Welcome to the first Individual Placement & Support (IPS) newsletter of 2017, published by IPS WORKS, part of the Western Australian Association for Mental Health (WAAMH). 

You may have noticed that our publications of Get into Work have been on a temporary hiatus as things have been shifting and growing at IPS WORKS. With the launch of the IPS Youth Trial, IPS WORKS dedicates this edition of Get into Work to the IPS workforce supporting young people into employment – enjoy!

THERE have been numerous developments with IPS implementation in recent years, with the most prominent being a re-branding of IPS WORKS as the Western Australian Association for Mental Health’s technical support unit.

Earlier this year, the team farewelled IPS program development officer Kathryn Ashworth as she started a new role with the National Disability Insurance Scheme.  Kathryn was a valued team member and we wish her well with her future endeavours.

We have the pleasure of introducing Cassandra MacDonald and Roshani Shrestha as IPS support & evaluation officers based in our Perth head office. Both have a background in IPS and Disability Employment Services, and their contribution to the team so far has been tremendous. Catherine Skate has joined the throng as an independent contractor assisting IPS WORKS with training and fidelity reviews, and we also welcome Samantha Hammond to our administration support team.

As we continue to support more than 25 IPS services across Australia, we feel very privileged to have experienced staff on hand to offer technical support, training and evaluation services.

Follow us on Facebook & Twitter to stay up-to-date with all IPS WORKS' achievements and milestones in real-time. 

Picture Caption: Some of the IPS WORKS team during fidelity review training at our head office in Perth L-R Roshani Shrestha, Cassie MacDonald and Catherine Skate

BETWEEN March and April, the IPS WORKS team delivered two rounds of IPS practitioner training to support 14 headspace sites engaged in the IPS Youth Trial 

The training and supervisor mentoring session offered an introduction to IPS and the developing workforce.  There was a good attendance and plenty of interaction allowing the mix of specialists, supervisors and managers the opportunity to explore the critical elements of evidence-based practice including engagement, job development and follow-along support.

All headspace staff have shown enthusiasm for the IPS model and have experienced early wins in the program with many of the headspace centres assisting young people into jobs, within the first few months of offering employment supports.

Picture caption: Some of the headspace IPS practitioners, back row L-R: Ben Johnston (Darwin), Ken Dinsdale (Inala), Peter Rohr (Dubbo) Front row L-R Kristy-Lee Copley (Port Augusta), Catherine Skate  & Philleen Dickson (IPS WORKS).

JOBS Victoria has been funding initiatives to help people into employment.

One of these initiatives was to support The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Orygen to implement the IPS model alongside headspace centres in Glenroy and Sunshine, to help young people with mental ill-health into employment.

Vocational specialists and youth peer workers assist young people attending headspace to find and maintain competitive employment, working collaboratively with the counseling team to ensure young people are well supported as they start and continue in employment.

One of the participants, Rohan has shared his employment journey, captured on a video by Jobs Victoria.

Learn more about Rohan's success on the video here: http://jobs.vic.gov.au/working-stories/finding-someone-to-talk-to-leads-to-finding-a-job
Picture source: Jobs Victoria

AN important part of being an IPS employment specialist is supporting young people to develop a stand-out resume. A well-presented, professional resume that is free of spelling and grammatical errors is a critical marketing tool and can be the gateway to a job interview.

It is important we support jobseekers to present relevant information that reflects their personal attributes, technical skills, work history and qualifications.  

A current referee is also vital. If the person you support has no work history, consider using a teacher, sports coach or other professional who can offer to be a reliable reference.

Tailor each resume for every job application so you can highlight specific requirements.  Accentuate the skills and experience of the person to add a competitive edge.

For young people, it is important to highlight their general skills and how they work well as part of a team; their strengths and any sporting, club or community activities they have been involved in that will enhance their resume.

You can discover further hints and tips here.

AS the jobless rate for young people rose to 13.5%, hitting the highest level in 40 years, there could not be a more critical time for the IPS Youth Trial to be in deliverance by 14 headspace centres across Australia.

A report card titled, Renewing Australia's Promise, released by the Foundation for Young Australians has described Australia’s current youth population as, “the engine that will drive future prosperity,” and referred to young people as “hungry for the chance to create a better world.”

However, the challenges are clear - transition from education to employment is becoming more complex and uncertain; work is insecure; and more young Australians are working fewer hours than they would like.

Read the full report card here.

YOUNG people often see themselves as healthy and invincible, as opposed to mentally ill or disabled, and it is for this reason that it's critical for employment support services to harness a young person’s strengths instead of focusing on a formal mental health diagnosis.

Young people can face many challenges - family breakdown, strained relationships, identity issues, transient lifestyle, living rough, struggling at school - and little or no employment history can be a significant barrier to a young person finding the right job or training opportunity.

As an employment specialist, your support can facilitate the gateway to a new job or launch someone towards the beginning of a new and exciting career.

Learn more about offering young people employment support here.