The fidelity of supported employment implementation in Canada and the United States

Supported employment has been documented in the United States as an evidence-based practice that helps people with severe mental illness obtain and maintain employment. The evidence is strongest for the programs that follow the individual placement and support model. This brief report examines the degree to which supported employment programs in British Columbia, Canada, are similar to those in the United States. Data from the Quality of Supported Employment Implementation Scale were compiled in 2003 for ten supported employment programs from vocational agencies in British Columbia and were compared with data from 106 supported employment programs and 38 non-supported employment programs in the United States. Overall, the Canadian supported employment programs that followed the individual placement and support model had the highest fidelity.