Return to work experiences for veterans with severe mental illness living in rural group home facilities

Independent living services were provided to fourteen veterans with severe mental illness who live together in a rural group home setting. The return to work efforts for three veterans who identified this as a personal goal are described.

Data were collected using The Satisfaction with Life Scale, The Independent Living Continuum, The Minnesota Follow-up Scale, The Recovery Assessment Scale, The Readiness to Change Scale, The Flinn Performance Screening Tool, observation, and informant interviews. Descriptive methods were used to compare and contrast residents who were working vs. those who were not.

Two of the three individuals who were working remained employed after eighteen months. The three consumers who ultimately returned to work expressed an initial desire to be employed and were more likely to participate in performance-based activities than other residents of the group home. The skills and barriers to employment were different for each person due to different interests, skills, and motivations. Likewise, their experiences of finding and attempting to maintain employment differed, both because of their personal attributes and because of situational factors. This suggests the need for individualized vocational rehabilitation programs.

In spite of the limitations of the study, including a small and homogenous sample, the findings can assist caregivers, mental health professionals, and consumers with severe mental illness in recognizing those individuals who are work-ready and who live in this type of supportive environment.