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The social exclusion of adults with chronic mental health problems acts in all the major domains of life: employment, housing, income, education as well as accessibility of services. The Romanian mental health system is reflecting the discrimination of these adults: the reforms are delayed, the community services are missing, and the treatment is unilateral. In the area of psychiatric recovery, evidence based interventions needs to be implemented, like supported employment and education, family education, costumer-operated services etc. Unemployment is one of the most debilitating effects of the severe mental illness and evidence (as well as experience) shows that a large population of adults with mental health problems want to work. There are some internal as well as external barriers to employment for adults with mental health problems: the attitudes of employers, the symptoms, the lack of confidence, and the fear to lose the disability pension. Supported employment is an evidence-based intervention which aims to combat the internal, as well as the external barriers to employment. The results of a study realised in 2009 (Antal şi colab) with the beneficiaries of a community mental health center in Cluj-Napoca, emphasis the importance of supported employment for the vocational reintegration of adults with mental health problems The present paper underlines the importance of the social work’s contribution in the area of psychiatric recovery, especially on those areas that link mental health with broader social issues, such as discrimination, lack of resources, unemployment and education.
Keywords: social exclusion, psychiatric recovery, vocational integration, barriers to employment, supported employment
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