Supported Employment: Training Frontline Staff - SAMHSA Store ...

Having a crisis on the job
Bonita’s story
Bonita has been working as a mail distributor at a
large company. She has a diagnosis of schizophrenia,
but has not had a relapse since starting this job several
years ago.
Yesterday she did not show up at work. Today, she
is slapping the mail down on people’s desks and
muttering under her breath.
The employer calls her employment specialist saying
he is getting calls from all over the building. He
sounds frightened on the phone and wants to fire
Bonita.
Tackling the issues
Q: If you were Bonita’s employment
specialist, what would you do
While there is no single correct answer for handling
Bonita’s situation, here are several reasonable
approaches that you could take:
Interventions aimed at the consumer
With a release of information, employment
specialists can talk with employers when problems
occur on the job. In this example, since you have
Bonita’s permission to speak with her employer, you
could thank the boss for calling and provide some
reassuring information.
Tell the employer that Bonita has lived with
her illness for many years and has no history of
aggression. Then offer to go over to the workplace
to try to figure out what is going on. You may say,
It would be a shame if she lost her job after years
of service, without looking into it first.
The offer of an onsite, immediate visit often helps
calm employers in crisis situations. Visiting the
worksite allows you to assess Bonita and the work
situation. Is Bonita having increased symptoms,
such as talking to herself and pacing in the
cafeteria How are other employees responding to
her
Q: How would you address supports
related to the Bonita, her network,
and workplace
Assess whether another team member needs
to evaluate Bonita. If Bonita is unable to return
to work right away, arrange sick leave with her
employer.
Interventions aimed at the consumer’s
support network
People in a consumer’s support network may
function positively or negatively in their supportive
role. Assess the supports that Bonita is receiving.
How are people in Bonita’s support network
affecting the crisis situation
Find out what stressors are causing Bonita’s
symptoms to escalate. When Bonita feels ready to
talk about the situation, ask her about stressors. In
this case, she’ll reveal that over the last month, her
Module 34 6 Job Assessment Supports and and Collaborations
Job Finding