Vicky has schizophrenia, a severe mental illness that made it extremely difficult for her to find and retain a job while effectively managing her illness. For almost all of her life she has lived with family or in institutions. Thanks to the Thresholds Supported Employment (SE) Program, in 2002, Vicky began working for Jewel Osco where she works as a personal shopper for persons with disabilities and a bagger. And, just last year Vicky moved into her first apartment, which is part of the Thresholds Residential Program.

There are hundreds of success stories in the Thresholds SE Program similar to Vicky’s. The SE Program, which is the largest of its kind in the country, connects individuals with severe mental illnesses with employers. Just this fiscal year, Thresholds’ SE Program, which includes 914 members, placed 283 members in jobs at one of 130 Chicago-area employers. These employees are overcoming tremendous odds, as more than 85 percent of people with severe mental illnesses are unemployed.

Thresholds, Illinois’ oldest and largest organization delivering services to people with severe mental illness, has earned national awards and international recognition because of the SE Program. One reason is Thresholds’ partnership with Dartmouth College, which conducts groundbreaking research on evidence-based supported employment services.

To learn more about the SE Program and Thresholds’ work with Dartmouth attend the SE Corporate Roundtable on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at U.S. Cellular Field (333 W. 35th St.) in Chicago. The Roundtable will bring together Thresholds CEO Dr. Anthony Zipple, Dr. Robert Drake from Dartmouth Medical School and Chicago business leaders. Dr. Drake is the foremost researcher on evidence-based practices such as SE. Topics of discussion will include:

• The benefits to employers of hiring individuals with disabilities,
• Using SE to help rebuild the workforce during an anticipated economic recovery, and
• The role of business and work in treating people with disabilities.

The SE Program recently won two national awards, the 2009 American Psychiatric Association Gold Achievement Award for Community-based Programs and the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration’s Science and Service Award.

Editor’s Note: Interviews are available with Thresholds CEO Zipple, Dr. Drake, Thresholds members, their employers and their employment specialists. Please contact Lisa Soard at 312-251-9929.

Resulting coverage:

http://www.wttw.com/main.taf?p=1,4