Supported employment or segregated rehabilitation? Vocational rehabilitation and the idea of "rapid job placement"
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to provide an overview and elaboration of arguments given in favour of the idea of “rapid-job-placement” and integrated approaches as important principles in vocational rehabilitation of persons with vocational disabilities. Although many rehabilitation approaches exist today, this paper argues that these approaches could be divided into two main rehabilitation models: the traditional approach which is rehabilitation in segregated arenas, and the rapid job placement model. The choice of model can have a consequential effect on the rehabilitation process. Although there are limitations to rapid job placement models regarding long-term employment, wage and assessment procedures among others, this paper shows that research and practical experience, as well as writings of anthropologists, philosophers and others provide support for the idea of rapid job placement, and thus could be held as arguments in favour of rapid job placement in integrated settings. Arguments against rapid job placement and in favour of segregated employment exist, but are more difficult to find. When they are found they in many cases seem to exist as established habits or tradition or as unarticulated knowledge. Given the fact that the traditional rehabilitation model today is the largest – and still expanding on an international level – rapid job placement should be extended and practised to a far larger extent than what is the situation today.