Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-g7gxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-16T12:35:06.141Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Challenges to employment among latino population with severe mental illness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2020

M. O’Connell ,
M. Costa ,
A. Gonzalez ,
G. Damio ,
K. Ruiz ,
L. León-Quismondo  and
L. Davidson
M. O’Connell
Affiliation:
Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven-Connecticut, USA
M. Costa
Affiliation:
Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven-Connecticut, USA
A. Gonzalez
Affiliation:
Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven-Connecticut, USA
G. Damio
Affiliation:
Hispanic Health Council, Department of Psychiatry, Hartford-Connecticut, USA
K. Ruiz
Affiliation:
Hispanic Health Council, Department of Psychiatry, Hartford-Connecticut, USA
L. León-Quismondo*
Affiliation:
“Principe de Asturias” University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Alcalá de Henares-Madrid, Spain
L. Davidson
Affiliation:
Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven-Connecticut, USA
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Introduction

Unemployment is common in persons with severe mental illness (SMI) and more in Latino population. Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) of Connecticut offers a supported employment (SE) Program to help clients get competitive work in integrated settings with nondisabled workers in the community.

Objective

Capture perspectives of key informant groups to describe barriers for linking Latinos with SMI to employment and adapt SE Services for subpopulations.

Method

Four focus groups were conducted (employment specialists, case managers and peer support counselors/employers/two with clients-one in Spanish and other in English). They were conducted during January-February 2015, 70–90 minutes each one. A question guide was developed for each group. Participants per focus group ranged from 3–10, voluntarily. Two new questionnaires to the baseline pack were developed: challenges to Employment Assessment–provider and client version.

Results

Thirty individuals participated. Several barriers to employment were reported. Clients and staff reported criminal record, lack of employment history and lack of motivation. Staff described client hygiene, mental status, physical health, substance abuse and discrimination. Clients, staff and employers reported language barrier for Latinos who don’t speak English. Non-adherence to medication was reported by clients and employers. About Spanish-Speaking Latinos with mental illness, medication, discrimination, previous abuse by employers, inappropriate employment, difficulties of the job interview and computer skills appeared as challenges. English-Speaking Latinos with mental illness identified transport, stability, support, keeping apartment and financial needs.

Conclusions

Focus groups can help in knowledge about the diversity of Latino communities to improve SE Services and outcomes for Latinos.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Type
EV462
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 33 , Issue S1: Abstracts of the 24th European Congress of Psychiatry , March 2016 , pp. S401
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2016
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.