Social Firms Australia’s (SoFA) vision is of a society in which workplaces are accessible to people of all abilities, and in which everyone has the opportunity to secure fulfilling and durable employment.
SoFA is a not-for-profit organisation committed to creating accessible, durable employment for people with a mental illness or disability, with a particular focus on assisting people with a mental illness. SoFA works to create accessible durable employment by supporting organisations to establish social firms and by providing assistance in the support required for employees with a mental illness.
A social firm is a not-for-profit business with a purpose to create accessible employment for people facing barriers to work as a result of mental illness, disability or other disadvantage.
The social firm model originated in Italy in the 1960s and is one type of social enterprise. A social enterprise is a business that trades for a social purpose.
How many people with a mental illness are in work? Around one in five Australians experience some form of mental illness every year. Depending on the severity of symptoms and access to treatment, this can have significant and possibly lifelong effect on many areas of life, including employment. Finding and keeping a job can be a major challenge for people with a mental illness. Around a third are unemployed, and this proportion rises to around 75% for people with severe conditions such as schizophrenia.
Social Firms Australia ltd
ABN: 90 110 698 489
10/49 Smith St Fitzroy Vic 3065
P: 03 9445 0373 F: 03 9445 0375
