A COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT - IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL-WORK-PRACTICE

Supported employment is an alternative vocational service for individuals with severe mental or physical challenges. This article presents findings from a study that examined the impact of participation in a supported employment program on community members' responses to severely challenged individuals. A test group of 45 respondents was used, and data were collected with a questionnaire. After six months of program participation, significant differences were found in the test group's responses to questions regarding an integrated workplace, the ability of challenged individuals to learn new skills, and the ability to work with individuals with severe challenges. The findings support interactions built on the strengths of people and indicate that social workers need to transform the writings on the strengths perspective into a model of practice that includes a comprehensive strengths assessment in the design of interventions and the evaluation of process and change.