Feasibility of an Individual Placement and Support (IPS) prototype for young people aged 18-19 with mild and moderate mental health conditions developed by the Community Mental Health Service at Odyssey House in Christchurch, "Taking Charge",

The study design can be characterised as an open trial feasibility study (Ellison et al., 2015) designed to assess fidelity, integration of the adaptations, reach and retention, activities and outcomes, and cultural fit in an IPS prototype. Feasibility studies do not evaluate the impact of the intervention on the outcome of interest - that is left to the main study (Arain et al., 2010). Setting The setting for the prototype is Community Youth Mental Health Service (CYMHS) operated by Odyssey House in Christchurch. The IPS prototype will be delivered at Odyssey House’s Ferry Road site in central Christchurch. This site does not have the stigma of being a drug and alcohol treatment centre. The site provides peer support, links to AOD and mental health services if needed and is the location of the IPS employment specialists and the ‘Take Charge co-ordinator’. The CYMHS clinical team also holds their meetings at the site. A Work and Income Community Link is nearby. The ‘Taking Charge’ prototype will make a number of adaptations to IPS. - The target group will be largely comprised of young benefit recipients with mild-to-moderate conditions (where IPS was developed for adults with severe disorder). - Employment services will be partially integrated with mental health services (as not every participant will be under, or require, mental health services at the time of their participation). - Employment assistance will be time limited (to 6-9 months depending on when the individual enrols in). - Additional components will be added, including: - group-based motivational workshops (that include elements of life-skills training and coaching participants in skills for understanding and coping with their condition) - mentoring and social support, and mental health and addiction support as needed, provided by the Take Charge co-ordinator (in addition to assistance from an employment specialist) - access to an individual flexi-fund (for direct purchasing of services or products to support movement into employment and job retention). Delivery will acknowledge and consider the situation of each participant and use an approach that is appropriate, individualised and delivered in a manner sensitive participant needs. The service will be delivered in an environment that is positive and encourages achievement. Contact with participants will be formal, either one-to-one or a group situation and will include activities tailored to meet the individual participant’s needs. CYMHS will deliver the programme for 3 client intakes. Each intake of 15 young people will receive 5 one hour group workshops over three weeks. An employment specialist and Take Charge co-ordinator will then work with each participant individually to identify jobs that interest them and take steps to prepare for and find work. If the participant has not found work by the end of the prototype (6 to 9 months after), CYMHS will transition the participant back to the MSD Service Centre. The employment specialist and Take Charge co-ordinator will be expected to have extensive local networks with support services, including counselling and budgeting services, employers, industry groups and training providers. The employment specialist will source vacancies from their own employer networks. The prototype will be delivered to a maximum of 45 participants over the prototype period (May 2018 to February 2019). CYMHS will continue to deliver on-going support to participants until February 2019.