Implementing Integrated Supported Employment in Mainland China: A case vignette

We illustrate the successful implementation of the Integrated Supported Employment (ISE) program in helping people with severe mental illness (SMI) secure continuous employment in the city of Wuxi, mainland China. Method: A case report demonstrates how ISE helped a 37-year-old woman with SMI who had been jobless for 10 years to get and keep a job with support from a case manager. An independent and blinded assessor assessed her vocational social skills, self-efficacy, and personal wellbeing at pre-treatment, post-training, and during the 18-month follow-up period. Results: The participant eventually secured three jobs and stayed in her latest job for at least 17 months at the end of the implementation period. She showed enormous improvement in physical endurance, self-efficacy, and personal wellbeing during the assessment period. Conclusions: The case report suggests that the ISE is a model that may fit the rehabilitation need of 16 million SMI patients in China, especially in top tier cities where the job market is based on competencies and competition. Reflections of the case manager and their implications are also reported. Further collaborations with Hong Kong rehabilitation experts are recommended.