Aleksandra Stefanovic-Chafe has a BA and MA in Political Science from Memorial University of Newfoundland and is currently a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Medicine’s Division of Community Health and Humanities. Her PhD thesis is being completed under the supervision of CRWDP co-investigators Dr. Stephen Bornstein and Dr. Rick Audas. The aim of her proposed research is to compare and evaluate supported employment programs for individuals with mental health disabilities in Newfoundland and Labrador. Her primary goal is to define pathways and increase opportunities for individuals with mental health issues to successfully integrate into their local labour market, improve their health outcomes, and live more fulfilling lives. She intends to use a combination of literature review, environmental scan, and key informant interview methodologies in order to identify best practices in supported employment programs for such individuals. She hopes that her resulting list of best practices can be used to better connect people with mental health disabilities to the local labour market, as well as to improve the efficiency of current supported employment programs. Her research will be conducted in partnership with several different organizations, including Evergreen Recycling – a local non-profit organization that provides meaningful and sustainable employment for individuals recovering from mental illness.

Aleksandra previously developed new and innovative pre-employment programs for Internationally Trained Workers in order to reduce barriers to their successful labour market attachment in the province. She also worked with a non-profit organization on issues of inclusion and representation of persons with disabilities in the workforce in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina. This experience highlighted the significance of issues such as equity, inclusion, and social justice, and has had a profound effect on Aleksandra’s research pursuit. She is currently also working with Dr. Stephen Bornstein to researching impacts of disability support services on labour market participation for individuals with disabilities in Newfoundland and Labrador.

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