Converge Oregon: A supported education pilot program

In 2019, 51.5 million adults in the United States experienced some type of mental illness. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2020). The typical onset of mental illness occurs in late adolescence or early adulthood, a developmental period where many individuals transition into vocational or postsecondary educational roles (Shor, 2017). Compared with the general student withdrawal rate (37% to 45%), 86% of students with mental illness (MI) withdraw from college, and unemployment is estimated between 60% to 80% in this population (Schindler & Sauerwald, 2013). In response, supported education (SE) emerged to decrease barriers preventing engagement in postsecondary education (Unger, 2014). For our occupational therapy (OT) doctoral internship and scholarship, we developed an SE pilot program called Converge Oregon, modeled after Converge in England (Converge, n.d.) to decrease stigma faced by individuals with MI and provide opportunities for postsecondary education.