too often people in recovery face barriers to finding and maintaining a good job

Ralph Bilby, Program Director of the International Center for Clubhouse Development (ICCD), knows the critical importance of a good job for persons with persistent mental illness. He says, “I love what Ralph Aquila (Director of The Center for Reintegration) tells people, that employment isn’t the most important thing – it’s the only thing. The number one dream of people with mental illness in terms of breaking free from the bonds of their illness, the poverty associated with it, and the embarrassment and stigma of it is to be able to go to work.”

One reason, of course, is to make the money for necessities, such as a decent place to live. But the drive for work goes far deeper. For most people, a “real job” helps provide meaning to life. This is true for everyone, not just those with mental illness.

But too often people in recovery face barriers to finding and maintaining a good job – barriers created by themselves as well as others. Common feelings include:

* A serious lack of confidence
* The fear of recurring episodes of illness
* A sense of being too far behind to catch up
* A stigma regarding serious mental illness that, unfortunately, still exists in the workplace, and

While these barriers are real, they can be overcome. This is especially true with the recent advances in medications for treating schizophrenia and related conditions. Persons with mental illness can find meaningful work and form relationships with the thousands of employers who want to actively help solve social problems. These employers are natural partners for the mentally ill job seeker willing to look for them.

10 Important Ideas for Finding and Maintaining Meaningful Employment…

http://www.reintegration.com/reint/employment/meaning.asp