Salient components in supported employment programs: Perspectives from employment specialists and clients

Objective: This study aimed to identify the key components of supported employment (SE) programs needed to help people with serious mental illness obtain and maintain competitive employment. Participants and methods: Via convenience sampling, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 69 employment specialists and ninety-nine (99) clients who successfully obtained employment through SE programs in three Canadian provinces. Results: The findings describe five themes important to getting a job and to keeping a job: 1) philosophy of the program, 2) programmatic SE components, 3) employment specialists' competencies (skills, attitudes, and behaviours), 4) clients' skills and characteristics, and 5) elements related to employers. Employment specialists perceived a positive attitude and a client-centered program philosophy to be important for obtaining employment, while they perceived the support offered, the frequency and length of the follow-up as essential elements for maintaining a job. Clients perceived the employment specialists' competencies (e.g., positive attitude, marketing skills) to be important components. Conclusion: These results suggest a need to update the essential components in SE programs, or to include additional SE components.