Previous research has indicated that women are disfavoured in vocational rehabilitation and also in Supported Employment (SE), but the research field is still unclear and further research is needed. The purpose of this study was to explore gender differences in the outcome of a SE programme with participants with activity compensation (disability pension) in Sweden. Questionnaires and focus group interviews with the employment consultants in the programme were used. Statistical analyses of the results from the questionnaires (n=99) showed no significant gender differences in the outcomes of the SE programme or other significant gender differences among the participants. The qualitative content analysis of the focus group interviews showed that the employment consultants considered other factors, such as disability, experience, insightfulness and social support, more important than gender for the outcome of the SE programme, but they also considered both the labour market and the work preferences of their participants considerably gender segregated.  The employment consultants tried to minimize the importance of these factors, including the gender segregated labour market, by broadening the participants’ horizons of the labour market. This study concluded that SE does not need to be gender discriminating, but further research is needed.

<p><strong><p>Sammanfattning</p><p>Syftet med vår studie var att undersöka vilket stöd personer med funktionsnedsättningen Aspergers syndrom själva uppgav att de behövde samt deras egna upplevelser av delaktighet på arbetsmarknaden. I studien har vi gjort nio kvalitativa intervjuer med personer som har Aspergers syndrom. Frågeställningarna har avsett att beskriva deras egen syn på arbete och stöd i samband med detta samt svårigheter de upplevt. Flera uppgav att de har saknat ett naturligt stöd på arbetsplatserna som kunde hjälpa dem att strukturera och begränsa arbetsuppgifterna. Vi har i analysen använt teorin om supported employment. Studien har visat att arbetet i sig inte är det viktigaste, utan även den sociala gemenskap som det innebär. Respondenterna beskrev att de både ville ha social gemenskap och vara delaktiga, men uppgav samtidigt svårigheter med socialt samspel och att avläsa sociala koder. Vi har använt teorin KASAM som ett redskap i analysen. Vår studie visade för att ett arbete ska kännas meningsfullt var det viktigt att arbetsuppgifterna motsvarade respondenternas utbildning, kunskaper och erfarenheter och detta uttrycktes på olika sätt. Genom att sprida kunskap om Aspergers syndrom i form av föreläsningar kunde respondenterna även fungera som ett stöd för andra.</p></strong></p>

The overall aim of this thesis is to discover, to value and to explain, if and why Supported Employment functions in a Swedish context and to also highlight those mechanisms which provide meaningful conditions within that context, when a person with a disability reaches, procures and retains employment. The empirical part consists of four studies that examine (1) whether SE has an effect on the employment rate, disposable income and sum of allowances, (2) the employer´s perspective of employing people with disabilities, (3) how employers perceive support from SE in the employment process and (4) how employees with disabilities perceive their work situation and social inclusion in the workplace. The studies within the thesis show that in a Swedish context, SE is encompassed by norm structures, production structures and economical structures which affect conditions for people with disabilities to reach, procure and retain employment. Supported Employment’s mode of practice and the ability to meet, co-exist and co-operate with these social structures has, in many ways, affected the prerequisites for people with disabilities to reach employment. These structures do not in themselves however, constitute a sufficient frame of ideas to enable an understanding of how SE works in a Swedish context, or how to explain the factors that affect conditions when people with disabilities reach, procure and retain employment. In the qualitative studies, trust features prominently and is considered an important mechanism in holding the process together.

Magister Scientiae (Occupational Therapy) - MSc(OT) / Individuals diagnosed with stroke particularly in rural communities have a poor return to work rate. Vocational rehabilitation has been used as an intervention strategy with various types of clients with disability or injury in order to improve their work skills. The aim of the proposed study is to describe the experiences and perceptions of individuals diagnosed with stroke about the usefulness of the Model of Occupational Self Efficacy in assisting them in returning to their worker role particularly in a rural setting. Eight participants were purposively selected from the data base of a local hospital and semi structured interviews were conducted with the participants until saturation occurred. Furthermore, two focus groups were conducted with eight participants. A key informant was also interviewed to assist the researcher with a different perspective and to avoid bias. The data was analysed by means of thematic analysis into codes, categories and themes. Trustworthiness was ensured by means of credibility, applicability, transferability and conformability. Informed consent and confidentiality was ensured. Permission was obtained from the UWC research committee and from the Department of Health. Four themes were merged from the findings: Theme one: Obstacles which affects the return to work of CVA Participants in a rural community. Theme two: Establishing a strong belief in functional ability through occupation. Theme three: Adaptation strategies that enhances the work participation of stroke survivors in a rural community. Finally Theme four: The MOOSE enables transition to the worker role in a rural context. The findings revealed that the participants experienced a loss of their former self thus affecting their worker identity as they were no longer able to experience the gratification of fulfilling their worker role. This was due to the participants not being aware of the return to work options that they had. After the stroke the participants battled with not only overcoming their condition but also the stigma which the community and their employers had of stroke. Overcoming the stroke event and returning to work required that potential barriers and facilitators be identified by the participants and the researcher. The study also identified adaptation strategies that the participants utilised in order to overcome the barriers and assist the participants to have a smoother transition into the workplace. In conclusion the findings of the study revealed that the participants suffer a loss of their former abilities and undergo a loss of their self-esteem. As a result of the loss, participants struggled to return to work not only due to their loss of abilities but also their lack of knowledge regarding return to work and stroke. The findings indicated that there should be more education regarding the stroke that needs to be conducted in communities via media such as local newspapers, local radio stations, clinics and hospitals. The findings of the study may assist Occupational Therapy practitioners to improve services in a rural community for stroke survivors and improve the facilitation of the return to work process after stroke. The MOOSE facilitates motivation for participants to regain their self-esteem and thus move forward to resume a worker role. / 2020-08-31

