Supported employment in Spain

Though ‘Supported Employment’ in Spain has followed advances made in the field, in the United States and other European countries, legislation as well as change in Spain has been important. Thus ‘Supported Employment’ has become increasingly consolidated in the country. Twenty-four programmes are in place and almost 800 persons are involved. Different initiatives, such as that developed in Mallorca through the programme ‘Treball amb Suport’ (‘Work with Support’) or the one in Malaga ‘Transición a través de la Inclusión’ (‘Transition through Inclusion’) are good examples. The Spanish Association of Supported Employment (‘Asociación Española de Supported Employment, AESE) has provided the necessary framework for development and implementation discussions in Spain. Although there are problems currently affecting the field, such as the the lack of systematic programme evaluation, pertinent legislation, and difficulties regarding funding problems, ‘Supported Employment’ will continue to grow.