University of North Texas program helps adults with mental illness find employment

From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in Texas. In the picture, UNT student Lisa Argo, left, JOB FIT's Elizabeth El Aiady and Tiffany Mir at Mir's Southlake law office.

Mental illness has been called the hidden disability, but Elizabeth El Aiady sees its effects every day.

For someone with a mental illness, finding a job presents many challenges beyond the usual difficulties that people face when looking for work, said El Aiady, business service coordinator for JOB FIT, a new program at the University of North Texas in Denton.

"For someone with a mental illness, the biggest obstacles are the misconceptions and stereotypes," she said.

Through JOB FIT, adults with a serious mental illness learn to cope with the stigma and navigate the many challenges that come with finding rewarding work.

Participants, who do not have to be students, work with an employment specialist who helps them find a job that matches their skills, interests and abilities. At the same time, UNT students, under the supervision of experienced rehabilitation professionals, provide the services and get firsthand field experience.

UNT is the only university in Texas to offer comprehensive job placement services to this population, said Dr. Linda Holloway, chairwoman of the department of rehabilitation, social work and addiction. The state's Department of Rehabilitative Services pays for individuals to attend the program. With the help of a $112,000 grant from the Meadows Foundation, the program was introduced in April to help this underserved population, said Martha Garber, JOB FIT director.

"We're going where the need is greatest," she said.

Although more than two decades of research has shown that adults with mental illness can work and that employment supports their recovery, many end up on disability.

For those with the most severe mental illnesses, the unemployment rate in the United States is as high as 90 percent, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Through supported employment, those with a mental illness can return to work. The UNT program is not about just plugging someone into any job, but matching a person's skill with the right job, Garber said.

"If you're going to stay in a job, it has to be something that you want to do," she said. "This is about finding the best fit we can get."

But finding that fit is difficult for many reasons.

Those with mental illness often have trouble making decisions, so even the simple acts of getting out of bed, taking a shower and going somewhere can be difficult, said Lee LeGrice, executive director of the Mental Health Association of Tarrant County.

They might need help with the expectations of professionalism in the office, LeGrice said. A coach to help them with social skills and teach them how to convey their ideas effectively might also be needed.

Medications that often cause extreme sleepiness can also complicate a job search.

"If I'm schizophrenic, showing up before 11 a.m. could be difficult," El Aiady said. "So the goal would be to find a job where you don't have to be at work until 2 or 3 p.m."

Someone with a mental illness often must address gaps on their résumé and grapple with how much to disclose to an employer or co-workers. Although privacy laws are in place to protect individuals, people with mental illness may need to document the way their disability affects their job and ask for accommodations.

Often, all it takes is an understanding employer.

"We're not asking employers to tear down walls or buy new equipment," El Aiady said. "We are asking them to be flexible with the employee's schedule."

In the end, the employers benefit. They get a worker who has already been screened, is qualified for the job and can meet their staffing needs.

Tiffany Mir, who has a law practice in Southlake, said that in the past, she has opened her doors to people with disabilities and has always been pleased with the results.

"We haven't had to treat anyone special," she said. "We treat everyone the same, and they blend in with the work force."

With Programs such as JOB FIT, employers don't have the hassle of posting a position and going through piles of résumés, Mir said.

"These programs save time, money and we get people that want to work," she said. "Plus, it gives us more diversity in the workplace, which I think helps everybody."