Using resources creatively to meet service users' employment support needs

Vocational assessment is an important resource for people with long term mental health problems when they are considering employment options. However there are often long waiting lists to see a qualified occupational therapist providing this service. Steve Wood and Sylvia Norrish say every community mental health team should have one member who is trained in vocational assessment, and describe a pilot project in which a healthcare assistant was successfully trained to perform this role.