What is “Helping People with Mental Illness to Enter and Remain in Employment”?
The “Helping People with Mental Illness to Enter and Remain in Employment” measure forms part of the Council of Australian Governments' (COAG) National Action Plan on Mental Health 2006 - 2011. The measure includes funding to provide:- more people with personal support to address vocational and non-vocational barriers to employment,
- more support for people with mental illness who are at risk of losing or leaving their jobs due to their condition,
- more people with access to ongoing support in the workplace,
- funding for research projects examining mental health and employment,
- more information on mental health and employment for employers, employees, service providers and jobseekers via JobAccess.
Responsibility for “Helping People with Mental Illness to Enter and Remain in Employment” rests with the Australian Government Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations.
Why is this important?
This measure enhances services and support for job seekers and employees with mental illness. It focuses on improving people's employment prospects and opportunities, and assists people with mental illness to find and maintain suitable employment.Who benefits?
People with mental illness who are eligible to receive employment assistance through a Disability Employment Services provider or a Job Services Australia provider.Employees with mental illness who are at risk of losing, or leaving their jobs because of their condition now have immediate access to the services they need.
Employers of people with mental illness have greater access to information via the JobAccess website as well as support for their employees with mental illness who require assistance in the workplace.
Employment service providers have greater access to research into best practice employment assistance for people with mental illness.
What is “Helping People with Mental Illness to Enter and Remain in Employment” delivering?
Disability Employment Services commenced on 1 March 2010 and are a significant improvement in services for people with disability, their families, carers, and employers. For the first time, people with disability have access to the help they need to find and keep a job. There are no waiting lists as the services are now demand driven.All eligible job seekers with disability have access to individually tailored and comprehensive services which meet their needs including capacity building, training, work experience and other interventions to help participants obtain and maintain suitable employment.
A key distinguishing feature of Disability Employment Services is their capacity to support and manage a participant’s condition in the workplace, along with providing ongoing support in the workplace for as long as it is required.
The “Research and Evaluation of Mental Health and Employment” component of this measure is also helping to increase the knowledge and evidence regarding what is effective in assisting people with mental illness to find and keep a job.
Top of page
What funding is attached to this measure?
The Australian Government is committing $40 million over five years.Further information
For information and practical resources for people with a disability in employment: JobAccess.For more information on the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations employment services.
For further information on the National Mental Health and Disability Employment Strategy
For general information on jobs and employment
Page currency, Latest update: 17 March, 2011