Influence of work socialization pathways to supported employment for individuals with a psychiatric disability

Purpose: To explore 1) the pathway-dependent socialization to work for psychiatric clubhouse members engaged in supported employment (SE), 2) clubhouse barriers and facilitators to adaptation to supported employment, and 3) differential receptivity of direct-to-SE and transitional employment (TE)-to-SE members to SE work role demands. Methods: A focus group study was conducted in 2006 of members of the Independence Center psychiatric rehabilitation clubhouse engaged in supported employment and their vocational support staff. Three focus groups were conducted: (1) members directly to supported employment (N=6), (2) members to supported employment (SE) after transitional employment (TE) (N=8), (3) vocational support staff familiar with transitional and supported employment (N=11). Results: Content analysis of focus group transcripts revealed the following thematic differences in the work socialization: direct-to-SE members focused on job match, independence and knowing how to act, TE-to-SE workers focused on interpersonal supports inside and outside the workplace. Vocational staff identified Clubhouse interpersonal supports as a facilitator to SE adaptation, and ‘unrealistic' Clubhouse and TE job demands the greatest barrier. Direct-to-SE members were more receptivity to the demands of SE roles than were TE-to-SE members. Conclusions: The study findings suggest that clubhouses provide a relationship-rich environment for adaptation to work, but that the relationship focus needs to be mediated by learning to attend to structural characteristics of the job, worker characteristics and ‘fit'. Further empirical investigation and theoretical framework development on adaptation to supported employment is indicated on the basis of this study.