Paluch Tamar, Fossey Ellie, Harvey Carol
School of Occupational Therapy, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.
Work. 2012;43(1):63-75. doi: 10.3233/WOR-2012-1448.
A major barrier to employment for people with mental illness is limited access to supportive and non-discriminatory workplaces. Social firms are businesses committed to employing up to 50% of people with a disability or other disadvantage and to providing supportive work environments that benefit workers. Little research has been conducted to understand the features and social processes that support the vocational experiences of employees with mental health issues in social firms.
This ethnographic study sought to explore the experiences of nine employees at one Australian social firm.
Nine employees of a social firm, with and without mental illness.
Study methods used included participant observation, interviewing and document analysis.
The study highlights the complexity of running a socially-invested business, and the importance of cross-sectoral partnerships to support their operational success. Natural workplace supports, adequate training and support infrastructure and enabling participation in the business, were identified as important to creating a supportive workplace. Partnerships within the workplace and in support of the workplace are discussed. Future growth and development of partnerships are recommended to support the establishment of social firms.
精神疾病患者就业的一个主要障碍是难以进入支持性且无歧视的工作场所。社会企业致力于雇佣高达50%的残疾人士或其他弱势群体，并提供有利于员工的支持性工作环境。关于支持社会企业中患有精神健康问题的员工职业经历的特征和社会过程，目前研究甚少。
这项人种志研究旨在探索一家澳大利亚社会企业中九名员工的经历。
一家社会企业的九名员工，有精神疾病和无精神疾病的都有。
所使用的研究方法包括参与观察、访谈和文件分析。
该研究凸显了经营一家具有社会投资性质企业的复杂性，以及跨部门伙伴关系对支持其运营成功的重要性。自然的工作场所支持、充足的培训和支持基础设施以及使员工能够参与企业事务，被认为对于营造一个支持性的工作场所很重要。文中讨论了工作场所内部以及支持工作场所的伙伴关系。建议未来发展伙伴关系以支持社会企业的建立。
