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is illness Mental notasynonym forunemPloYable G AL VI N nemPloYment is on the rise' bttt
grouPof PeoPlefor tir";;i;;"* rate unemPioYment the whom is alreadYa staggering.?5Per .u"i. nt,iv are PtoPlc like rne:
rint u"*'**,i$Tp1, *, o ** thoseTrffe For more than 20 Yea r.ru"tpitt""i". lt is a iebilitTi"c-t:l|',**j:
miiunaersiood-whether ffiHffi , ffi tnucit peoplestill think schizoilrntJ o.not. Some or *rat sufferers ; tpht pe.rdondiiry' ;ffi;";; a ghastlv ii* Jtig"to"i undtiautettrcommit misconceptions rhese rnolnenl' anY at crime andsocialexclusion' Lj,^ ir.lptui"ait" --i rlrsi becameunwell 22 yearsago-y{}tl.: felt depatment'.l ilt workingin a government of realitywas senie my and paranoidand were ?eoPle,oultcr ei:;""r;;ffi ;l ievedtlieie resulted this ln u Pnlt]ll' i"i t".. io**times the.stomacn' F;;;ti;;iit" beingpunchedin burst inttt and would ctistreis-ed i;;;;fil" totc one manager reason' logicai i"".t t"^t "" *u to "sttuP out of it"' , an$ 1eEventually I recelveo fteatment to rnalntainttte I struggled but ,,i""di"'il"tk' at oneof nif ueatingdoctors ;ffiil;d;;s. not to disclose me advisid ward irti owiitl"ttic
ormanasernent'Ii: ffi iiii;;il; ;;-wolkerq It resulted { .moiq not helpfirl' "r"t unau lout'nrnent "i"i.t P-nqiiiiitl l"i,rritili'l Jr
I wasJusr *i*"i""iry't""ommeirdedI retire' vearsold.Therewasnoreturn-'to-wor\i'l$lt couldhelp' l:ffit"tiil;;-modifications tirat
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Ind brrilding them up "Y l1?; iittuJ-rto"tt *lin.u then, medicine' attitudesu".1,1u,1:tnrmechanismshal'e greattv point that thosewith,a the to ^b;ffipp"n not iiouua,'fj"t or both' carl easrly [iJJiiity ot *entai illness' and-keep.*?1!:_,-,**$^, h,rr-rime emgain *i,vhilf;1"-tted for part-timeem-
applying gap ttreagebi so'-trraaa l5-yearbest at were "t M! applications "t;;;; fi";t;'ius;*e. with susPicion' view6d "ii';; ;fi ; of ene'rm'rus humhnresources outwaysto gei ,. ?liiti rt"ip "mployersfigure helpkeep-us and intrj-worf o"uJoi*-rit*'*e of .supporteo i#tl.1"o;; iuccesstulmodel the."socialrirm" concePl #;;;fr;;ils oneswnere i#;; ffi integratedworkplaces' tbose alongside wo''k il,? ;i;^&;bilities. $trpportis oftered appropriate iriit out, ""4 to all emPloYee*' put:1"L,:f Between 25 pet c.elr"and.50 some dlshave i so-ciai.firm in **plovuut competl also^ businesses tt.t* ;i;iii;l-not r.:3]
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I will not pretend that employing someone with a psychiatric disebility is alwayssrnooth sailing. I now work in two positions reseryed for someonewith a mental illness.as a consumer mental health worker in Melbourne's west, and for SocialFirms Australia.As fortunate as I am, theseare positionsspecifically reservedfor people with a mental illness and there are not enoughof,them to go around. The Rudd Government is developing a national mental health and disabiliw employment strategy, which recognises the need foflnnovative solutions. such as social firms, to promote accessibleemployment and socialinclusion. People like me are not unwilling. Of the 75 per cent of us who are unemployed, many expressa desirefor involvement in the workplace. It is important that the Government's strategieslook at supporting employers to provide accessible,supportiveworkplacesas much as assisting the people retuming to work. Society has everphing to gain and nothing to lose. projectworkerwithSocial isanadvocacy JsffGalvin Firms Australia.
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