Making Sense of Employment Research (MSER) highlights employment research published in the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal. Each webinar will be designed to discuss a recently published study in a clear and relevant way, even if you know little or nothing about research.

Community Mental Health Center Attitudes About Employment Among Those With Serious Mental Illness

As a research associate professor at the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability, Dr. Debra Brucker studies the economic, health, and social well-being of persons with disabilities and other vulnerable populations. She has over 20 years of applied policy research experience and has held social and health policy research positions at academic institutions, research […]

Supporting the Young Adult Peer Support Workforce: Insights from a Survey Study

This webinar presents findings from a survey study examining the workplace experiences of Young Adult Peer Support Workers (YPSWs) across the United States. Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative data, we explore key domains including job satisfaction, supervision, intergenerational workplace climate, and experiences of stigma. We also highlight important differences by certification status, including disparities […]

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Individual Placement and Support Services for Young Adults

Individual placement and support (IPS) is an evidence-based model designed to help individuals with mental health conditions secure and maintain competitive employment. Young adults are a particularly vulnerable group in need of these services. The COVID-19 pandemic led many public institutions to curtail face-to-contacts, which affected IPS service delivery. This webinar describes a qualitative descriptive […]

Critical Elements of Using Virtual Reality Job Interviewing in IPS Supported Employment

In 2020 researchers from the University of Michigan School of Social Work interviewed IPS staff across several Illinois communities who had used Virtual Reality-Job Interviewing Training (VR-JIT) in their work with clients receiving IPS. This presentation will describe the feasibility of using VR-JIT as an additional “tool” in IPS, particularly with clients who were seeking […]

Key Stakeholder Perspectives on the Use of Research About Supported Employment for a Variety of Patients with Mental Illness

This webinar discusses stakeholder responses to evidence on supported employment, emphasizing the importance of tailoring programs to individual needs which are often overlooked in current initiatives. Qualitative data were collected from three stakeholder groups — people with lived experience of mental health challenges, community health advocates, and state health policy makers. Results highlight the necessity […]

“Once a Peer, Always a Peer”

This presentation with Elizabeth Siantz, PhD, qualitatively explores recently certified Peer Specialists’ experiences with navigating the job market to find post-certification employment, experiences with employment once in the workforce, and reflections on CPS training.

Thriving at Work While Living with Mental Illness

This interactive webinar will highlight the conditions necessary for thriving at work among individuals living in challenging mental health situations. We will emphasize fairness as the foundation to thriving and the importance of (re)storying multiple perspectives, centering decent work as a basic human right, and identifying the psychological, social, and structural systems necessary for thriving. […]

IPS Supported Employment in the 2020’s: NY State Experience

The world was a different place when IPS was introduced more than three decades ago. Yet despite changes in the economy, employment opportunities, hiring practices, evolution of the Internet and the ubiquity of mobile devices, and our experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, IPS has continued to be the gold standard. Today’s webinar will explore two […]

Developing a Peer Workforce for Provision of IPS

This webinar draws on findings from a project in which vocational staff of a peer-run program were trained to deliver IPS along with work-focused health and wellness supports. Recipients of peer-delivered IPS plus health promotion achieved higher rates of competitive employment compared to those receiving peer-delivered generic supported employment services. The peer IPS team also achieved high fidelity to the IPS model’s principles and practices.