Rainbow’s End joins with other social enterprises in Queen’s University’s W.I.S.E. research


https://rehab.queensu.ca/wise/home

Active participation in research to improve employment for people with lived experience of mental illness is part our remit and we are delighted to be part of the group of enterprises that participate in this significant study. An excerpt from the Queen’s University study page explains the reason for the research:

WISE Impact is a 5 year study of work integration social enterprises (WISEs) in Ontario, and how they can impact the lives of people with mental illnesses and change communities. Our project brings together WISE experts and researchers in a collaborative process that is systematically examining WISE outcomes over time. Our research team of interviewers in 5 cities works one on one with new and seasoned WISE workers to collect information on health, social and economic factors. Interviews are repeated every 18 months, and changes that occur over time are identified.

The main goals of the project are to answer these questions:

  • Who works in WISEs – and why do they choose WISE?
  • How does WISE participation impact social and labour market integration for people with serious mental illness?
  • What differences can be seen in the level and nature of change in socio-economic indicators for people who remain in a WISE as compared with those workers who move on to other learning or employment options

At Rainbow’s End we look forward to on-going research participation. These can lead to important material changes in our enterprise operations and improvements in our employees’ work experience.