Affiliations: Department of Occupational Science and Occupational
Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver,
British Columbia, Canada | Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Medicine,
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | Department of Social and Preventive Medicine,
University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Abstract: Background: Intersectoral action is now widely recognized as an
effective approach to addressing the social determinants of health. In
particular, collaboration between different sectors of the community has been
recommended as a strategy for developing employment opportunities for persons
diagnosed with mental illness. However, there is limited evidence on the actual
implementation of intersectoral action between the employment and mental health
sector. Methods: Case study methodology was utilized to examine a unique
partnership formed under the principles of public health and local development
to create a social enterprise. Stakeholders representing organizations from
several sectors of the community, including health and employment, partnered to
develop work opportunities for a population that is disadvantaged from the
mainstream employment market including (but not exclusive to) persons diagnosed
with mental illness. The three main methods of inquiry were: semistructured
interviews, participant observation and collected documentation. Findings: Stakeholders experienced several kinds of challenges during the
implementation process and used different strategies to manage these
challenges. The findings suggest barriers and facilitators to successful
intersectoral action initiatives, some of which are directly applicable to the
context of employment and mental illness. Conclusion: Several lessons are
drawn from these experiences.
Keywords: Employment, mental illness, intersectoral, collaboration, work
