Workplace Accommodations for People with Mental Health Problems

National Alliance on Mental Illness
Image: nami.org

Since 1990, Morris Kharasch has been a physician at NorthShore University HealthSystem where he serves as the chief of emergency medicine. Morris Kharasch is also an avid supporter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

NAMI is a grassroots-level mental health organization that is committed to helping those living with mental illness lead better lives. Through their education initiatives, public policy initiatives, and public awareness activities, NAMI is touching the lives of millions of Americans, including working adults.

According to statistics, one in five adults experience some form of mental illness at any given time, and as much as one in twenty adults have a major mental health condition such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression. Affected adults usually have a difficult time adjusting in the work place, due to associated stigma and resulting discrimination.

However, as people with disabilities, adults with mental health illnesses are entitled to special accommodations as a basic part of their civil rights. These accommodations are intended to help improve job performance, and include provisions for telecommuting, flexibility in work hours and break time, and personal environment modifications.