Everyone deserves the dignity of a job
8 Oct 2022
A growing body of evidence is demonstrating that good mental health and meaningful occupation are closely linked. That’s why a new specialist service has recently launched at Midland Head to Health, available to people receiving support at the centre and who live in Perth’s eastern suburbs.
What is individual placement and support?
Employment specialists Jen Hall and Ben Johnston provide a free support service for Midland Head to Health clients with mild to moderate mental health concerns called individual placement and support, or IPS.The service is part of an Australian Government pilot of IPS at selected adult mental health centres across Australia, aimed at improving the health and financial wellbeing of clients through participation in employment.
How does it work?
“Our service supports people with mental health barriers to employment to find and maintain a job they love,” said Jen.“There are many reasons why someone may need extra vocational support. They may experience anxiety which stops them from applying for a new role or they may have previously had a role which impacted their mental wellness. Some clients have been out of work for a time while they focussed on their mental health recovery,” she said.
“Whatever stage a person is at in their mental health journey, together with their Midland Head to Health case manager they will assess if now is a good time to re-join the workforce and we can provide support from there.”
Flexibility
Ben notes that the IPS service is flexible to meet and support clients at whatever skill or experience level they are at.
“A new client may be looking for support to get back to work after a long time away from the workforce, or need extra help with the application process for roles, which these days can be quite complex,” said Ben.
“Some people are simply looking for advice on changing their career direction to a role that better aligns with their mental wellness goals.”
“Support might look like connecting a person with a potential employer or narrowing down their areas of interest and corresponding roles. It might also look like finding and completing training, education or skills development to increase a client’s chances of finding work,” Ben said.
Jen and Ben also noted the other side of their role was to identify employers who may have suitable positions for clients and to provide them with support to welcome a client to their workplace.
“Jen and I also keep in contact with employers as clients get settled into their new role, so they can be tasked appropriately and to support the client to remain mentally well and employed over the long term,” Ben said.
To find out more, or if you think you may have a suitable role at your business for an IPS client, go to sjog.org.au/midlandheadtohealth or phone 1800 161 178.
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