Mental health occupational therapy and supported employment

Purpose: The individual placement and support (IPS) model is an evidence-based approach to employment support for people with severe mental illness that functions by co-locating an employment consultant from the local disability employment service within a community mental health team to assist service users to find work. This paper aims to examine the unintended impacts of implementing IPS on occupational therapy practice and offer some suggestions. 

Design/methodology/approach: The authors performed a narrative literature review on the IPS model, employment and occupational therapy. Authors then analysed and discussed impact on occupational therapy practice and concluded by making suggestions based on current evidence and practice. 

Findings: The authors concluded that implementation of IPS has resulted in some unintended changes of practice in mental health with occupational therapists taking a less active role in enabling employment outcomes than previously. This paper concludes by calling upon occupational therapists to re-establish their role of enabling employment. 

Originality/value: This paper offers an original viewpoint on employment and occupational therapy based on current evidence and authors’ expertise.