CERIC is pleased to publish a free French-language version of its popular Career Services Guide Supporting People Affected by Mental Health Issues. The English guide has already been downloaded more than 3,500 times since being released in May 2015. While taking a national perspective, the guide does not necessarily reflect specific provincial regulations, such as those in Quebec. Readers from Quebec should note that some interventions are legally reserved.

The guide, along with supporting videos, has been developed by the Nova Scotia Career Development Association (NSCDA ) along with project partners that include Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace, the Canadian Mental Health Association, Healthy Minds Cooperative, Nova Scotia Certified Peer Support Specialist Program and Canadian Alliance for Mental Health and Mental Illness.

The premise of the guide is that employment is a critical cornerstone of social inclusion, yet people living with mental illness face the highest unemployment rate of any disability group. It highlights that although individuals with mental health issues often want and are able to work, many find this a difficult goal to achieve.

This guide is intended for all career service workers, employment counsellors and career practitioners working in non-mental health specific employment settings. It provides practical insights and hands-on techniques, including:

  • Tools for work-related coaching, motivating clients and dealing with disclosure
  • Knowing how peer support can support employment
  • Understanding the impact of stigma and discrimination and potential solutions
  • Ways to build collaborative partnerships across services to support clients
  • Understanding mental illness and its treatment and accessing services
  • Best practices in supporting employment and engaging employers

CERIC provides funding for research as well as learning projects in career development. This project supports learning in one of CERIC’s key Professional Development & Ongoing Learning priority areas: Impact of disability and/or mental health issues on career development.