Improving Work Outcome for People With Severe Mental Illness

IPS involves an employment specialist who is integrated within the mental health team, and carries out all phases of the vocational services, with a caseload on less than 25. The intervention is based on the 7 principles of IPS Supported Employment. The essence of these principles is an individualized and rapid search for competitive employment or education that avoids prolonged prevocational training and preparation. The intervention is integrated within the mental health services, with emphasis on client preference and choice regarding jobs, and with availability of on going job support and benefit counselling

Individual Placement and Support + cognitive remediation and work-related social skills training, consists of the IPS intervention + 24 sessions of computer based cognitive training and 24 group based sessions of cognitive coping strategies and work-related social skills training.