Comments on: Severe Psychiatric Disabilities and Employment http://brainblogger.com/2006/05/13/anti-stigmatization-severe-psychiatric-disabilities-and-employment/ Topics from multidimensional biopsychosocial perspectives. Sat, 13 Mar 2010 11:51:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Angela Brownehttp://brainblogger.com/2006/05/13/anti-stigmatization-severe-psychiatric-disabilities-and-employment/#comment-59986 Angela Browne Sat, 30 Jun 2007 20:24:09 +0000 http://blog.gnif.org/?p=508#comment-59986 It is true that a large portion of people with mental health diagnoses are not in the workforce; however, as I note on my own blog, stigma, stereotypes (including those set out by other mental health consumers), a lack of action on the part of government and legislated poverty make it even worse and the unemployment/poverty rate more stagnant.There are many mh consumers that can work, but don't because they are steered to jobs that are too low-paid, beneath their education/skills level or they are afraid of being discriminated against in the workplace, which as your article states is more likely to happen than not happen. Rather than accepting that "people can't work" I say let that person decide and let the system develop necessary supports to work with them. Right now, social assistance rates are TOO LOW to remain out of the workforce ... unless the government raised the rates by approximately 40% overnight, 90% of people with mh disabilities will not be able to afford to find a place to live, let alone eat properly - only spiraling them further into a cycle of desperation. Social assistance is NOT a suitable alternative unless it provided enough to live on.Both employers and employment agencies alike better start thinking that people with mh disabilities come with the same range of skills and abilities as any other group. There are people among this population with university educations who are referred to minimum wage jobs that have little to no opportunity for advancement, which is again why many are out of the workforce ... I engineered a program several years ago that saw to it many mh consumers were able to start and operate their own small businesses, a few of whom were able to advance to the stage of hiring their own staff.Maybe a few may be incapable of working, but I think if we started opening doors and looking for the positives instead of finding excuses (esp. from the employers that won't open their minds or employment agencies that think mh consumers of all stages of their life are only capable of working in the five f's: food, filth, filing, fetching and flowers), things can change. There are studies that show capacity to work increases with degree of community acceptance and support. We have yet to see that in the U.S. or Canada. All I see are opportunists taking over the leadership roles, accepting high salaries and doing nothing with their resources to improve the quality of life for all. I think the need to account for all of this is NOW.Come visit my website. It is true that a large portion of people with mental health diagnoses are not in the workforce; however, as I note on my own blog, stigma, stereotypes (including those set out by other mental health consumers), a lack of action on the part of government and legislated poverty make it even worse and the unemployment/poverty rate more stagnant.

There are many mh consumers that can work, but don’t because they are steered to jobs that are too low-paid, beneath their education/skills level or they are afraid of being discriminated against in the workplace, which as your article states is more likely to happen than not happen. Rather than accepting that “people can’t work” I say let that person decide and let the system develop necessary supports to work with them. Right now, social assistance rates are TOO LOW to remain out of the workforce … unless the government raised the rates by approximately 40% overnight, 90% of people with mh disabilities will not be able to afford to find a place to live, let alone eat properly – only spiraling them further into a cycle of desperation. Social assistance is NOT a suitable alternative unless it provided enough to live on.

Both employers and employment agencies alike better start thinking that people with mh disabilities come with the same range of skills and abilities as any other group. There are people among this population with university educations who are referred to minimum wage jobs that have little to no opportunity for advancement, which is again why many are out of the workforce … I engineered a program several years ago that saw to it many mh consumers were able to start and operate their own small businesses, a few of whom were able to advance to the stage of hiring their own staff.

Maybe a few may be incapable of working, but I think if we started opening doors and looking for the positives instead of finding excuses (esp. from the employers that won’t open their minds or employment agencies that think mh consumers of all stages of their life are only capable of working in the five f’s: food, filth, filing, fetching and flowers), things can change. There are studies that show capacity to work increases with degree of community acceptance and support. We have yet to see that in the U.S. or Canada. All I see are opportunists taking over the leadership roles, accepting high salaries and doing nothing with their resources to improve the quality of life for all. I think the need to account for all of this is NOW.

Come visit my website.

]]> By: Daniel Haszardhttp://brainblogger.com/2006/05/13/anti-stigmatization-severe-psychiatric-disabilities-and-employment/#comment-120 Daniel Haszard Tue, 23 May 2006 23:00:00 +0000 http://blog.gnif.org/?p=508#comment-120 Appreciate your blog,mental health consumers are the least capable of self advocacy,my doctors made me take zyprexa for 4 years which was ineffective for my symptoms.I now have a victims support page against Eli Lilly for it's Zyprexa product causing my diabetes.--Daniel Haszard www.zyprexa-victims.com Appreciate your blog,mental health consumers are the least capable of self advocacy,my doctors made me take zyprexa for 4 years which was ineffective for my symptoms.I now have a victims support page against Eli Lilly for it’s Zyprexa product causing my diabetes.–Daniel Haszard http://www.zyprexa-victims.com

]]> By: Elise Stobbehttp://brainblogger.com/2006/05/13/anti-stigmatization-severe-psychiatric-disabilities-and-employment/#comment-119 Elise Stobbe Tue, 16 May 2006 18:09:00 +0000 http://blog.gnif.org/?p=508#comment-119 Yes, it takes a lot for the mentally ill to get a decent job. I hope blogs like this can play a part in raising awareness of this issue. Yes, it takes a lot for the mentally ill to get a decent job. I hope blogs like this can play a part in raising awareness of this issue.

]]> By: Phoenix1111http://brainblogger.com/2006/05/13/anti-stigmatization-severe-psychiatric-disabilities-and-employment/#comment-118 Phoenix1111 Mon, 15 May 2006 00:53:00 +0000 http://blog.gnif.org/?p=508#comment-118 I am one of the 85% of those with serious mental illnes to be unemployed. Though I have had Biopolar Illness my whole life I ws not doagnosed until my 45th birthday. That was 11 1/2 years ago and I still am unable to work. I am only too well aware of what it would take for me to get a job and I am simply not up to the task. I seriously doubt that I will ever be able to be self-sufficient again, partly due to the illness, and partly due to the insane rules of SSI where there is a resource cap and so it is next to impossible to ever save enough to get off assistance. It's really a double bind, and this is true even if I were to somehow find a job I was cap[able of working. I agree - things have to change. Thanks for your article. I am one of the 85% of those with serious mental illnes to be unemployed. Though I have had Biopolar Illness my whole life I ws not doagnosed until my 45th birthday. That was 11 1/2 years ago and I still am unable to work. I am only too well aware of what it would take for me to get a job and I am simply not up to the task. I seriously doubt that I will ever be able to be self-sufficient again, partly due to the illness, and partly due to the insane rules of SSI where there is a resource cap and so it is next to impossible to ever save enough to get off assistance. It’s really a double bind, and this is true even if I were to somehow find a job I was cap[able of working. I agree – things have to change. Thanks for your article.

]]> By: DisabilityAdvocatehttp://brainblogger.com/2006/05/13/anti-stigmatization-severe-psychiatric-disabilities-and-employment/#comment-117 DisabilityAdvocate Sat, 13 May 2006 04:34:00 +0000 http://blog.gnif.org/?p=508#comment-117 This is the truth! It is so tough for the mentally disabled that are being medically treated to get any decent work. Things have to change to better the treatment of the ill. Thanks for reporting this and standing for us! This is the truth! It is so tough for the mentally disabled that are being medically treated to get any decent work. Things have to change to better the treatment of the ill. Thanks for reporting this and standing for us!

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