Implementing the Individual Placement and Support approach in institutional settings for employment and mental health services: perceptions and challenges from a case study in Denmark

‘Individual Placement and Support’ (IPS) is a supported employment
approach targeted at people with severe mental health problems. A
central principle in IPS is the integration of mental health and
employment services. In Denmark, IPS has been implemented through
cross-sectoral collaboration between municipal public employment
services and regional mental health services. This study examines the
implementation of IPS through a case-study of four IPS units. The study
is theoretically informed by an institutional logic approach, and based
on document analysis and interviews with stakeholders in IPS units,
public employment services and mental health services. The findings
show how the IPS units came under pressure to adjust the model in
order to fit into the common strategies of public employment services,
which favoured internships and wage subsidies. The integration of IPS
with mental health services was also found to be challenging as mental
health services regarded IPS as a parallel service rather than a mutual
responsibility. Parts of the standardised procedures set by the IPS
fidelity scale were challenged by managers from both sectors. In spite
of these challenges, both sectors regarded IPS as an innovative and
meaningful approach and supported the sustainability of the programme