Two strong partners and 20 years of collaboration

In 2024, Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Waikato and the Workwise Waikato team celebrated 20 years of collaboration – recognising the integration of employment support in adult community mental health and addiction teams.

This milestone marked the 20-year anniversary of one of the first formal integrations of IPS employment support in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The collaboration between IPS provider Workwise and Health NZ had its beginnings in 2004 with a pilot which saw three employment consultants integrated into community mental health teams in Thames and Hamilton. An evaluation report written up in 2005 has contributed to the steady growth in access to IPS employment support – which two decades later, spans the Waikato district, from Huntly to Taumarunui, and Raglan across to Thames.

Extract from the 2005 report

“Over the last two years, a programme in the Waikato has been operating where Workwise employment consultants have been attached to Waikato District Board mental health teams.

An evaluation of this pilot project was conducted (commencing December 2004), with the three key successes: closer working relationships between employment and mental health staff; the high rate of people securing employment during the first phase (70%); and work being included proactively in the clinical assessment process.”

“Employment and recovery benefits for clients included improved self esteem, better symptom control, integration into community, shortened period of unwellness, longer periods of wellness, and improved physical health and living conditions because of increased income.”

Here at Work Counts, we acknowledge the efforts by Workwise and Health NZ demonstrated in their collaborative approach, which was so well articulated in the original research report:

“To successfully integrate mental health and supported employment services you need to have two strong partners,” Gary Bond, PhD (USA).

To read the full story about the 20-year collaboration, visit the Workwise website.

To find out more about the original evaluation, download the overview and report, below.

Downloads

The Attachment Model 2005 research overview

pdf, 465 KB

The Attachment Model 2005 evaluation report

pdf, 716 KB