Using Supported Employment to Help People with Behavioral Health Needs Reentering Communities

The ability to find and secure employment, particularly with a livable wage, is one of the most critical aspects to helping people lead safe and healthy lives. Unfortunately, many people leaving prison and jail face barriers and stigmas associated with their incarceration that prevent them from obtaining employment. These stigmas are typically heightened when the individuals also have a behavioral health condition.¹ Supported employment² can address these challenges by linking people with specialized services that help them identify their strengths, access available resources (e.g., education, experience, networks), build skills to become competitive candidates, and receive job coaching and training.

Supported employment services also often include job development and job placement assistance. Accessing supported employment services that are customized for people with behavioral health needs is especially important for people returning from prison or jail as these individuals may need more intensive support to obtain and sustain gainful employment.³ This brief highlights four ways that reentry and community supervision programs can use supported employment services to prepare people with behavioral health needs for successful reentry.

Incorporating Supported Employment Services into Reentry Planning

Reentry and community supervision staff are tasked with preparing people leaving jail or prison for successful community integration and stable living. This can involve coordinating with a variety of stakeholders to develop case plans for individuals and linking them to needed services. For people with behavioral health needs, these staff may also be tasked with connecting them to treatment and wraparound supports. Since securing employment for someone is not often a direct service that these staff can provide, it is sometimes deprioritized or viewed as less important than other reentry services. However, research shows that employment, among other stabilizing factors, reduces recidivism.⁸ Below are four ways that reentry and community supervision staff can begin to incorporate supported employment services into their reentry planning or refer people to programs that are already doing the work.

1 Build connections with local supported employment providers.

Supported employment is a specialized and time intensive service. When reentry providers are unable to add this specialty to their teams, identifying referral partners is key. Local providers can be identified by searching the local Department of Vocational or Rehabilitation Services database, the Veterans Health Administration, the state mental health agency, and through the Social Security Administration’s Ticket to Work program.

2 Encourage work with ongoing conversations about employment.

Starting conversations about work can be intimidating. Knowing what questions to ask people with behavioral health conditions and how to respond in different situations are key skills for case workers and counselors. The SOAR Employment Conversation Guide⁹ and Sample Reponses can help case workers begin those tough, but important conversations. By initiating early conversations about work with people in prison or jail, staff can help clients identify work goals and ensure people with behavioral health conditions are receiving accurate information about supported employment and returning to work. The guide can also be used to help facilitate connections to a supported employment agency.

3 Educate clients on ways to access Social Security disability benefits and obtain employment.

People with SMI earn, on average, a third less than the median income.¹⁰ These reduced earnings underscore the importance for people with behavioral health needs to maximize their income through benefits acquisition and competitive employment. Benefits planning is essential, especially as people are preparing for reentry, and encourages people to maximize their income by applying for benefits while also working at a level that supports their needs. The Social Security Administration (SSA) funds local service providers to support in this navigation. The Ticket to Work website provides information on local providers to which case managers can refer participants. SSA’s work incentive programs are designed to help people retain their benefits while returning to work. Potential decreases in mainstream benefits are often offset by increases in earned income as well as other important outcomes like social connection and self-esteem.

4 Include employment goals and progress in regular check-ins.

Discuss the status of employment goals during regular check-in meetings. Proactive questions can help maintain momentum or address barriers to prevent job loss. Questions to ask include: Has the individual taken steps needed to obtain a job? Do they need additional supports? If they are working, how is the job going?