AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF VOCATIONAL-REHABILITATION FOR PUERTO-RICAN AMERICANS WITH SEVERE MENTAL-ILLNESS

This report outlines some preliminary results of one part of an ethnog raphic (participant-observation) study of Hispanic (Puerto Rican) clie nts' experiences of, and responses to, vocational rehabilitation. Nine (of a total of 120 Hispanic clients) randomly assigned to three diffe rent vocational rehabilitation interventions participated for 18 month s in an intensive ethnographic substudy which examined bow these clien ts cope with their mental illness in the conte.rt of seeking work, and trying to maintain competitive employment. The experience and express ion of mental illness among Puerto Ricans, as well as the manner of th eir engagement with and their responses to, supported vocational and o ther therapies are all strongly conditioned by Hispanic sociocultural background and particular economic disadvantage.