Supported Employment and Social Relationships in the Workplace

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Social relationships are important for quality of life. The published literature establishes the powerful effect social relationships have on our health [8], happiness, and overall sense of well-being [3, 15]. The interpersonal relationships and supportive social networks that we may take for granted, however, are often elusive for members of our society who have intellectual disabilities [13] or mental illness [4]. Even those who live in the community may experience social isolation and limited access to socially valued roles [4, 5]. Therefore, supporting individuals to build relationships and attain socially valued roles are central to creating truly inclusive communities. Work provides access to the socially valued role of “employee” for individuals who historically have been denied full citizenship. Because society places a high value on work and those who work, people who are employed are considered to be valuable, contributing members of society. Moreover, existing research documents a link between employment and larger social networks for people with disabilities [2, 9], which, in turn, are associated with superior quality-of-life outcomes [10, 16].