March 9, 2001

Contact Joel Gorthy (541) 346-3481

EUGENE–Mental illness is an obstacle–but does not need to be a barrier–in the pursuit of a healthy, happy life for many Americans. A new program in Eugene aims to lower that obstacle.

The University of Oregon’s College of Education recently launched a project designed to help adults with severe and persistent mental illness enter or return to the workforce. The project is funded by a five-year grant of $1.375 million from the U.S. Rehabilitation Services Administration. In addition to the University of Oregon, the project involves Lane ShelterCare, Laurel Hill Center and the Eugene office of the Oregon Vocational Rehabilitation Division.

The project has four main goals.

The first goal is to help adults with severe and persistent mental illness (not developmental disabilities) to obtain a job in the community. Second, the program will provide career development assistance to mentally ill people who are already working. Third, the project will provide employers with training and assistance to enhance successful relationships with these workers. Finally, program administrators will evaluate and publicize outcomes of the program to help other communities develop vocational services for adults with severe mental illness.

Project coordinators Andy Halpern and Michael Bullis, professors in the UO College of Education, wrote the grant, the only one of its kind awarded in Oregon and one of 14 awards made nationally from more than 225 applications.

The clients who will be helped by these new resources include people with various types and degrees of mental illness, such as clinical depression and schizophrenia. The common thread among them is that their mental illness is persistent, unlike the short bouts of depression or mood swings that are experienced by many people. The enduring nature of their illness often makes it difficult for these people to function in a work environment, but Halpern stresses that mental illness alone should not preclude a person from being a productive worker.

"People with mental illness cover the full range of cognitive functions," says Halpern. "Some operate at a level that appears near mental retardation, while others are simply brilliant. Persistently mentally ill people, with some extra help along the way, can perform in a full range of work environments, like the rest of society."

Unfortunately, the rest of society, he adds, often does not make it easy for mentally ill individuals to find employment opportunities or to "fit in" in other ways. Many of the clients targeted by this program have never worked; others have spotty work histories that may include holding several jobs for a short time before dropping out of the workforce again.

"There are tremendous stereotypes that add to the burden of severely mentally ill individuals trying to live and work successfully," says Halpern. "Many, with the right kind of assistance, can lead productive lives. Without help, severely mentally ill people often lead isolated, unhappy lives."

Lane ShelterCare, Laurel Hill Center and the Vocational Rehabilitation Division already provide various types of vocational and other assistance to mentally ill people in Lane County. Halpern says that the grant will help develop training materials and new programs for these agencies to utilize even after the grant program is completed.

"There already is a strong foundation here, with the agencies doing this kind of work in the community," says Halpern. "But we want to find better ways of doing the job, which will continue on after the ‘booster shot’ provided by this funding."

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