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From 2005 to 2010, the Emilia project developed a lifelong learning and job support program for a group of people living with psychiatric disorders. Based on the concepts of empowerment and recovery, the study analyzed the effects of this intervention on the quality of the users’ lives as well as on their use of health and community services. Results suggest that vocational and social integration programs aimed at users of psychiatric services must take into account their skills and their capacity for recovery and for regaining autonomy. A lifelong learning program suited to their needs as user-experts and that develops the notion of recovery makes their access to ordinary jobs easier and modifies the way in which the different institutions involved cooperate.