Abstract
BACKGROUND: Poor job retention among people with mental health conditions has been an issue of concern in general, as well as within Supported Employment. Traditionally the attention has been directed mainly towards the individual employee, rather than the working place as a whole. OBJECTIVE: The pilot project ‘Employer guides’ was launched by the Norwegian Labour and Welfare administration in 2009. Employer guides are professionals who assist employers/managers in order to improve their ability to retain and hire employees with mental health issues and/or problems related to substance abuse. The aim of the project has been to generate and disseminate new knowledge about feasible and successful support strategies that increase work retention as well as labour market inclusion of people with mental health issues. METHODS: The Work Research Institute (WRI) in Oslo conducted a comprehensive formative evaluation of the pilot project from 2009 to 2012. RESULTS: Employer guides' interventions contributed to improve employers' ability to deal with employees who are struggling with mental health conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The pilot project has developed new – more comprehensive – tasks within ‘On the job support’. There is still a lack of knowledge about what support is necessary and feasible so that the work inclusion of people with mental health conditions is perceived as risk-free from the outset.