CALGARY OFFICE
Suite 320, 110 Quarry Park Boul SO Calgary, Alberta T2C 3G3
Tél : 403.255.5808 Téléc : 403.385.4044
www.commissionstantementale.ca
@MHCC
OTTAWA OFFICE
Suite 600, 100 Sparks Street Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5B7 Tél : 613.683.3755 Téléc : 613.798.2989
Workplace Know-How
WHAT IS THE
ASPIRING WORKFORCE?
Those people who have been unable to enter the workforce, have been in and out of the workforce, or are attempting to return to work after being away for a lengthy period of time due to a mental health problem or illness.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
To learn how policy makers and others can help improve disability policies, check out The Aspiring Workforce: Employment and Income for People with Serious Mental Illness at www.mentalhealthcommission.ca.
FACTS
• A lack of work has been linked to stress, self-esteem problems and more serious mental health concerns.
• Up to 90% of people living with serious mental illnesses are unemployed.
Workplace know-how encompasses a broad range of supports and services that can help people not just fi nd ‘a’ job, but the "right" job – one at which they can truly be successful.
CHALLENGES
• People with serious mental illness may be discriminated against in trying to fi nd or maintain a job.
• People with serious mental illness may not be aware of their rights in the workplace.
Supporting The Aspiring Workforce with knowledge and self-management strategies that will help them to best succeed at work is an important piece of the employment puzzle.
The Aspiring workforce wants to get up and go to work every morning, just like millions of other
Canadians already do. But living with serious mental illnesses can make it diffi cult to fi nd and keep a job.
To overcome the employment challenges that exist for The Aspiring Workforce, one strategy is to increase workplace know-how.
Workplace know-how is the knowledge, skills and strategies for creating a working life, including getting and maintaining a job, along with ongoing career and educational development.
The information in this hand out has been cited from The Aspiring Workforce: Employment and Income for People with Serious Mental Illness. The publication was produced by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, in collaboration with the Centre for Mental Health and Addiction, the University of Toronto and Queen’s University.
The views represented herein solely represent the views of the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Production of this document is made possible through a fi nancial contribution from Health Canada.
