CERIC has funded the development of a mental health training guide for careers services workers to improve the employment, training and educational outcomes of clients with mental health issues presenting in mainstream services.

1. Setting the Compass: A Career Services Training Manual for
Supporting Mental Health Clients
A CERIC-Funded Learning Project
Project History
Phase 1 - Research
CERIC funded a province-wide research study in Nova Scotia to identify the
knowledge, skills & beliefs careers practitioners need to better support
clients with mental health issues.
MH Toolkit Project Approach
Promote at Cannexus 2104
Video-tape project champions
Research approach:
Project Goal & Deliverables
Project Goal: Improve employment & education outcomes for
people living with mental health issues by enhancing the
knowledge, skills, abilities, recovery beliefs & by improving
practice policies for Canada’s career service workers.
• Province-wide Expert Advisory Committee guided project.
Project Deliverables:
• Created a project website portal for information sharing.
• Online surveys of career service workers, mental health clients, mental
health service workers & peer support experts.
• Regional informational meetings, share findings, confirm direction.
• Meetings with regional managers, share findings & interest to act.
Engage Partner Advisory Group
Identify pan-Canadian context experts
1. Free on-line mental health toolkit
Content will be evidence informed, practical,
& built on career service worker priorities.
• Province-wide stakeholder roundtable to share findings, confirm direction
& build interest to act.
Research Highlight
• 91% of CPs are working with mental health (mh) clients.
• 56% of CPs believe mh disclosure is increasing.
• 46% of CPs have experienced a mh problem.
Nova Scotia Career Development Association, a not for profit organization
providing strategic leadership to:
• promote effective practices - info. & professional development
• encourage adoption of frameworks for client-centered services.
• leadership, support & opportunities to achieve the competencies of
Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Practitioners.
Project Partners
• Consultations nation-wide through Cannexus conferences.
• www.chartingthecourse.nscda.ca
Project Sponsor
Engage Expert Advisors -
This project will be developed in partnership with:
Toolkit content research & content development
2. Professional quality first-person videos
Highlighting key messages from career
service worker, manager, mental health
client, mental health professional & peer
support perspectives.
Identify consumers, career practitioners & mental
health experts
Develop evaluation tools
Field test content - key messages - revise
• Canadian Mental Health Association - National
• Psychosocial Rehabilitation Canada
• Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace
• Canadian Education, Institute for Counseling (CERIC)
• The Healthy Minds Cooperative & NS Certified Peer Support
Specialist Program
• CPs feel they lack confidence & skills to support mh clients.
• 50% of mh clients surveyed agree.
• 96% of CPs want specialized skills in motivating mh clients.
• All agree stigma & discrimination is a primary barrier & impacts QOL..
First person video - to highlight key messages
• Policy barriers interfere with providing service to mh clients.
Identify, interview & recruit participants
• Mh clients feel less access to services, training & education.
3. Service Agreement Protocol
To support developing collaborative
partnerships between career services,
mental health & peer support services.
Video production & editing
• 89% CPs see importance of work, the need to focus on abilities & believe
people can successful work even when symptoms of illness are present.
• Quality of the relationship between clients & CPs is critical.
On-line layout & product design
Field-test toolkit & finalize
• Respecting privacy, being treated with respect,being included in decisionmaking, not being seen as a diagnosis, holding an attitude of hope &
optimism is critical for employment recovery.
• The absence of the social determinants of health interfere with
employment & negatively affect mh.
• Advocacy for equal access to resources is a shared concern.
Recommendations:
1. Specialized mh training needed - work with consumers in design.
2. Encourage better coordination between mh & career services.
3. Engage employers on employing mh clients & accommodations.
4. Advocate to improve access to mh and supporting services.
Final report: http://ceric.ca/?q=en/node/372
RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2011
www.PosterPresentations.com
CANADIAN MENTAL
HEALTH ASSOCIATION
Mental Health for All
Toolkit Topic:
Develop marketing tools
Launch toolkit
Promote through partners, networks, & social
media.
Evaluate.
• Understanding mental illness recovery & career service workers role.
• Impact of stigma on employment.
• Peer support in supporting employment.
• Career counseling, recovery & motivational tools.
• When, how & where to refer clients to specialized services.
• Supporting employers - accommodations.
• Tips for enhancing knowledge transfer & uptake.
Contact Information
Neasa Martin, Project Lead, neasamartin@primus.ca
Kathy McKee, Project Manager, kmckee@jobresourcecentre.ca