New webinar explores the impacts of IPS employment support and its effect on outcomes

Work Counts will be hosting a new webinar to hear about a study, newly published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, that explores the impacts of IPS employment support, with a focus on its effect on employment, income, health, education and justice outcomes.

The lead researcher, Moira Wilson, who was a Senior Analyst with Insights, Ministry of Social Development (MSD) when the study was undertaken, presents findings.

Webinar: The impact of Individual Placement and Support on employment, health and social outcomes: evidence from Aotearoa
Date: Tuesday, 17 September 2024
Time: 1pm – 2.15pm NZST
Location: Online

Register for the webinar here: www.workcounts.co.nz/events. 

About the webinar

We have seen the integration of IPS employment support with community mental health and addiction teams develop over the years. Working together, we see the impact of employment support and the wellbeing that it can bring.

The MSD team partnered with an expert team of researchers from across New Zealand to estimate the causal effects of IPS employment support participation on outcomes. This included examining impacts for Māori and by gender, all with the aim of improving the evidence base for future policy and funding decisions.

This webinar presents the second stage of a research study, following on from 2021.

About the IPS in Aotearoa New Zealand research

In 2019, Insights MSD approached Workwise (an employment support provider) to discuss a research study on the impact of IPS employment support within mental health and addiction services. Stage one of the study examined the employment outcomes of 3,000 people across five district health board (DHB) regions, all of whom had used Workwise services. The study found that employment outcomes compared favourably with international results.

Stage two commenced in 2022 with the purpose of comparing people using IPS employment support with a matched group of similar people who did not use IPS. This study then investigated whether there were any ripples in education, justice system involvement, taxes paid, employment and other indicators. Results showed that people who used IPS employment support had more employment and gains in qualifications, and more independent income, when compared with similar people who did not receive employment support.

The paper will be published in the New Zealand Medical Journal on 6 September 2024.

About the presenter

Moira Wilson is currently a doctoral candidate at AUT. In her former role at the Ministry of Social Development, Moira led a number of research and evaluation programmes focussed on different income support policies and employment and social services.

About Work Counts

In 2018, Work Counts, part of the Wise Group, was established, supported by both the Ministries of Health and Social Development to provide sector leadership, technical assistance and training. Work Counts is one of six IPS employment support technical assistance centres globally.

View related research New insights on IPS employment support