Why Mental Health Is the Secret to Keeping a Job
This NDEAM, Ray Graham Association explores how mental health support is the true foundation for inclusive hiring and disability employment in Illinois.
Every October, the country marks National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). This year's theme, "Celebrating Value and Talent," reminds us what people with disabilities bring to the workplace every day.
Here in Illinois, we still have a long way to go. Our state has long ranked near the bottom of the country for disability employment. That tells us something important: matching a person to a job opening isn't enough. A job that lasts needs a stronger foundation.
At Ray Graham Association (RGA), our Employment Services team know that foundation is résumés, skills assessments, interview practice, and mental health support.
Good mental health helps people keep their jobs, and a good job helps people stay mentally healthy. Having professionals on both sides of that loop is what makes RGA's approach different. Much of that work happens in coordination with RGA's Emerge Behavioral Health Clinic.
Feeling Well Helps People Work Well
People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) have mental health conditions at three to four times the rate of the general public.
Too often, doctors and counselors miss it. "Diagnostic overshadowing" is when a provider sees someone's disability and assumes it explains everything. Real distress gets written off as "just part of their disability," and the person never gets the care they need.
At work, that gap can show up fast. Anxiety can make an interview feel impossible. A manager's feedback can feel like a crisis. People lose jobs because no one addressed what was going on underneath, not because they lack talent or value.
That's where Emerge comes in. Our licensed clinicians specialize in supporting people with I/DD, so no one has to explain their disability before they can talk about how they feel. Sessions are shaped around how each person thinks, learns, and communicates. so they can build coping skills to through tough moments at work. With those tools, finding and keeping a job becomes much more possible. Emerge helps people feel steady today, and it helps them build careers that last.
What a Real Job Does for a Person
The other side of the loop matters just as much: a steady job is good for mental health.
For decades, many people with disabilities were placed in jobs that paid less than minimum wage, often kept apart from everyone else. RGA was a leader in this area, long advocating for Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE), which means real jobs in real workplaces at fair pay.
When someone lands that kind of job, the difference shows.
- A daily routine brings calm and structure.
- Coworkers become friends.
- A fair paycheck means making your own choices about how you live.
Most of all, work builds pride. When an employer sees someone's talent and says so, confidence grows. An earned paycheck says, plainly, that you are valued.
Two Teams, One Person
In the last fiscal year alone, we successfully placed people into competitive roles averaging 25 hours a week at wages up to $16 per hour, all while partnering with 35 new employers. Our job coaches and Emerge clinicians work side by side, so each person gets support for their every aspect of their life, not just their time on the job.
An Invitation to Illinois Employers
This NDEAM, we're inviting employers in Chicago's suburbs to partner with RGA. We bring the know-how and stay with you after the hire. When employers and job seekers with disabilities work together, everyone comes out ahead: the employee, the team, and the business.
