Hong Kong Med J 2008;14(Suppl 3):S41-6
Enhancing employment opportunities of people with mental illness through an Integrated Supported Employment approach of Individual Placement and Support and Social Skills Training
HWH Tsang
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
 
 
1. We developed the Integrated Supported Employment (ISE) service protocol by merging the Individual Placement and Support model (IPS) with work-related social skills training.
2. After 15 months of service implementation, participants of ISE out-performed participants of IPS and traditional vocational rehabilitation service (TVR) in terms of employment rate, job tenure, and some of the non-vocational outcomes.
3. Non-vocational outcomes of participants including personal well-being and self-efficacy improved after receiving the ISE programme compared with IPS and TVR.
4. The data suggest that ISE is an effective supported employment model to help people with mental illness gain and keep competitive employment.