Grant: Operating Grant

Close to 80% of people with a severe mental disorder are unemployed, though many are able and available to integrate into the workplace. Furthermore, job tenure is typically brief for this population. Social Enterprises (SEs) seem to offer several advantages over other social professional integration measures. In Canada, SEs are a fairly recent phenomenon with most new SEs being developed in Quebec and in Ontario. For this reason, we want to conduct research to increase our understanding of SEs located in Quebec and in Ontario. The purpose of this study is threefold: 1) Describe the profiles of employees with severe mental disorders working in SEs; 2) Identify the significant factors that predict job tenure for individuals working in SEs and 3) Examine the Return on Investment (ROI) of various SE models and conduct a cost-benefit analysis of SEs. This prospective study consists of three assessment phases for employees with severe mental disorders: Phase 1 (baseline) and Phases 2 and 3 (six month and one year follow-ups). In Phase I: Directors/Human resources managers of SEs located in Canada will be interviewed about their enterprise's structure using organizational indicators of SEs (e.g., percentage of employees with a disability). In parallel, individual and environmental data will be gathered from employees with severe mental disorders working in the SEs. Also, work outcomes (e.g., job tenure) for study participants will be gathered by Human resources every two months for one year following Phase 1. In Phase II and III (6-month and 1-year follow-ups): People with severe mental disorders will also be assessed at 6-month and 1-year follow-ups regarding variables that may change over time (e.g., work accommodation). Finally, the ROI and cost-benefit analyses (Objective 3) will take one year to complete, and will assess the value of the accommodations offered within each SE as well as mental health services used.