An Investigation of Vocational Programmes and Services in North America

Abstract

This article offers an overview of the psychiatric vocational rehabilitation system studied by the author under the auspices of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Travelling Fellowships. Brief accounts of Canadian and American programme models are used to describe employment preparation services and vocational programmes. The visits clearly demonstrate that people with psychiatric disabilities are potentially employable if they are provided with appropriate services, employment programmes and support. Although vocational programmes are evolving throughout the United Kingdom, there are strong indications that more programming and funding are urgently needed.