Bones are based at
the Sussex Partnership
NHS Foundation Trust,
Brighton, UK.
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