Chapter 18: Job Support Services: Helping to Remove Barriers Facing College Graduates with Mental Illness

The difficulties and challenges presented to individuals with mental illness to secure employment after completing a college degree are numerous. While the majority of persons with mental illness desire to work and express their desire for job services and support, today, with unemployment on the rise, individuals with disabilities are finding it ever more difficult to obtain employment. Finding employment and an occupational identity is especially important for those with chronic mental illness, who have often been defined by their illness (Seeman, 2009). The positive effects of employment foster pride and self-esteem, promote coping strategies and facilitate the process of recovery (Dunn, Wewiorski, and Rogers, 2008)