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October 2016
Policy&Practice
13
T
he connection between
employment and psycho-
social well-being is well
established.
Meaningful work contrib-
utes to mental health and
well-being because it facilitates social
inclusion and is intimately linked to
self-esteem and identity.
1
At the same
time, mental health and well-being
are important factors for success in
the workforce. Mental illness and
substance dependency can hinder a
person’s ability to attain and retain
employment.
The United States has staggering
rates of mental health and substance
abuse conditions: almost half of all
Americans will develop a mental
health or addictive condition at some
point in their lifetime.
2
While not all
mental health or substance abuse
conditions are chronic or debilitating,
they can be, especially when they are
not identified or sufficiently addressed.
Considering the rates of mental health
and substance abuse conditions within
the general population, it should be no
surprise that a large number of human
service customers deal with these
issues as well. Thus, it is not surprising
that many human service administra-
tors cite behavioral health issues and
related barriers as some of the most
persistent and difficult issues for their
customers to overcome.
3
By Kerry Desjardins
and Katlyn Riggins
Illustration via Shutterstock
Empowering
Jobseekers with
Mental Illness
Dependency
and Substance