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King County Behavioral Health Supported Employment Network
In this section
Job seekers
Information for job seekers in mental health or substance use recovery.
Employers
Our Behavioral Health Supported Employment Network provides job placement and job retention services for up to a year or more to over 800-900 job seekers per year.
Service providers
If you are an agency contracted with the King County Behavioral Health and Recovery Division you are required to provide supportive services to help clients with their recovery goals, including their employment goals.
People in recovery CAN work and DO work!
Work is often a vital piece to an individual’s recovery. The Behavioral Health and Recovery Division (BHRD) provides Supported Employment Services to job seekers who are enrolled in BHRD services. We believe that everyone can work when matched with the right job and given ongoing post-hire employment supports that are tailored to their needs. Regardless of health conditions, symptoms, barriers, impairments or job history, we also believe that stable employment helps a person's recovery.
The behavioral health community used to discourage individuals from working, believing that work could negatively impact an individual’s treatment and stability. But after multiple years of research and practice, we now know that employment is a critical component to recovery and wellness.
Research shows that benefits of work for...
- People with mental health conditions include:
- Increased income
- Improved self esteem
- Increased quality of life
- Reduced symptoms
- Reduced hospitalizations.
- People with substance use conditions include:
- Higher rates of retention in treatment
- Higher rates of successful outcomes in treatment.
Did you know?
The Behavioral Health Supported Employment Program has demonstrated significant reductions in hospitalizations by participants of this program. For more information on outcomes, see our fact sheet here.
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