Einheitliche Ansprechstellen für Arbeitgeber im Ökosystem der beruflichen Rehabilitation und Teilhabe

This article presents the Single Contact Points for Employers that were implemented nationwide with the introduction of Section 185 a of the Ninth Social Code (SGB IX) in the ecosystem of vocational rehabilitation and participation in Germany. To this end, the “placement” of the contact points in the existing system is examined from a perspective of innovation and system theory. Firstly, the contact points are contrasted with other employer counseling institutions in the ecosystem. In a subsequent step, the views of experts in the field are reconstructed using qualitative interview data. The analysis is guided by the following questions: How and for what reason were the contact points installed in the ecosystem of vocational rehabilitation and participation? What function do they fulfill in the system, and how do they relate to established actors? Finally, the article discusses the distinctive characteristics of the Single Contact Points for Employers in relation to other actors with legal mandates for providing employer counsel. It examines the shared characteristics among these actors and how these respond to the new entities.