Careering

By Émilie Robert

One out of five Canadians (according to Health Canada) will suffer from a mental health disorder at some time in their lives. That’s a lot of people, all around us. These individuals are found in every age group and at every socioeconomic level. They use employment assistance or career services. You will encounter them regularly in your office. Maybe you have noticed that a considerable proportion of young people who have a mental disorder value the helping professions and aspire to work in them eventually. This may be surprising, because it is generally accepted that good psychological balance is a prerequisite for intervention in a helping relationship. In university courses in human relations, professors put great emphasis on getting future practitioners to discover their vulnerabilities and the extent to which they may be sensitive to countertransference, etc. Nonetheless, what is the basis for predicting an 18-year-old’s psychological balance five or 10 years from now? I suggest you analyze a case from my practice to identify some useful avenues for intervention by professional career counsellors.

By Valerie Pringle

My daughter Catherine and I are both advocates for mental health – fighting for better care and research for mental illnesses and against stigma.

By Sharon Ferriss

Career development professionals recognize they are missing skills and knowledge to effectively support an increasing number of clients with mental illness in their job search and career planning, according to a new CERIC-funded project report. The report, entitled Charting the Course: Mapping the Career Practitioner Role in Supporting People with Mental Health Challenges, assesses the stigma clients with mental health challenges face, and identifies the skills career practitioners need to successfully support employment and social inclusion.

By Kathy McKee

For the last two years, a research project funded by the Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling (CERIC) has been underway in Nova Scotia, exploring what career practitioners need to know to support clients with mental health challenges. The project collected data from mental health consumers and career practitioners who provided a balanced perspective on the challenges faced in employment counselling. Through multiple consultations, the skills and knowledge career practitioners need were identified. However, the most profound results of the research have been the changes that have occurred within individual career practitioners. Education about stigma and discrimination has given career practitioners greater knowledge, created richer dialogue and has as a result, shifted internal beliefs and attitudes. This “change from within” is making a substantive difference in the way clients are understood and assisted.

By Heather Powell

We have all been there at one time, had a client who wouldn’t engage in your sessions. They sure can convince you, when they are sitting there in your office, that they are motivated to work on their job search. But then, they don’t show up for your next appointment, or, if they do, they come with nothing accomplished in their job search. They might refuse to attend workshops and if they do, they will try to cause a scene. They may even act out in your agency, raising their voice about the lack of services they are receiving from the “government”.