This has been looming on my mind for about a year now (since my last conference with the Sozialamt). I live in Germany and am from the USA. I was diagnosed with severe chronic depression a few years ago and after 3 stays in a day clinic I was admitted into a day program for people with mental illness. How the system works in Germany is that if you draw welfare benefits, then the social welfare office gets involved in your treatment plan. You have conferences to establish various goals. In my last one it was decided that this year I would be shown around one of these workshops for disabled people and I could decide if it's for me. I'm supposedly not being forced into it, but unemployment (Jobcenter) in Germany is notorious for making bad/exploitative suggestions that are difficult to refuse (they make them that way).

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Meanwhile I've done some reading up and research on these programs and asked my fellow patients about them. Not a single one wants to go into one. A few of them have been in one and left for whatever reason to go back to the day program. There was discussion about ending them forever because they violate a UN agreement on the treatment of the disabled. They pay way below market wages for what is basically unskilled work like small scale assembly or fruit picking. I would make 109€ in addition to my unemployment benefits which is nothing. The thing is that they are protected workplaces and I could not get fired no matter how slow I am... which is good because I don't think I'm cut out for factory work. 

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I am worried and anxious about this move, so much so that it triggered another depressive episode and I am ruminating over it a lot. I would like to know if anybody has experience with programs of this nature and whether or not it has helped you. This is my second post here and I hope it's not off-topic.