Successful Trial in How Employees with Mental Health Issues can be Incorporated Leads to Government Funding

When you suffer from a mental illness, finding (and keeping) a job can be an uphill struggle. Luckily for these type of job seekers there are employers like Wittenborg's Raymond Rothengatter. Rothengatter's ICT company, RayFlexCom, took part in a trial to determine how job seekers with mental health issues can be integrated at companies. His company showed that, with a little tweaking, it can be done successfully. In fact, so much so that the government is now sponsoring 2,300 of these vacancies over the coming period.

Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences has been working with RayFlexCom for a few years, outsourcing some of its ICT needs to the company. Wittenborg's President, Peter Birdsall, said the institution is proud to work with an organisation that supports diversity in the workplace and is making an impact on society.

Rayflex's participation in the trial made national news in the Dutch media recently. It interviewed an employee at the Deventer-based company, one David, who suffers from bouts of depression and ADHD.

Assisted by a job coach, David said he sometimes still experiences a dip in his mental health, but that the coach helps him to identify what is needed to fulfil his professional obligations. In the same way, the coach also takes into account what the employer needs for the arrangement to work.

Rothengatter said so far it is going well and David has been employed for about two years at Rayflex. "Of course, there are ups and downs but in general he is doing well. All of us here know what the situation is and when there are days he needs to put on the brakes, we take that into account."

The news clip can be viewed

WUP 10/6/2021
by James Wittenborg
©WUAS Press