For patients who have experienced mental illness, employment provides a wide range of benefits such as recovery of self-confidence and avoidance of overdependence on social security systems. It also promotes personal recovery. In recent years, the goal of employment for persons with mental illness has not been limited to welfare employment but is expanding to employment at companies in the community. Current employment support is mainly designed based on the train-place model; however, its effectiveness has not been verified. In 2016, we introduced Individual Placement and Support (IPS), which was developed in the United States and has been verified to gain more than double the competitive employment rate compared to conventional support. IPS explores jobs in the community that match the preferences and strengths of the individual. IPS supports direct employment without training and continues to support clients and employers after the commencement of employment; therefore, it is a highly individualized outreach support. By the end of 2021, a total of 148 people had accessed our IPS program, of whom 60-70% achieved competitive employment. During the same period, a total of 322 companies in the Hamada City area of Shimane Prefecture were investigated by our employment specialists. IPS aims to achieve a high competitive employment rate and change the awareness of patients, practitioners, and employers; therefore, contributing to reducing stigma. In the future, IPS-type employment support in Japan could be used to improve social inclusion.
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