Access to Better Living and Employment (ABLE)Kayla Patino and Brianna Ryder

Description of Program

“Access to Better Living and Employment (ABLE) is an independent living and employment program that is geared towards assisting individuals with mental health or psychiatric disabilities gain skills and tools to assist them with living better and managing their conditions, to be better suited for employment pursuits in the future.”

Topics Covered

● Disability Awareness● Stress Management● Coping Skills● Life Management Skills● Self-Care● Stigma● Advocacy● Community Resources and Supports● Work Readiness

Program Population

The program is best suited for adults (ages 18-65) who have a diagnosis of a mental health or psychiatric disability who are not ready for traditional employment services and need assistance identifying areas to improve upon as they try to work to live better and thus eventually work better.

Creation of ABLE

This program was created out of a s pecific need highlighted by Michigan Rehabilita tion Services for their s upported employment program. They noted that individuals in this population needed more s upport and s kill building in a ll areas of life when attempting to return to work and reta in their employment.

Program Focuses

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Direct-and-indirect-barriers-to-workforce-participation-implicated-by-mental-health_fig1_312555176

Focus on Levels of Barriers

https://www.namikenosha.org/workplace-mental-health.html

Focus on Retention

https://cpr.bu.edu/living-well/eight-dimensions-of-wellness/

Holistic Approach to Wellness

Current Program Contents

Day One:

● Dis ability Awarenes s● Self-Care● Stres s

Building Your House Activity

“I loved this activity becaus e it really helped me vis ualize all of the different pieces that go into taking care of mys elf and making s ure I am working on bettering all parts of mys elf, ra ther than jus t the phys ical or mental.”

Stress Escalator Activity

Focus ed Coping Skills Exercis e

“Thes e activities jus t made me more aware. Aware of what s tres s es me and what I am doing to help cope whether healthy or unhealthy.”

https://wellbeing.gmu.edu/resources/george-mason-university-s-resilience-model

Current Program Contents Cont.

Day Two:

● Work/ Life Balance● Stigma● Advocacy and Accommodations

“I have quit my job before because my mental illnes s was jus t too much. I was having problems and rather than jus t ta lking to my bos s about it, I quit. Left one day and jus t never came back.”

“When I was working, I frequently told my bos s I was s ick rather than having mental health is s ues . I hadn’t dis clos ed, and had hid it pretty well s o far, s o I was not going to tell him the actual reas on.”

https://www.mentalhelp.net/aware/physical-mental/

“I don’t want anyone to know such personal things about me.”

“It is s o hard to ta lk about with anyone at work becaus e one, you don’t want anyone to know but a ls o you feel like if you do, you will be immediately judged.”

“I have told people before and it has ended badly. When people hear you have a mental illnes s , anything you do can be s crutinized. I felt like they were a lways waiting for me to do s omething.”

https://www.mentalhelp.net/aware/physical-mental/

Current Program Contents Cont.

Day Three:

● Profes s ionalis m● Work Readines s● Res ources and Supports

Professional Portfolio

Interview Tips

Profes s ional Dres s

Appropriate Behavior

“I have not written a res ume ever in my life, and I never thought I needed one before s o this was really helpful in explaining not jus t what to s ay, but why it is important.”

Resources specific to the community, and the individuals in the program

Provide in electronic and hard copy format

Do not limit the divers ity or res ources

“I did not know that there were s o many res ources in the community I could acces s . This information is invaluable.”

Feedback from Participants

“This program is s omething that I found extremely helpful. I learned that I s hould not be as hamed to be a pers on with a mental illnes s , and that as king for help does not make me a weak pers on.”

“I truly feel more prepared to return to work now. I haven’t worked in 22 years and I was hones tly terrified, but now I know what tools I have at my dis pos al and I feel very s upported.”

“I feel like this is a program anyone could benefit from, not jus t people with mental illnes s . It really teaches you all of the pieces of the puzzle when looking at working again but a ls o jus t living better overall.”

The Future of ABLEABLE will be changing for this new fis cal year:

● Cyclical programming running cons tantly

● Individuals can enter and complete parts of ABLE when they can

● Five content days

Future Directions for ProgramDis ability Awarenes s

● Share About Your Dis ability Activity

Self-Care

● Self-Care Day with Self-Care Kits

Stres s Management and Coping Skills

● Guided Meditation● Guided Vis ualization● Progres s ive Mus cle Relaxation● Grounding

Future Directions for Program Cont.

Work/ Life Balance

● J ournaling Activity

Stigma

● Awarenes s for the Community

Advocacy and Accommodations

● AT Demons tration● Practice Communicating with Employers

Future Directions for Program Cont. Profes s ionalism

● Profes s ional Attire Works hops● Creating Profes s ional Documents

Work Readines s

● Workplace Tours● Peer Networking Event

Res ources and Support

● Res ource Fair● Pres entations from Community Partners

Questions?