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / Globally, high unemployment rates exist amongst individuals with schizophrenia. Evidence suggests that these individuals have a desire to return to work (RTW), however, they experience difficulty in finding as well as sustaining employment. Work plays a pivotal role in the functioning of individuals with schizophrenia and has a substantial positive influence on their quality of life (QOL). Several studies recommend supported employment as a practice aimed at improving rates of competitive employment for individuals with schizophrenia. The current study aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of individuals, with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia, about the use of the Model of Occupational Self-Efficacy (MOOSE) as a supported employment strategy in enhancing the work skills and facilitating RTW in the open labour market. A qualitative research design was utilised to explore these experiences and perceptions from nine participants. Additionally, one occupational therapist and one occupational therapy technician were selected and participated as key informants of the study. Participants were selected through the use of purposive sampling. Written informed consent was received from the participants, and their confidentiality was upheld throughout the study. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data, and were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Transcriptions were anal

Unemployment is a problem for individuals with disabilities. Supported employment provides occupational supports for individuals with disabilities to get a job and keep that job once hired. The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (PDC-HS) is used to address performance problems with employees in human services settings. This study evaluated using the PDC-HS with three adults with intellectual disabilities working in supported employment at a library cleaning shelves. The results of the PDC-HS identified insufficient training and prompting as barriers. The matched intervention package was effective in increasing performance of the shelf-cleaning task for all participants. Participant responses to a social validity questionnaire indicated that all participants thought the study was fair, they liked the way they were taught to clean the shelf, and felt that being in the study helped them improve at their job.

Sammanfattning Syftet med vår studie var att undersöka vilket stöd personer med funktionsnedsättningen Aspergers syndrom själva uppgav att de behövde samt deras egna upplevelser av delaktighet på arbetsmarknaden. I studien har vi gjort nio kvalitativa intervjuer med personer som har Aspergers syndrom. Frågeställningarna har avsett att beskriva deras egen syn på arbete och stöd i samband med detta samt svårigheter de upplevt. Flera uppgav att de har saknat ett naturligt stöd på arbetsplatserna som kunde hjälpa dem att strukturera och begränsa arbetsuppgifterna. Vi har i analysen använt teorin om supported employment. Studien har visat att arbetet i sig inte är det viktigaste, utan även den sociala gemenskap som det innebär. Respondenterna beskrev att de både ville ha social gemenskap och vara delaktiga, men uppgav samtidigt svårigheter med socialt samspel och att avläsa sociala koder. Vi har använt teorin KASAM som ett redskap i analysen. Vår studie visade för att ett arbete ska kännas meningsfullt var det viktigt att arbetsuppgifterna motsvarade respondenternas utbildning, kunskaper och erfarenheter och detta uttrycktes på olika sätt. Genom att sprida kunskap om Aspergers syndrom i form av föreläsningar kunde respondenterna även fungera som ett stöd för andra.

ABSTRAKT Personer med psykiskt funktionshinder ärden persongrupp som statistiskt sett har minst chans att komma ut i arbete. Enarbetsrehabiliteringsmetod som enligt internationell forskning visat sig varaden mest effektiva för dessa personer är Individual Placement and Support(IPS), men kunskap om hur metoden fungerar i Sverige är ännu bristfällig.Syftet var att belysa IPS-coachers uppfattning om vad som påverkat arbetsrehabiliteringenför klienter med psykiskt funktionshinder inom två IPS-program i norraSverige.  Metoden som användes var attanalysera åtta IPS-coachers dokumentation kring 65 klientersarbetsrehabilitering under totalt två år med hjälp av kvalitativinnehållsanalys. Ett övergripande tema kunde skapas ”Motivation och förmåga att se värdet av IPS möjliggör en fungerandearbetsrehabilitering”, som bestod av de fyra huvudkategorierna: ”Klientcentrerat arbetssätt för att skapa ochupprätthålla klientens motivation, ”Klientens hälsa, livssituation ochstrategier för konstruktiv anpassning”, ”Betingelser för lämplig arbetsplats” och ”Spelregler i samarbetet”. Upprätthållandetav motivation visade sig vara mycket komplext då det påverkas av så mångaaspekter och för personer med psykiskt funktionshinder kan det vara extrasvårt. En slutsats är att metoden IPS och arbetsterapi delar flera centralavärderingar. Framför allt att meningsfull aktivitet påverkar människans hälsaoch bidrar till utveckling, men också att ett klientcentrerat arbetssättmöjliggör skapandet av flexibla strategier som fungerar för den enskildeklienten i det sammanhang där han eller hon ska utföra sina aktiviteter.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Purdue University, 2010. / Title from screen (viewed on May 25, 2010). Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Advisor(s): Gary R. Bond, John McGrew, Kevin Rand, Dennis Devine. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 73-85).

This thesis deals with opportunities of mentally disabled people in society. First of all it is defined the term mental retardation, its degree and causes. The following describes the education and upbringing of mentally handicapped. The thesis also discusses approaches to work with mentally disabled people. Another section deals with supported employment. The aim of this thesis is to determine the possibilities of mentally disabled people in society.