Employment outcomes for clients with severe mental illness in a PACT model replication. Program for Assertive...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Social Work

Background:

• Severe mental illness (SMI) presents significant challenges to sustained employment.
• Psychosocial and vocational rehabilitation programs aim to improve employment outcomes for individuals with SMI.
• The Program for Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) model offers a framework for community-based support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the sustained employment outcomes of clients with severe mental illness in a PACT-modeled rehabilitation program.
• To determine the long-term impact of psychosocial and vocational support on client employment.
• To analyze employment rates and job characteristics among program participants.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective record review of 184 clients who participated in the program between 1984 and 1994.
• Tracking client retention duration (1-4 years, >4 years).
• Analyzing employment attainment and duration for clients in the program for one year or longer.

Main Results:

• 64% of clients remaining in the program for at least one year attained employment.
• The program maintained an average employment rate of 33% across all participants.
• Over half of employed clients worked part-time and held jobs for more than half of their program duration.

Conclusions:

• The PACT-modeled rehabilitation program demonstrates success in facilitating sustained employment for individuals with severe mental illness.
• Long-term program participation is associated with higher rates of employment attainment.
• The findings support the efficacy of integrated psychosocial and vocational support in community-based settings for this population.