Steve Ramsland's Blog Buckelew Programs

Sustainable Livelihoods: Linking Mental Health & Economic Development

     Buckelew Programs recently hosted a community forum led by my friend, Richard Dougherty, the President of BasicNeeds US, on cross-cultural issues in the delivery of mental health services in developing nations of Africa and South Asia. I’m constantly looking for ways to reach out and engage members of our community in a shared process of learning, exploring, and developing new and innovative approaches to providing services and supports to youth, adults, and older adults with mental illness. So I thought it might be interesting to hear what BasicNeeds is doing in countries like India, Sri Lanka, Ghana or Uganda, and compare their approach with what Buckelew is doing here in Marin, Sonoma and Napa.

     While many of us here in the US have been touched in some way by mental illnesses, we’re fortunate that we don’t face the devastating hardships of poor people with mental illness who are living in parts of the world without access to mental health services of any kind. I learned, for example, that it is not uncommon in parts of Africa and South Asia to chain a person with mental illness to a tree—often as a desperate attempt by loved ones to keep their family member out of harm’s way in the absence of accessible and appropriate mental health services. BasicNeeds is working in developing nations to build local capacity for mental health services that reduce symptoms, promote recovery, sustainable livelihoods, and integration in households and communities.
    

Despite the vast differences in culture and resources between the Bay Area and developing nations in Africa and South Asia, I was really struck by the vision shared both by Buckelew and BasicNeeds of creating opportunities for people with mental illness to live, work, and lead more sustainable, engaged lives in their communities. I liked BasicNeeds’ approach of explicitly linking mental health and financial development, of enlisting natural supports and social networks in the community—as well as mental health treatment—to aid mental health consumers with their recovery. Their attempts to develop “sustainable livelihoods” echo Buckelew’s drive to create more jobs and economic opportunity through our supported employment programs, our social enterprises, and our planned financial literacy and savings program.
    

We know that for people with mental illness—here, as well as in Africa—poverty is one of the most pervasive, significant, and debilitating barriers to achieving recovery and full participation in the community. And so we go beyond providing essential mental health services to also create homes, jobs, and—ultimately—hope for those living with mental illness.

Rethinking Mental Health Employment Services to Create Real Jobs

Buckelew has been honored to have been selected as a Finalist in an international competition on Rethinking Mental Health Services.   The competition was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Ashoka's Changemakers.

A prestigious panel of judges reviewed more than 340 inspiring solutions to improving mental health services from 42 countries, and they selected a group of 12 finalists for their vision, impact, and unique approach.    Buckelew’s finalist submission was entitled:  “Rethinking Mental Health Employment Services to Create Real Jobs:  Blue Skies Personnel Services.”   

Blue Skies Personnel Service is a full-service, non-profit employee staffing entity that places people with mental illness into direct-hire jobs in the community.  It was established as an innovative strategy for overcoming mental health stigma in the workplace so that more clients could obtain competitive employment.  Studies show that although 70% of people with mental illness want to work, only 15% are employed. The majority of people with serious mental illness in the US have incomes below the poverty level. A big hurdle to employment is the stigma associated with mental illness, and traditional mental health employment approaches have failed to surmount those challenges, resulting in such low rates of employment and income.

Small businesses comprise the vast majority of local employers. Most do not have professional HR departments, and rely on staffing services for hiring and general HR needs. By forming our own staffing service, we gain direct access to companies that might employ our clients. Professional job developers work with employers to identify their staffing needs, and then introduce qualified job candidates to the employer, assisting the client with the interview process. Once hired, job coaches provide a quality assurance role, working with the employer and client to ensure the success of the placement. HR specialists provide ongoing consultation and training to the employer. 

Blue Skies Personnel Services "rethinks mental health" by marketing itself as a professional HR staffing service, and not a mental health program. It's outreach staff are marketing and sales people who have been trained in working with mental health clients, not traditional mental health professionals who may be comfortable working with clients but are not adept at working with businesses.

In the year prior to starting Blue Skies Personnel Services, Buckelew Programs placed 17 people with mental illness into jobs in the community. In every year since, we have placed between 75 and 93 people into real jobs--over 400 individuals in the past 5 years!  Our reputation as a reliable staffing service for small employers has grown, and a dozen local employers serve on our Employer Advisory Council. We are the preferred staffing service for our local Staples, Home Depot, and others. The clients placed into employment have, on average, increased their income by over 45%.

So why is it important to help people with mental illness to get--and keep--real jobs?  Because like most people, people with mental illness feel better about themselves when they are engaged in some form of meaningful occupation.  Research suggests that people with serious mental illness who are working report higher self esteem and self-confidence than non-working peers.  They seem to be better able to manage symptoms and improve their social skills and presentation to others.  They begin to lead more satisfying, sustainable lives among others in the community.  As one of the Rethinking Mental Health competition judges wrote:  "This initiative deserves widespread recognition for its excellent approach.  It really takes on the issue of stigma and provides opportunities for work.  It helps recovering patients manage their on-going illness as part of the workplace."

Blue Skies Personnel Services is just one approach to helping consumers to obtain employment, and employment is just one component of helping people with mental illness to successfully manage their illness and recovery.  Future postings will take a look at these, and other important aspects of mental health wellness and recovery, sustainability, social enterprise,  news and innovations from Buckelew.