Because of work's contribution to recovery, governments have moved to improve employment rates of people with severe mental disorders (SMDs). Social enterprises (SEs) have been identified as a means to achieve employment. In Ontario, Canada, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) have provided SEs government subsidies. Public funding arrangements create a potential trade-off for governments that must decide how to distribute constrained budgets to meet a variety of public needs. In Ontario, the government is potentially faced with choosing between supporting employment versus healthcare services. This study addresses the question, are there significant differences in service use and costs from the MOHLTC's perspective for people with SMDs working in SEs versus those who are not working and looking for work? Our results indicate there is a significant difference in healthcare use between the two groups suggesting there could be less healthcare use associated with SE employment.
Keywords: Employment; Healthcare costs; Severe mental illness; Social enterprises.