Overcoming Unemployment And Mental Illness

CBS Evening News: "Supported Employment" Helps Mentally Ill Patients Find, And Keep, Jobs In Rough Economic Times

(CBS)  While unemployment for the overall population is running at 6.7 percent, for people coping with psychiatric difficulties, it reaches 90 percent. For those struggling with both, there's a special program that not only dramatically lowers unemployment, but also fosters self-respect, reports CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook.

Steve Cromer really loves going to work.

"It's hard to explain psychologically," Cromer says. "I feel like I'm on cloud nine all the time."

Cromer's been diagnosed with a variety of mental illnesses, and at 36, this is the first job he's ever been able to hold for more than a couple of months, LaPook reports.

He's succeeding now because of a program called "supported employment," meaning that an entire team of specialists is behind him, and nurturing every aspect of his success.

"There are seven basic principles to supported employment," says Nicole Clevenger, who teaches those principles to groups of mentally ill people hoping to find work.

She's not only an advocate, she's a client, LaPook reports. And if she had to decide which is worse, coping with mental illness or struggling to find work…

"Being unemployed, without a doubt," she says.

Thirty-one and bi-polar, Clevenger is a single mother of two who fled job after job because of anxiety and panic attacks.

"I felt like a failure," she says. "I was ashamed."

Advocates of supported employment say almost half the mentally ill who want to work could be working, under the right conditions - a psychiatrist, an understanding boss and a job coach who, in Clevenger's case, is a lifeline when anxiety strikes.

"She's willing to walk me through, she'll all but hold by hand if I need her to," Clevenger says.

Supported employment turned her life around, she says.

---

Click here to read more about the Supported Employment program

---

"Working has helped me further my recovery more than any other single thing I've ever done," Clevenger says. "Including medication."

The program costs about $3,000 per patient for the first year only - and then begins to pay for itself. But there are no federal funds for it, LaPook reports, and only about a dozen states willing to pay. For people like Steve Cromer, who are unemployed, mentally ill and approaching middle-age, supported employment also provides relief for their families. In Cromer's case, it's a huge weight off his mother's shoulders.

"It's just very upsetting, it kind of tears you up inside to know, you know, what's going to happen to him when we're not here to help him," says Carol Cromer.

But with support, Cromer is on his way to helping himself.

"I just want you to be proud of me," Steve tells his mom.

"Well I am," Carol says.

[splstphn]

As being a mental health patient myself, I have seen both sides of the fence. You people "Glamourise" your so called "Mental Health Services". However, I have witnessed the "Mentally Challenged" being taken advantage of by "Mental Health Care Workers and Supervisors". This side of the fence doesn''t get the exsposure it needs. It''s happening all across the country. The "Mentally Challenged" are being used and oppressed by the health care employees and supervisors. If you think that I am wrong...then by all means call for an investigation, and you will see the light.

[nelsonwburns]

Thank you for highlighting employment services for people with chronic mental illness. Your segment covered services provided by Coleman Professional Services; a nonprofit serving five counties in northeast Ohio. Employment is one of other key services that help provide recovery of chronic mental illness. We appreciate your invovlement.
Nelson Burns, CEO

[imaghast]

Don''t waste your time with the VA. You will be counseled by two pompous, pretentious, self-serving know-it-alls who will consult with each other and then take 45 minutes to explain to you why they can''t help you. They were given their jobs to get them off unemployment in the first place.

[phonegirl300]

Most unemployed mentally ill people don''t have $3000.00.

[vocrehab]

If you are a veteran with a psychosis diagnosis then each of the 162 VA hosptials nation wide offers a Supported Employment program free of charge.

[vocrehab]

As former state vocational rehabilitation counselor I just wanted to lete everyone know that each state has a state vocational rehabilitation agency and each one offers a supported employment program. I urge everyone to research this, it''s free service paid for with federal and state funds.

[nobdysfool]

I have proved myself to Jesus byb attending chirch regularly and contributing to the collection basket.

Posted by lady_organs at 01:20 PM : Jan 05, 2009
+

I surely hope you are kidding, because this is not how you prove yourself to Jesus. How sad to know there are people like you that believe this is how you get to "heaven".

[spider20201]

I have a family member that is going through this type of problem. Can you point me in the right direction for more help.

[spider20201]

I have a family member that is going through this type of problem. Can you point me in the right direction for more help.

[spider20201]

I have a family member that is going through this type of problem. Can you point me in the right direction for more help.

[nobdysfool]

so I suppose by your reason he is not predestined to go to heaven as well because he suffered the curse of god rather than his blessing
Posted by MNBrant at 10:41 AM : Jan 05, 2009
------------------------------------
So you believe then that you are evil & will be going to h-e-l-l if you have a mental illness? I actually see a lot of goodness come out of people in my life that are "cursed" with a mental illness. If people were to EDUCATE themselves about mental illness we would not even be having this debate. You biblethumpers always have to throw your "good & evil" bs into everything!

