Supported Employment: the employment consultants' perspective

Date
2010
Authors
Kliem, Alexis
Supervisor
Billington, Rex
Shepherd, Daniel
Item type
Thesis
Degree name
Master of Health Science
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Auckland University of Technology
Abstract

Supported employment (SE) organisations work to support people with mental illness into employment. This study sought to examine the experiences and perspectives of staff that work for a SE service. This qualitative study was undertaken as the existing literature examining this area is limited. Nine employment consultants from a New Zealand SE service participated in a focus group that involved questions about their experiences and perceptions of the SE programme. The data was audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. A thematic analysis was then performed. A number of themes were identified in the data. These included: factors can that act as incentives or disincentives to employment, factors that can work to impede or assist the employment process, positive and negative factors about the SE service, strategies that are employed to overcome barriers, and potential improvements that could be made to the service. The findings are discussed along with the potential changes that could be made to SE programmes to increase effectiveness.

Description
Keywords
Supported Employment , Thematic analysis , Employment Consultants , Mental health , Qualitative analysis
Source
DOI
Publisher's version
Rights statement