1. Setting up an IPS service
With IPS Centres of Excellence throughout the UK, there is a wealth of experience on setting up an IPS service from scratch and converting supported employment services into IPS services.
Funding IPS
One of the biggest challenges in setting up an IPS service in today's climate is acquiring funding. In this section are a variety of resources that may help you to identify and acquire funding for your service.
Mental Health and employment
Much has now been written about the benefits of working to someone's mental health. In this section are the reports commonly quoted in reference to mental illness and employment.
Vocational Strategy
What is the NHS's role in helping people with severe mental illness to return to work? Here are a few examples of NHS vocational strategies.
Processes and policies
A good IPS service needs clear policies and guidelines for both staff and service users. In this section are some of the policies and processes that have been implemented by existing IPS services.
Self employment
Self employment has been under represented as a supported employment option for people with mental health conditions and yet is a very flexible route into paid work. It can work for people for whom employment (a job) will not work or is likely to be unsustainable.
User employment programs
Some NHS Trusts have implemented User Employment Programs to encourage people with mental health conditions to apply for jobs within the Trust.
Human Resources
Setting up a good team is vital to a successful IPS service Employment specialists, Vocational Team Leaders, IPS regional Trainers and Occupational Therapists all play an important role in an IPS service.
Vocational Team Leader
The Vocational Team Leader is the direct line manager for the employment specialists in an IPS service.
Vocational Champion OT
IPS Employment specialists should be colocated within the Community mental health team. Day to day supervision is normally provided by the CMHT Vocational Champion (often an OT).
Occupational Therapist
Employment specialists
The employment specialist works with the service user to help them into sustainable employment. This section provides tools to help recruit and develop good employment specialists
IPS Regional Trainer
An IPS regional trainer helps IPS services increase their outcomes and fidelity to the IPS model. In the UK Sussex, CNWL and Shropshire have all had IPS regional trainers.
Data collection
A good IPS service measures the outcomes achieved by it's employment specialists. This section provides some sample data collection forms.
Let’s get better mental health support for all
The coronavirus pandemic is a physical health emergency on a global scale, such as we have never seen in our lifetimes. But it is also a mental health emergency.
We are taking action to help those at the frontline of this mental health crisis.
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