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.