GILL Walker wants to grow her network.
The occupational therapist is currently serving as a vocational counsellor at Vancouver Coastal Health's North Shore Adult Community Mental Health, which provides a range of mental health services.
Walker is currently representing approximately 40 people, working to help them both get and keep jobs through a new program, referred to as Individual Placement and Support, which has been offered since January. She's interested in building up the number of local employers she works with to help those she represents get back in the workforce as soon as possible.
"Finding a job is a real fundamental part of someone's recovery," says Walker.
"A lot of the clients I work with want to go back to work," she adds, which is consistent with research that's found that 70 per cent of people in recovery from mental health issues desire to do so. However based on the person's particular challenges, or the stigma that is at times associated with mental illness, it can sometimes be difficult.
Historically, North Shore Adult Community Mental Health staff members would assist their clients in getting jobs by referring them to outside agencies, and other employment workshops and programs.
"It worked, but the evidence is suggesting it's better to have the vocational counsellor sit on the mental health team for communication and just for continuity of care," says Walker.
To increase their clients' level of success, the North Shore agency has adopted an evidence-based practice, referred to as the supported employment model, and with the assistance of their peers in Vancouver who have already been using it, staff launched their own program earlier this year.
"Part of my role is to help people from behind the scenes," says Walker, explaining she offers support to clients who apply for positions in the traditional manner, including dropping off resumes and going for interviews.
"Another part of my job is approaching employers," she says, hence her interest in connecting with more local employers to help find suitable jobs for those she represents.
North Vancouver resident Lachlan Mowatt, 38, is one of the program's success stories. Mowatt has been a client of North Shore Adult Community Mental Health since 1997. Through the new Individual Placement and Support program, he recently got a job at Prosource Property Services, a property maintenance management company, and performs weekend site maintenance and relief work at a large North Shore complex.
"I feel a lot of support," says Mowatt. "I feel enough support that I can keep on working and not drop the job when I suddenly have a recurring symptom, because they do recur. And if I don't feel the support, then I tend to just bail and I've bailed often. But I've also had jobs where I had trouble performing and I didn't have very good communication with the employers," he says.
With the help of Walker and her co-workers, he feels confident that he's been able to establish a good rapport with his Prosource employers.
Prosource's Shari Webb, vice-president, client services, was approached by the program directly and is pleased to have come on board for a number of reasons. Finding it difficult to staff the position appropriately as it's low-supervision and only two days a week, Mowatt's suitability and interest were positives. "I thought that with the program that there would be a sense of accountability because whoever was going to be hired was also working with the occupational therapist," says Webb. "I also just thought it was doing good. It was getting somebody working that wanted to work in a position that they were suited for."
After Mowatt was hired, Walker and a colleague assisted with on-site job coaching, attending on the job with him for his first four days - consisting of two training and two solo shifts.
"That's part of what the program (offers), there's on the job support as fits for the employer and the client to make it successful and then there's follow-up supports as well," says Walker.
Mowatt started working at Prosource in March and Webb continues to be impressed by his reliability, task completion and work ethic.
Mowatt encourages other employers to get involved. "Don't be afraid to hire people with mental illness because they're more likely to be keen to work hard and prove themselves," he says.
There is no fee to participate in the program. "I think there's a misconception that some of the employers that I approach think that I'm a recruiter and so then there's a payment they have to make. But because it's a government-funded program that's not the case," says Walker.
Wages are paid by the employer to the employee in the traditional manner with no additional payment to Walker or North Shore Adult Community Mental Health. In some cases, wage subsidies through other programs may be an option.
Examples of other successful jobs obtained by clients through the program include positions at a gas station, a home improvement store and in the North Shore News' distribution department.
Local employers looking to connect with Walker and find out more about the program and eligible candidates, are encouraged to phone her at 604-983-6020 or email her at [email protected].
