Collaboration between mental health and employment services to support employment of individuals with mental disorders

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the extent of the interdisciplinary collaboration between mental health (MHS) professionals and social security professionals (SSI), their perceptions of this interdisciplinary collaboration and whether these perceptions differed between professionals of the two organizations. Method: We obtained data from mental health professionals and social security professionals in the context of a national agreement between MHS and SSI to improve the collaboration between MHS professionals and SSI professionals in the support of individuals with mental disorders to improve work outcome of these individuals. Results: Mental health professionals as well as SSI professionals reported a moderate level of interdisciplinary collaboration, which does not seem to be affected by demographic variables, such as age, gender, profession and region. When professionals collaborated in a structural way they were more positive regarding their interdisciplinary collaboration with professionals of the other organization than professionals that collaborated in an ad hoc manner. Conclusions: Interdisciplinary collaboration was perceived as moderate by collaborating mental health professionals and social security professionals. In order to improve the collaboration between MHS and SSI on a local microlevel, organizations need to facilitate more structural collaboration between the professionals.

Implications for Rehabilitation

Collaborating mental health professionals and social security professionals perceived their interdisciplinary collaboration as moderate.

In order to improve the collaboration between mental health services (MHS) and vocational rehabilitation services on a local microlevel, organizations need to facilitate more structural collaboration between the professionals.

Integrated services with the participation of MHS as well as vocational rehabilitation services, e.g. to share client information and to refer clients to each other, need to be developed.

A national agreement between MHS and vocational rehabilitation services is a good starting point to improve collaboration between both the sectors.