Ways to Work

November 2004

Integrated Employment Services for Individuals with Mental Illness

Contact: Alysia Pascaris 212-742-1122

In January 2002, five New York City community mental health agencies agencies receivedgrants from the New York Work Exchange to integrate employment services with their community based clinical programs. They are: Brooklyn Bureau of Community Service, The Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, The Postgraduate Center for Mental Health, Transitional Services for New York, Inc., and Riverdale Mental Health Association. Ways to Work projects are located in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx.

The New York Work Exchange, a project of The Coalition of Voluntary Mental Health Agencies, Agencies funded these five job programs for adults in recovery from a mental illness. These new services, referred to as Ways to Work, are uniquely designed to enhance the employment rates among individuals for whom employment has too infrequently been achieved.

National surveys of individuals with severe mental illness produce some disturbing findings: more than 85 percent remain unemployed and yet less than 25 percent receive professional assistance with the attainment of vocational goals. This same research confirms that close coordination of employment and clinical services improves consumers’ employment outcomes. With this in mind, each of the New York Work Exchange grant programs is grafted onto an existing clinical program — often a continuing day treatment program.

The Ways to Work projects begin by exploring vocational interests and skills of identified clients. Based on these vocational assessments, the agency staff assist consumers in a jobsearch, provide support to pursue specific jobs, and provide a range of services to help the worker retain their job.

Second Year Summary/Final Report on the Ways to Work Project, November 2004, (PDF, 250kb)

Lessons Learned from the Implementation of Ways to Work, January 2002-October 2004, (Word format, 90kb)

Summary Presentation on Ways to Work, Prepared September2004, (Power Point format, 100kb)

First Year Summary Report, Jan-Dec 2002, (Word format, 200kb)

Project results for the initial 9-months, Jan-Sept, 2002, can be seen in this PowerPoint Presentation (100kb)