abstract: 'Social firms, or ``affirmative businesses{''''} as they are known in North

  America, are businesses created to employ people with disabilities and

  to provide a needed product or service. This Open Forum offers an

  overview of the development and status of social firms. The model was

  developed in Italy in the 1970s for people with psychiatric disabilities

  and has gained prominence in Europe. Principles include that over a

  third of employees are people with a disability or labor market

  disadvantage, every worker is paid a fair-market wage, and the business

  operates without subsidy. Independent of European influence, affirmative

  businesses also have developed in Canada, the United States, Japan, and

  elsewhere. The success of individual social firms is enhanced by

  locating the right market niche, selecting labor-intensive products,

  having a public orientation for the business, and having links with

  treatment services. The growth of the social firm movement is aided by

  legislation that supports the businesses, policies that favor employment

  of people with disabilities, and support entities that facilitate

  technology transfer. Social firms can empower individual employees,

  foster a sense of community in the workplace, and enhance worker

  commitment through the organization''s social mission.'
affiliation: 'Warner, R (Corresponding Author), Univ Colorado, Dept Psychiat, 4200
  E 9th Ave, Denver, CO 80262 USA.

  Univ Colorado, Dept Psychiat, Denver, CO 80262 USA.

  Columbia Univ, Sch Social Work, New York, NY USA.'
author: Warner, Richard and Mandiberg, James
author-email: drdickwarner@aol.com
author_list:
- family: Warner
  given: Richard
- family: Mandiberg
  given: James
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.57.10.1488
eissn: 1557-9700
files: []
issn: 1075-2730
journal: PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES
language: English
month: OCT
number: '10'
number-of-cited-references: '18'
orcid-numbers: Mandiberg, James M./0000-0001-8641-9125
pages: 1488-1492
papis_id: 6a94472267afd95a682139cb9dafa9ee
ref: Warner2006updateaffirmative
researcherid-numbers: 'Mandiberg, Jim/D-2275-2014

  '
times-cited: '63'
title: An update on affirmative businesses or social firms for people with mental
  illness
type: Article
unique-id: WOS:000241046000020
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '9'
volume: '57'
web-of-science-categories: 'Health Policy \& Services; Public, Environmental \& Occupational
  Health;

  Psychiatry'
year: '2006'