Project Employ: engineering hope and breaking down barriers to homelessness.
The homeless population in the US has dramatically increased in the past two decades. People who are homeless often lack skills sets such as stress management and social skills, independent living skills, and skills for vocational and leisure engagement. Best practice vocational education and training programs for individuals who are homeless recognize that success in the worker role often hinges on a person's capacity to manage day-to-day living. Life skills and pre-employment training are essential components of vocational programs but no more important than interpersonal skill development including anger management, developing self esteem and motivation, building goal setting capacity, and skills for money management, personal budgeting and self-advocacy. These areas of performance have all been traditionally included in occupational therapy's domain of practice. This article describes Project Employ, a grant funded supportive employment program that has grown out of collaboration between Duquesne University's Department of Occupational Therapy and Bethlehem Haven, an emergency shelter and residential recovery program and primary service provider for homeless people in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The purpose of this article is to describe the history, structure and outcomes of Project Employ.
Muñoz
Jaime Phillip
JP
Department of Occupational Therapy, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 15282, USA. munoz@duq.edu
Reichenbach
Diana
D
Hansen
Anne Marie Witchger
AM
D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016730:Program Development; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational; D012940:Social Problems