[mnbrant]

From Wikopedia..Calvinistic predestination is sometimes referred to as "double predestination."[2] This is the view that God chose who would go to heaven, and who to hell, and that his decision is infallibly to come to pass. This point of view simultaneously denies that God is the Author of Evil, but the issue is a very difficult point of the doctrine of predestination. The difference between elect and reprobate is not in themselves, all being equally unworthy, but in God''s sovereign decision to show mercy to some, to save some and not others. It is called double predestination because it holds that God chose both whom to save and whom to ***, as opposed to single predestination which contends that though he chose whom to save, he did not choose whom to ***.

Lady_organs at least you did not say that mental illness does not exist as I have heard some conservative religious leaders say. But you are a calvinist in that you believe some are predestined to go to hell. I think you should reread Saint Pauls Romans to Philomen. (actually I havent read it either but have heard it is the exact opposite of what you preach. Also, Saint Paul, the founder of the modern church, spent most of his life in prision so I suppose by your reason he is not predestined to go to heaven as well because he suffered the curse of god rather than his blessing.

[mnbrant]

I broke my neck in 1996 and needed welfare. I was eligible for food stamps and a one time $100 emergency check. I tried to get on SSI after filling out about 100 pages of questions. I was immediately denied.

When I went back to apply the second time, a person in the in the social security waiting room said I was making a mistake by claiming a physical disability and that I should claim mental illness, by telling the case worker I see things and hear voices. I chose not to go that route and borrowed money from friends and family.

You are right of course. As a Schizo Affective I got disability in 3 months. A friend of mine with mental limitations and a bad back has to make do with 200$ a month govt subsidy. He does have a nice apt however that only costs a third of his 200$. He has been trying unsucessfully for years to get disability even though he cannot work.

[nobdysfool]

We must prove ourselves worthy of Jesus love in order to recieve it.

Posted by lady_organs at 09:34 AM : Jan 05, 2009
--------------------------
How have you proved yourself to Jesus? Oh yes, by being judgemental of others. Go to h-e-l-l.

[timothyone-2009]

==========================================================
How appropos. Cheney''''''''s about to be "unemployed" (albiet temporarily and unfortunately, as the only job he deserves is shoveling dog shiit), and he''''''''s clearly mentally ill.
==========================================================

Psychopathy is not a mental illness, but a matter of genetics. Like green eyes and brown hair, *** Cheney''s personality was handed down to him by a relative. Take a look at Barb and her satanic little boy George W!! If it were simply an illness there could be effective treatments, but all we can do for psychopaths is attempt to teach them to pretend to have normal emotions of love and affection.

[nobdysfool]

Unemployment and mental illness are punishments God inflicts on sinners so I dont feel sorry for them, they are getting what they deserve.

Posted by lady_organs at 08:54 AM : Jan 05, 2009
---------------------------------------------
Spoken from a true "Christian". Although I do believe Jesus loved all his children, even those born with mental & physical imperfections.

[biomegaly]

Posted by dan_8951 at 06:22 AM : Jan 05, 2009

Dan,
You sound a bit paranoid. Are you mentally ill?
We can''t keep blaming the US government for all the ills of this country. People need to take a long hard look in the mirror first and foremost. This article is about a single mother with bi-polar. Uh, gee, perhaps she shouldn''t have had the kids in the first place. Thats one thing wrong with this people inhabiting our country--no brains, no common sense.

[vstucker1]

I appreciate the time and energy that Jonathan LaPook invested into this valuable story that helps to show that recovery is possible for individuals with mental illness. My career since 1975 has been focused on assisting such individuals with achieving meaningful lives by using the support of the Therapeutic Community model... examples are www.CooperRiis.org and www.GouldFarm.org.

Often employers have sought out our graduates, because when mental health recovery occurs, the individual is more motivated that the typical job seeker to find and keep a meaningful job.

Also, a new job role is available today in several places around the country for individuals in mental health recovery called Peer Support Specialist. These are individuals who receive training, so that they can help others who are in the beginning stages of recovery. They are terrific role models, who have first hand knowledge of what it takes to recover.

We routinely employee Peer Support Specialists in our therapeutic community.

Again, thanks for the positive story!!

Virgil Stucker
www.CooperRiis.org

[mnbrant]

As a schizo affective person. I hold down a 65 hour a week job. Actually, the medication I take allows me to work rather than the other way around. I have heard of vocational training for the mentally ill, which was not appropriate for me as I already had a job. I think support structure for someone in my position who hears voices and may think someone is trying to fire them when they are not would be helpful. My support is my mom who has tough love and is a psychologist. Also my psychiatrist who I see every 3 months. Mentally ill people are limited in what they can do but are not as limited as most people think

[estabwary]

Now if we can just get more employed people diagnosed
and treated, we can strike a balance.