“Unfortunately, while the treatment of mental illnesses has advanced, much of society's thinking about psychiatric disabilities has not. Stigmatization has excluded individuals from key spheres of society, including -- and perhaps especially -- the workplace.”
The lack of employment options for people with serious mental illnesses in Fort Wayne constitutes a significant social problem. Employment is not only the most visible benchmark of recovery, it is the vehicle that drives it. Work is the most normalizing activity in which a person can engage. It is the glue that binds us to society.
People in Fort Wayne have access to good day treatment, group therapy, and psycho-educational classes where they can think, talk and learn about their mental illness. What is lacking is the chance to forget about your mental illness and rejoin society. We believe that we must not only help people ameliorate their symptoms, we must also provide real opportunities to reintegrate into the community.
“Recent studies strongly suggest that programs for re-employing and reintegrating individuals with psychiatric disabilities benefit everyone.” It is not only the members returning to work that will benefit from this project. Employers in Fort Wayne will have access to bright, honest, and highly motivated employees. State, local, and federal governments will have additional citizens paying income taxes. Further, there will be a reduction in insurance costs associated with intensive in-patient care. Our community will be stronger by adding active, competent adults to the workforce.
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