Background

Whilst accessing welfare benefit systems con be helpful in early stages, it is essential to encourage steps towards a meaningful vocation. Valued and, where possible, paid employment is a vital port of client’s care and provides a major source of self-esteem, social contact and money. The longer the individual remains out of work in the early phase the harder it becomes to gain employment later on. Early access to Disability Living Allowance (DLA), can become on impediment to long term employment.




Requirements

1. An assessment of client’s best ever educational/vocational functioning, work experiences and their educational or employment aspirations should be made as part of the assessment plan and reviewed regularly.
   
   
2. A user led vocational or educational training programme should be available. Where possible this should be implemented in conjunction with training, education, employment and other relevant agencies.
   
   
3. Resources within the mental health services should be exploited to provide valuable job training opportunities. Service users have invaluable experience of psychosis and of mental health services and where appropriate their employment in mental health services can be very valuable and provide an important stepping-stone to gaining employment.
   
   

4. A strategy to develop training and work experience through linkage with key agencies and schemes, e g, further education colleges, ‘New Deal’ and voluntary organisations.

    

Getting it right....

Spiro come into contact with an early intervention service as he was showing persecutory ideas a few months after withdrawing from a university course. Following recovery he was provided with a vocational assessment but his confidence was low. He was given some work experience in the Trust’s finance office and is subsequently attending college reading Business Studies.

Where things can go wrong....

Margaret gave up her job on the advice of her family to reduce the stress in her life and they hoped this would keep her well. However, she is regularly alone for long periods which she finds boring and also allows her to ruminate on negative thoughts. Her husband is now working increased hours to compensate for the lost wage. She rarely sees anyone in the day and feels guilty that her husband is keeping her.

Ask Yourself.....

• Has the client had a vocational assessment?
  
  
• Is the best vocational/educational attainment of the client easily identified in the care plan, or do you have to seek it out within the documentation?
  
  
• Has the client been engaged with occupational therapists?



• Is a method of documenting unmet needs in place; has the need for vocation ever been recorded as an unmet need for a young psychotic person?