Using an Evidence-Based Approach to Enable People with Mental Health Problems to Gain and Retain Employment, Education and Voluntary Work

Employment provides an economic means, gives social status and promotes social inclusion. While people with mental health problems attach a high priority to gaining employment, they face many barriers that inhibit their ability to gain and retain employment. This paper describes how a mental health trust actively promoted vocational rehabilitation through implementing evidence-based principles within the clinical teams. It reports how the trust acknowledged the unique contribution of occupational therapy in partnership with vocational services to enable its clients to access competitive employment, mainstream education and voluntary work.